Mechanical switch PCB help needed

[gemcos]

Hi, I'm an owner of a Steelseries 6Gv2 mechanical keyboard and I need to replace this broken keyswitch.   I've ordered some switches, but I'm an amateur at soldering.   The solder joint as can be seen in the picture is detached from the board and a tiny flake of the coating on the circuit next to it (or the circuit itself, i can't determine the difference) peeled off.  I was wondering if this is even fixable.

Its not letting me link the image because I'm a new member.  If you can help me, please respond and I can PM you the imageshack photo.

[laffindude]

It sounds like a cold solder joint. Unless you see traces detached, you probably didn't damage the PCB. Just use some solder wick and desolder then try again. Remember to directly heat the prones on the switch and the touch the solder to the prones where the iron touches the it, then add more solder accordingly and let it flow into the joint. The finally remove the iron. Also, make sure you're not using a fine iron tip. Use the bigger tip you got.

[gemcos]

Thank you for the reply.

[Lanx]

or solder sucker, i've desoldered at least 300 switches with a solder sucker, couldn't desolder a damn think with that wick.

[gemcos]

Happy to report my first keyswitch replacement was a success.

The trace was definitely damaged, though with some extra solder, I was able to complete the circuit.  I didn't have a solder sucker or solder wick to remove the original swithc, but I was told that the mesh shielding from inside a coax cable would do the job, and it worked.

[Lanx]

that's inventive lol, a solder wick is just a bunch of loose fine wires? (copper?)

[Clickey]

Yeah, wick is braided copper wire. You can fix tracing a number of ways, but if that worked for you great.