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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: mniels on Fri, 13 January 2017, 20:39:02
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Forgive me if this is a dumb question, but I am desoldering switches on a board, and even after desoldering I cannot remove them. I there a particular pressure poin that relaxes a clip? Or do we think I haven't gotten all is the solder out.
Thanks in advance!
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Is there a plate? Picture?
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There's 2 tabs on plate mounted cherry switches that you have to push in to remove them - one on the top edge and one on the bottom edge. Push them both in as you pull the switch upwards.
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Pull the switch while the contact point is still hot, otherwise, if the switch terminals touch the PCB (not in the middle / free from contact other than solder), the contact point re-solidifies - you can still pull it that way tho, but it might be a bit risky
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Yup, found the tabs, got a couple out that way, the other two I had already desoldered did not come out. I am of a mind that it is the solder. I will try pulling it as soon as I desolder. My guess is that will take acre of the rest.
I'll post later today with a progress report. Thanks everyone!
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Pull the switch while the contact point is still hot, otherwise, if the switch terminals touch the PCB (not in the middle / free from contact other than solder), the contact point re-solidifies - you can still pull it that way tho, but it might be a bit risky
NO don't do this..
What happens when you melt solder, is it slightly melts the plastic in the switch as well.
So if you pull it , it could move the innards out of alignment..
NEVER ever apply force to the plastic switch while hot..
Best use a solder sucker.
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Pull the switch while the contact point is still hot, otherwise, if the switch terminals touch the PCB (not in the middle / free from contact other than solder), the contact point re-solidifies - you can still pull it that way tho, but it might be a bit risky
NO don't do this..
What happens when you melt solder, is it slightly melts the plastic in the switch as well.
So if you pull it , it could move the innards out of alignment..
NEVER ever apply force to the plastic switch while hot..
Best use a solder sucker.
I once bought a second hand keyboard and corrected all the switch alignments without re-soldering, by re-heating the solder and moving the switch
From practical experience, even counting my very first encounters with soldering, the switch enclosure never melted and mis-aligned
However, in ideal circumstances, I agree with you, I have a solder sucker station, it's a life changer, but with pump based suckers, it's almost impossible to pull the entirety of the solder and the situation in original post happens frequently
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Used my solder sucker (one of the all in one deals that is attached to an iron,) and that worked great. Ended up with 4 stubborn ones but a little more time on them got them out.
Before I was using a separate sucker with my iron. Seems like the iron one works a hell of a lot better, at least for me.