Solder not melting at all

[NoamanAtassi]

Hello

I have a Microsoft Band 2 with a broken and ripped off power button.
I'm trying to remove the solder from the contact pads but I'm totally unable to do it.
My soldering iron is set to 315 C and the solder wire is melting just fine with a minor touch from the iron tip.

Any advice?

Thanks

 

[Peter Martin]

Have you ever used solder wick?

 

[jimmysmitty]

What are you using to try and remove the solder? A wick? A solder pump?

 

[NoamanAtassi]

Have you ever used solder wick?

Yes, but the board itself is so small and crowded.
I'm afraid if I used wick on it that I'm gonna mess with other SMDs around the pads.

 

[NoamanAtassi]

What are you using to try and remove the solder? A wick? A solder pump?

A solder pump.
Nevertheless the solder itself stays solid, not melting at all.

 

[mortemas]

If it is lead free solder you need a higher temp. If there is more mass to the lead (like the anchor pins on the housing of a switch or a pin soldered to a ground plane) then you need a higher wattage iron. You can try Chip Quick desoldering aid, but take care not to get it all over. It is super lightweight and starts to get everywhere if you’re not focused. It’s basically an alloy that has a very low melting point. It looks like a rigid rod of solder. You add it to the existing solder connection and it blends with the solder to bring the melting point down to somewhere between the two. Good for removing difficult lead free connections. I use an application of flux before applying it. I try to get one pass with a solder sucker first to remove what I can of the existing solder, then bring in the Chip Quick. It’s also great for removing multi pin devices because you can heat all the pins and have 10 seconds or so without the iron before the solder solidifies again. One more tip: it’s best to do the job as quickly as possible with enough heat as necessary, meaning you need good technique to minimize errors. This is because you can overwork the board and pads can delaminate from the board if you’re going in multiple times with the iron. Some boards are very cheap and not durable. Practice on some junk electronics if you have to.

 

[mortemas]

One more thing: you need as much of the iron tip contacting the solder connection as possible for good heat transfer. Use flux and a tiny dab of solder to create a heat bridge if you have to just to get it going. Don’t just use the very end of the iron tip. Nestle it against the 90 degree angle of the pad and the part so that two surfaces are touching the tip. Just be careful not to touch other parts with the heating element of your iron. I’ve melted my fair share of plastic with too low of an angle on my iron, too!

 

[mortemas]

Oh, and keep the tip clean! Very important! Impurities block heat transfer. You won't get the proper heat transfer if the tip of the iron doesn't adhere to the solder you are removing. I clean after every two or three solder connections or whenever I notice the tip is not shiny.

 

[Peter Martin]

i do that too, the tip should always be shiny, clean it as needed. gas powered irons are my fav, and they can be blowtorches when needed too. I have the older model of this, no electrical discharges from those.... and adjustable

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