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There are times when you want to clean your circuit board thoroughly; you might need to remove old solder. But to remove solder, you will need a desoldering tool to work with a soldering iron. But what are those tools?
Now, if you don’t know the different tools for desoldering, then you have come to the right place! If you go through this article, you will learn about different techniques and tools you can use to desolder.
Then you can decide on which method or tool you will be using. And once you are done with deciding, you can start removing solder from different components and boards.
However, before learning about different types of desoldering, you must know what desoldering exactly is. So, let’s begin!

In this post we'll cover:
What is Desoldering?
Desoldering is the method of removing solder and components that are mounted on a circuit board. This process is mainly used to remove solder joints. The application of heat is required here.
What Are the Tools Required for Desoldering?
These here are the set of tools that you’ll be needing to get rid of that unnecessary solder.
- Desoldering pump
- Desoldering bulb
- Heated soldering tweezers
- Desoldering braid or wick
- Removal fluxes
- Removal alloys
- Heat guns or hot air guns
- Rework stations or a soldering station
- Vacuum and pressure pumps
- Various picks and tweezers and many more.
Ways to Remove Solder

Braid Method of Desoldering
In this method, when you heat the solder, the copper braid soaks it up. You must keep in mind that a quality solder braid always has flux in it. Also, clean the soldering iron before these steps. The process follows the following steps:
Pump Method of Desoldering
The desoldering pump, also known as a solder sucker or solder vacuum, is used to vacuum small quantities of melted solder when you melt the joints. The manual type is the most trusted version of this tool. It has a reliable suction power and can rapidly remove melted solder. This is the most popular method among the ways to remove solder without a soldering iron.
Iron Method of Desoldering
This method is quite similar to the methods above. It requires a one-piece desoldering iron. The iron comes with a built-in suction component that vacuums away the melted solder. Apply the tip of the preheated iron to the solder joint you want to remove. As soon as the solder liquefies, the running solder pump will take away the melted solder.
Heat Gun Desoldering Method
- First, remove the PCB from the casings.
- Now, you have to heat the area with your heat gun. Here, you have to keep in mind that you must place the item on something inflammable; also the area around it must be inflammable.
- When you are heating, you will observe the solder turning shiny; that means it’s getting melted. Then, you can remove the solder using tweezers or similar tools.
- You can now place it in a safe place to cool off.

Hot-Air Rework Station Desoldering Method
A hot-air rework station is an excellent tool for small jobs that you need to do quickly. It is a useful tool for removing solder parts from an old circuit board.
Compressed Air Desoldering Method
For this method, you only need a soldering iron and compressed air. You must wear protection glasses. This technique is slightly messy but straightforward. At first, you have to heat the soldering iron. Gently touch the solder joint that you want to remove. Then heat the solder joint and use the compressed air to blow away the solder. And the process is done.
Desoldering with Tweezers
People mainly use desoldering tweezers to melt solder in the right place. The tweezers come in two ways—either controlled by a soldering station or free standing. Mainly the two tips of the tool are used in desoldering; you should apply the tips to the two terminals of the component. So what is the method of desoldering? Let’s go through that!
Desoldering With A Hot Plate
People generally use an electric hot plate to heat the board to soldering temperature. You will need a flat metal, soldering iron, and soldering wick. The metal is to place your board on the hot plate. Hot plates are widely used for removing solder bridges off the board. Let’s see the process.
Desoldering Bulb Method
For this process, you will need a desoldering bulb and a soldering iron. The desoldering bulb uses a vacuum action to remove the solder quickly and easily.
Desoldering With Drills
You can use a small hand drill in this process. Also, you can use a pin vise with a tiny drill bit. Purchase drills depending on the hole size that you need to unclog. Many people prefer to use drills after using a desoldering bulb. After you suck out the solder with the bulb, you can drill out the remaining solder if there is any. You should use the cobalt, carbon, or high-speed steel drill bits; but never use the carbide one. And be careful while working with an oversized drill.Desoldering With Chip Quick
The chip quick removal alloy lowers the temperature of the solder by mixing it with the existing solder. This helps the desoldering process to speed up. It keeps the solder molten for a longer time. If you intend to remove significant surface mount components like ICs, you can use the Chip Quik. You can remove the SMD components with soldering iron rather than using a hot air rework station.
Conclusion
Once you are familiar with the method of desoldering, it will be a fun task to do! However, you must decide on the methods carefully. You must know which technique is best suited for your job. Understanding the above methods will help greatly. However, there are so many other ways to remove solder. Like, if you want to remove solder from the circuit board, you can follow the basic desoldering technique which is grinding and scraping. Milling out the solder is another technique, although it needs high levels of experience and skill. In case you want to remove solder from copper plates, you can do chemical stripping. Moreover, sometimes, you might need to micro blast your PCB while removing solder from a large surface area. The methods mentioned in this article offer an excellent start to learn how to desolder.I'm Joost Nusselder, the founder of Tools Doctor, content marketer, and dad. I love trying out new equipment, and together with my team I've been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with tools & crafting tips.
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