Someone fill me in on the WD-40 hate. A board is fiberglass, epoxy, and copper... and WD-40 was specifically designed for this task. Where does anyone else see a problem?
The worst I can see is that it might be implicated in lifting traces, but 1. it's volatile, so less of a worry than CRC or something, and 2. a board with corrosion lurking within won't be much fun either.
dandelion wrote:
Ok...i've decided against the hacksaw option and have been able to get a soldering iron. As well as this i've also got a solder sucker thing which should be useful for pulling away the molten stuff.
However, i've never really done this before...any soldering tips for a novice?
Tin the iron before use - this involves letting it heat up, and sticking a little solder on it until the tip looks shiny. Use 'rosin core' solder, or lead-free electronics solder if you must. What wattage is the iron? (40W will make fast work of the battery connections, but you'll have to try to move quick to avoid burning anything else.)
Once the tip is shiny, carefully hold it to the less-blobby side of the pin, if there is one. Get that desoldering bulb (or piston-device, or whatever it is... arm it first if it's the piston style) in, and suck the stuff up or hit the trigger. Actually putting a component *in* is a little trickier.
If the iron isn't pre-'tinned,' it might take a little longer for it to heat up the solder, which hopefully won't be a problem here, but you wanted the proper technique. Between sucks, you want to take the iron away, and if you're really paranoid, count to 20 or something before you move in again, to give time for things to cool off. (Probably a good idea, because you don't want to further heat and vent the battery..)
Then, when you think you've got it loose, feel free to apply some heat as you try to peel it up; again, you want it directly on the pins. And try not to burn your fingers, or flick it towards your face as the pin you're angling against comes free.
Oh dear, and some conflict on the WD40 advice. If I don't scrub off the corrosion already on the board is it likely to continue to spread and cause more damage? Or is it the case that once the battery has gone that will be that?
Whatever that crud is, I'd assume it contains enough nasties to continue etching as regular humidity helps hydrate it. (Though most of it is probably simple copper oxides, etched up by the chemicals that already reacted.) Don't go nuts, but go lightly with a cheap plastic paintbrush (tapping the bristles against a nearby ground, like a plugged-in-the-wall computer case first - no need for static damage!) and physically remove what you think you can. Then blast away as much else with canned air or something (being careful not to shoot it back *towards* other less-accessible spots on the board... again, I'd tip it on its edge and let gravity do most of the work), and see how awful the damage looks.
From there, you can decide whether to leave it alone or try all the more drastic techniques described. If nothing else, the aforementioned "contact cleaner," "electronic components cleaner," or "TV Tuner Cleaner" available at your local electronics hut certainly can't hurt - though the last sort usually *does* contain a lubricant, if you want to be paranoid about that. (Should be good on card sockets, dunno if it'd be much use on a board.)
Obviously, don't go applying a hot iron immediately *after* you've sprayed any oil-like substance; do the desoldering work first; having the battery out of the way will give you more room for cleanup.
