Personal preferences when it comes to working inside an Atari

[Timothy Kline]

Good evening, everyone!

 

I'm so far behind the curve compared to everyone here that I will never be able to catch up-- but I'm enjoying things in the meantime.

 

But as I try to figure out the limits of my repairing skills-- mostly involving soldering/desoldering and how my heart meds' side effects impact both (wow! my hands really shake THAT much?! lol)-- I'm curious about what methods you use when it comes to repairing/modding your system.

 

For example, I am using a 1027 printer's mainboard as my starting point for desoldering, removing everything I can. But wow! There are two items that seem to be eluding my determination, including the capacitor I hope will replace the leaking cap in one of my 1200XLs. Obviously my desoldering iron w/ pump is hot enough for everything else that is small (resistors, diodes, yada yada), but that cap is soldered solid. Next, I'm going to try removing it using my 60w solder iron and desoldering wick which should arrive tomorrow-- and I'm hoping for a better outcome as far as that capacitor is concerned.

 

Is there a "trick" to those capacitors and other components with a similar fat solder point? Do you use a wick for them?

 

All suggestions and recommendations are more than welcome!

 

Thank you, in advance!

Timothy Kline

[Kyle22]

The more massive the solder joint, the more massive a heat source you need to quickly conduct the heat to the joint. I would have a couple of rolls of wick (used two at a time), a pair of side cutters, and wear a heatproof glove on the hand that holds the wick. Be prepared to cut quickly when the wick fills up. You want to get that solder out quickly before the capacitor gets too hot. Do one solder pad at a time and allow to cool.

Edited May 16, 2016 by Kyle22