Nuts & Volts - April 2005

SCROUNGING FOR PARTS

only use them after following Rule 2; it has to be worth the trouble.

Rule 4: Invest in a roll of solder wick. Solder wick is a roll of braided material which “accepts” solder that is removed from a printed circuit board (PCB). I use the type made by Hakko^®( www.hakko.com), manufacturers of solder wick in a range of thicknesses, from 0.6 to three mm. Solder wick effectively cleans solder away from the joint, therefore making the component in question much easier to remove. Because the heat is transferred to the wick itself, there is less of a chance of damaging a good part.

While on the topic of desoldering, you should remember that there are also a few rules when choosing a soldering iron, as the cheapest iron will often mean the destruction of many functioning parts. A cheaper soldering iron (of the $10.00 to $20.00, 25-watt variety, for example) will often have a tip much too big for delicate electronics work and, on the other side of the coin, have too little power to be used to solder large battery lugs and such. My advice is to spend a little more money on a soldering iron (even a soldering station), as a one-time $150.00 investment is much better than 20 $20.00 investments, especially over a number of years. I have experi-

enced cheap solder tips degrading from heat only days after they have been purchased and it really isn’t worth the trouble.

Rule 5: Remember that “parts” aren’t the only things that can be scrounged from an appliance. Electrical appliances can be recycled in many ways. They have cases, knobs, dials, rubber feet, gauges, plugs, sockets, leads — you name it. These items are often much easier to remove, as they usually only involve the use of a screwdriver. These accessories can be used to repair other items of the same type or may even provide housings and personalization for projects of your own. Remember that cases do take up a lot of space, so be choosy and keep only what you think you’ll need. Rubber feet, knobs, and screws can be stored quite easily, as long as they are still in good condition (not destroyed by sun damage, for example), so take them out and keep them for a later date.

For those who have not delved into the world of scrounging before, try removing the smaller accessories first. Better yet, try removing them and putting the appliance back together again, as it is often a completely different experience altogether. If you can take something apart and successfully put it back together again, you may have

F o r

E l e c t r o n i c s

NUTS & VOLTS E v e r y t h i n g

We’re Back!

Robotic Arm Kit (No. 4-523)

Twin Motor Gearbox Kit (No. 3-709)

For All Your Ro

Yes! The internet’s first and best robotics source has been purchased by Jameco Electronics, and we’re committed to greatly expanding the product line quickly!

Each month we’ll add hundreds more new robotics products. Plus we’ll continue to supply favorites like Muscle Wire^®, the OctoBot Survivor™ robot and more.