Pinball Rehab

This is part two of a five part series on soldering. This article is specifically oriented towards beginners and playfield desoldering. It covers desoldering tools, supplies and the skills needed to replace a diode, switch, solenoid or broken wire. Advanced skills, better equipment and experience are needed before desoldering pinball circuit boards (see my rant on hobbyists hacking circuit boards). Desoldering Tools and Supplies The first thing you will need is either a desoldering pump (often called a solder sucker) or some solder wick or both (see Image 1). ...

When it comes to desoldering there are numerous tool choices. In some cases which one you use is a matter of personal preference while in other cases the tool you use should be based on the job. For purposes of this discussion I'll break desoldering into two categories: under-playfield soldering (solenoids, switches, diodes and wiring) and circuit board components. Basic desoldering tools for under-playfield work include solder wick, a desoldering bulb or a desoldering pump (called a solder sucker by us old-timers). While the latter two items use vacuum pressure to suck up solder...