Geoffs SMD Desoldering Tool - using USB Soldering Irons - Mk4

thingiverse

This updated and renamed version is virtually identical to my earlier version ( https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2766715 ), I've added a slot for a firmer grip on the soldering irons. (tip - if the grip is too tight or too loose just use a hot air gun to solten the ABS and bend to fit) I used ABS, due to the proximity of hot soldering Iron tips, but PLA or PETG should be fine too, any nozle size, support and raft options recommended. I'm using SMD components, as cheap, professional quality PCB's are now readily available in low volume - I use easyEDA, with it's free on-line Schematic & PCB design tools & relaiively low cost PCB manufacture. I found soldering easy quite my normal iron & a tiny tip (see DIYODE magazine Dec 2019), but De-Soldering is quite difficult for small SMD resistors & caps, as both sides need to be heated at once, and the hot-air rework tool just gets nearby components too hot and the sorta just fall off - very annoying IMHO, bo doubt Murphy is quietly laughing though. I searched Thingiverse & found minipimmer's "3D-printed SMD soldering tweezers" https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1934731 but found the soldering irons kept falling out. SO - here is my version, that has worked OK on unsoldering a few SMD resistors & caps, plus it's very easy to remove an iron for single soldering iron jobs - I like using these instead of my temperature controlled Hakko, as these $15 USB irons heat up many times faster (not really useful for big soldering jobs, of course)