Build A Pot Removal Tool

M

music6000

Well-known member
I found a piece of 1'' x 1/4 Copper Flat bar in my shed, Clamped it facing up in the Vice & attacked it with a 5'' Cut Off Disc in my grinder, Got the shape real close & lopped it off.
Got a pair of Plies (Highly Recommended) & put it in the Vice & put a 60 degree chamfer across the Flat to form a chisel like tip.
Turn it upright & filed the shaft round so it would fit into the Soldering Iron.
Put it together & waited around 10 minutes til it was hot & tinned the front and back of the Chiseled area.
Worked Great, Pot Fell straight out, Thanks for the Idea Robert!

: Duratech 40 watt Soldering Irin.jpg In House Pot Remover.jpg
Pot Removed with Pot Remaval Tip.jpg
 
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Niice! That's basically what I planned to do before I discovered the Pace tip.

Well... I was going to get the assistance of someone experienced in metal work, not attempt it myself, but...


Now we need a tool that can mend a PCB that has been broken into four pieces.
 
Robert said:
Niice! That's basically what I planned to do before I discovered the Pace tip.

Well... I was going to get the assistance of someone experienced in metal work, not attempt it myself, but...


Now we need a tool that can mend a PCB that has been broken into four pieces.
Click to expand...
I have one, its name is Robert & if it gets of its Ass, It will replace it!
 
I'd rather clip the legs on a $0.39-$0.59 pot and remove them one by one but this is still a cool idea and implementation.
 
Big Monk said:
I'd rather clip the legs on a $0.39-$0.59 pot and remove them one by one but this is still a cool idea and implementation.
Click to expand...

That's a lot cheaper than the Pace tip if you only need to pull a couple pots here and there.

Sometimes I need to pull them before I know the value, or they're loaner pedals, or it's some obscure value/taper I can't get, or sometimes I'm pulling the pot because I want to reuse it.

Then there's SIP modules like this thing:

What's on the workbench?

:rolleyes: Welp, we tried, right?
forum.pedalpcb.com forum.pedalpcb.com

I use it for pretty much any component with more than two pins in a straight line... including relays, toggle switches (SPDT, DPDT, 3PDT, 4PDT, doesn't matter). They come out quickly and cleanly and usually with no damage whatsoever. The heat is on the component for such a short period of time the plastic doesn't get a chance to melt/deform.

I even reinstall the pots the same way, just in reverse. No need to use a solder sucker or wick, just heat and reinstall.
 
Robert said:
That's a lot cheaper than the Pace tip if you only need to pull a couple pots here and there.

Sometimes I need to pull them before I know the value, or they're loaner pedals, or it's some obscure value/taper I can't get, or sometimes I'm pulling the pot because I want to reuse it.

Then there's SIP modules like this thing:

What's on the workbench?

:rolleyes: Welp, we tried, right?
forum.pedalpcb.com forum.pedalpcb.com

I use it for pretty much any component with more than two pins in a straight line.
Click to expand...

Oh, don’t get me wrong, it’s an AWESOME tool, and I 1000% get the utility of it. Especially for what you are doing.

If I were to translate into where I’d need that, it would be for damage/failure replacement, so the pot is toasted already. In that case, removing the pot unharmed or to be re-used doesn’t enter in.
 
Robert said:
That's a lot cheaper than the Pace tip if you only need to pull a couple pots here and there.

Sometimes I need to pull them before I know the value, or they're loaner pedals, or it's some obscure value/taper I can't get, or sometimes I'm pulling the pot because I want to reuse it.

Then there's SIP modules like this thing:

What's on the workbench?

:rolleyes: Welp, we tried, right?
forum.pedalpcb.com forum.pedalpcb.com

I use it for pretty much any component with more than two pins in a straight line... including relays, toggle switches (SPDT, DPDT, 3PDT, 4PDT, doesn't matter). They come out quickly and cleanly and usually with no damage whatsoever. The heat is on the component for such a short period of time the plastic doesn't get a chance to melt/deform.
Click to expand...
I used the corner of it to solder the pots into that breakout board Ha Ha!
 
music6000 said:
I found a piece of 1'' x 1/4 Copper Flat bar in my shed, Clamped it facing up in the Vice & attacked it with a 5'' Cut Off Disc in my grinder, Got the shape real close & lopped it off.
Got a pair of Plies (Highly Recommended) & put it in the Vice & put a 60 degree chamfer across the Flat to form a chisel like tip.
Turn it upright & filed the shaft round so it would fit into the Soldering Iron.
Put it together & waited around 10 minutes til it was hot & tinned the front and back of the Chiseled area.
Worked Great, Pot Fell straight out, Thanks for the Idea Robert!

:View attachment 62253 View attachment 62254
View attachment 62255
Click to expand...
Nice. Will it do a 3pdt?
 
RE: the pace tip, apologies for sidejacking the thread:

I had two of these show up today, unfortunately both (1403, 1404) are too big to not damage surrounding components - I should have measured better, BUT testing it on some of my own boards destined for the proverbial trash heap, pots came out like butter.

I just ordered the next size down (1402). If you use a T12 compatible iron and have $10 to gamble:

 
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