I would recommend not trying to use a desoldering tool directly. They did not use thermal reliefs on the pads going into ground/VCC pours which makes it difficult to heat up properly. Use the soldering iron to heat one leg and push the top of that cap to the opposite side. Then do the same for the other leg. It will take 3-4 repetitions, but you can 'walk' the cap out this way. Now you have full access to the pads top and bottom to remove the solder.
If the solder is really corroded, you will need to carefully scrape the crusty stuff off before you can heat it enough to remove the part. The tin/lead oxides that form from corrosion have a much higher melting temperature, so they have to be physically removed. I have used a small heat gun, one I use for heat shrink tubing (not for component removal), to preheat a difficult PCB to 100C or so. This can help but don't go crazy, keep the temp low. Go to YouTube, search for "Hey Birt!", my channel, and from the channel page search for M100 or Model 100 and you will find a lot of videos where I show this process. Jeff Birt -----Original Message----- From: M100 <[email protected]> On Behalf Of ho collo Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2023 7:41 PM To: [email protected] Subject: SPAM-LOW: [M100] Recap and new battery I picked up a Model 100 from the flea market for $10 and was shocked it actually worked. Waiting on a new battery from MO, but did get my caps in today. I’ve been told the caps may be difficult to remove. Has anyone tried using a heat gun on a low setting prior to attempting? Did it work out for you? Ho. Sent from my iPhone
