cleaning a flaky ZIF socket?

[Mechatrommer]

Does Chipquick work well on thru-hole parts?  I've never tried it.

its the black magic i recommend you to get some stock.

[SgtRock]

Dear Mightyohm:
--I stand corrected. ChipQuick contains bismuth and indium rather than gallium. Please see the below post by squonk:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=4600.0

To: Mechatrommer:
--Would you please amplify your statement about black magic. You seem to think that your way of doing things is the only way. I am only recommending things I have used and which might be of help without "proper soldering practice and skill". My advice is freely offered and my be freely declined. So please tell us if you will, just exactly what claim made by ChipQuick to you consider so invalid as to justify deriding it as "black magic". Digikey carries 43 ChipQuick products. There must be a lot of people out there, who, not being as intelligent as yourself, believe in "black magic". You will notice, Sir, that I am able to offer advice on possible ways of doing things, without saying that other advice is stupid or "black magic".

Best Regards
Clear Ether

[IanB]

Would you please amplify your statement about black magic.

Huh? Again, you seem to be displaying severe comprehension problems. Mechatrommer says says "Chip Quik works so well it's like magic!" To be sure, it does seem to be amazing stuff...

[Mechatrommer]

its the black magic i recommend you to get some stock.

--Would you please amplify your statement about black magic. You seem to think that your way of doing things is the only way . I am only recommending things...

Black magic is the belief of practices of magic that draws on assumed malevolent powers

it depends on what you mean by black magic. i assume you got drifted away by B@W.

[SgtRock]

To All:
--If Mechatrommer's comment only meant to say that ChipQuick is a good product, then I apologize. I may have made an erroneous assumption because of his earlier comments with regard to a "dead chicken". No doubt when I speak Russian or Spanish I often inadvertently cause laughter or apoplexy.
Yours Apologetically
Clear Ether

[alm]

It's a black Aries socket with tin plating on the contacts.  I have no idea what part number it is, or whether it is genuine - it was cheap and came with a PIC programmer I purchased several years ago.

My guess is that it's a fake then. Genuine Aries/3M sockets are not cheap, at least $10. Most cheap Chinese ZIF sockets I've seen have Aries/3M branding and part numbers, but are a lot flimsier than the real thing. A real one may survive for longer.

I don't see the worry about damaging the Dragon, it's not that expensive. Plus you can still use the ISP, JTAG and debugWire features, which are the hardest to get. You could also make a simple PCB with a ZIF socket and ISP header. I would only use the internal socket for high-voltage programming, which needs a lot more pins.

[mightyohm]

This weekend I went out and bought a Hakko 808 desoldering tool - this made quick work of removing the 40 pin ZIF socket.  What a useful tool!  I wanted to get a wand type instead of the gun style, but the 808 is relatively inexpensive and more importantly was available at my local electronics store (Fry's).

Once the socket was removed, I installed a machine pin DIP socket (the one SgtRock recommended) and a new Aries ZIF socket and everything is working fine now.  The ZIF seems to stay in the socket just fine, but if it starts popping out I'll hot glue it in place.

Thanks for all of the help and suggestions.  My AVR Dragon is working better than ever and now I have the desoldering tool I secretly wanted.   

[SgtRock]

Dear Mightyohm:
--Congratulations on the Hakko 808. I would like to get one myself. The Fry's price of $152 seems very tempting. Could you please desolder entire boards 8 hours a day for a while and report back. Just kidding. What is your opinion of the 808 as an industrial tool. How long would it last in heavy usage, can it be kept in service with regular maintenance, replacing tips, etc.? I only want your best guess. I have two Hakko 936s, with one converted to use 908 heavy duty tips for desoldering. I also have a Weller 300 watt gun for big jobs. I am going to get a vacuum desoldering setup. I just do not know exactly what to get. Advice by any and all would be welcomed. Best Regards
Clear Ether

[IanB]

The reviews of the Hakko 808 suggest it will not disappoint. However, Radio Shack sells a desoldering tool for $11, which I am going to try out. The Hakko is undoubtedly better, but can it be 15 or 20x better?

[Uncle Vernon]

Once the socket was removed, I installed a machine pin DIP socket (the one SgtRock recommended) and a new Aries ZIF socket and everything is working fine now.  The ZIF seems to stay in the socket just fine, but if it starts popping out I'll hot glue it in place.

The one recommended after recommending magic spray, LOL. 

I'm surprised at the need for hot glue in BAW's solution, like he and Jeff I've experienced similar issues, but found that if the regular socket below the ZIF was a quality machined item, the force needed to dislodge the ZIP was substantial. Yeah I know. two expensive sockets, but I figure if you only get 80 odd years on the planet the least amount of that time you spend redoing repairs the better.

To be pedantic with the attribution BAW suggested a practical and working solution, I added input from personal experience and from this Mr Rock was able to locate a suitable part. Teamwork albeit from a somewhat less than cooperative team.

Thanks for all of the help and suggestions.  My AVR Dragon is working better than ever and now I have the desoldering tool I secretly wanted.   

Yep, one and all lived happily ever after, all except the evil peddlers of sprays and goops who had to shut up shop due to poor sales and the GFC.  Glad to hear all worked out well. 
[/quote]

[mightyohm]

Dear Mightyohm:
--Congratulations on the Hakko 808. I would like to get one myself. The Fry's price of $152 seems very tempting. Could you please desolder entire boards 8 hours a day for a while and report back. Just kidding. What is your opinion of the 808 as an industrial tool. How long would it last in heavy usage, can it be kept in service with regular maintenance, replacing tips, etc.? I only want your best guess. I have two Hakko 936s, with one converted to use 908 heavy duty tips for desoldering. I also have a Weller 300 watt gun for big jobs. I am going to get a vacuum desoldering setup. I just do not know exactly what to get. Advice by any and all would be welcomed. Best Regards
Clear Ether

It works great.  I was really impressed - I had the 40 pin ZIF out in well under 20 minutes from the time I plugged in the iron.  The reviewers on eham.net really love it, and claim that it stands up to industrial use, too: http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/2978

There are good reviews on amazon.com as well: http://www.amazon.com/Hakko-Desoldering-Kit-808-Gun/dp/B000ARPULW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315185143&sr=8-1

[SgtRock]

Greetings EEVBees:
--With regard to the latest comments by UV and his "LOL" comment; I invite the gentle reader to examine this thread, and see for yourself if I have recommended the use of DeoxIT for correction of mechanical problems. I deny that I have at anytime recommended DeoxIT as any kind of a magic potion whatsoever. DeoxIT is useful for solving intermittent problems due to oxidation and dirt, period. That is all that it claims, and it is all that I claim.

--I am somewhat puzzled by UV's response in light of this PM, which I quote below:
 
""Congratulation: You have won an all expenses paid one way trip to my ignore list.  To do so within so few posts could even be the all time record. The maxim was and always will be think before you type, a concept clearly beyond your intelect and abilities.
Feel free to rant there as incoherently as you already do! Feel free also to send as many abusive replies as you see fit, I do not mind I will never have to read them or any of the other tripe you are capable of regurgitating.
Indeed you were the weakest link!" [Editors note: The spelling , punctuation, questionable usage are as per original speaker]

--And on another occasion UV stated:

"Your other option, of course, would be to spontaneously combust, hell why not do it as a video post, while I will not be able to see it I am sure I will hear about it when it happens. :-)"

--Please view my next post for comments which are more on topic. Best Regards
Clear Ether

[SgtRock]

 Dear Mightyohm and IanB:
--Based on the strength of your recommendations, I am ordering a Hakko 808 desoldering gun. I am so tired of re-soldering to get rid of lead free solder. I am also tired of quickly banging the PCB on the table. Likewise, I am also tired of "copper braid", "God help us".

--As for those who advocate a three to ten dollar solder sucker ,well, I can only conclude that they have never been confronted with a real sitchyiation.

--My uncle Tudge used to tell me "If you ain't go no time, no money, and no tools,  you ain't got no business f***ing around"

"Three weeks in the lab will save you a day in the library every time" Stanley Williams, HP Labs

Best Regards
Clear Ether

[Mechatrommer]

As for those who advocate a three to ten dollar solder sucker ,well, I can only conclude that they have never been confronted with a real sitchyiation.

You seem to think that your way of doing things is the only way

[DaveyCrockett]

I have found a way of cleaning a ZIF socket.  I used a piece of round wood, known as pegwood to clockmakers, but really any old stick of wood will do.  First I buzzed through connections to isolate those that needed work.  I whittled two flats on the pegwood so that it fitted between the open terminals of the socket.  I put a very little of a metal polish (called Brasso in the UK) on the stick and with it in the socket and applying light pressure with the lever moved the stick up and down.  The polishing action made the stick black.  I scraped the black off to clean the stick with a blade before going onto the next connection. After polishing, I sprayed with solvent cleaner.  I didn't bother to disassemble the socket for better access. I rechecked connections with a  meter after the treatment and my programmer now works.  Based upon a sample of 1 socket, 100% success (so far).
D

[coppercone2]

you are a powerful necromancer

[GlennSprigg]

For my 2c worth... (haha..)...

I fully understand that 'contacts' in ANYTHING, are not always just 'dirty', which certain solvents may help with.
The other main problem though is 'oxidization'. Being a 'ZIF" (Zero Insertion Force, with a Lever), there is no physical
'abrasion' either, when removing or re-inserting! (to actually 'scratch' itself clean). 

One of my bosses years ago, once questioned what I meant in some of my site reports, about 'Bedding-in' some devices.
I explained about removing/re-inserting some parts, to friction-clean certain contacts, which often alleviated the problem!
With 'ZIF's though, this does not happen, so I would suggest repeatedly holding the ZIF Close-Lever partially closed during
re-insertion, to cause some actual friction! It's only 'removal' that often needs minimal friction, having numerous pins!