Just soldered two 30-pin headers on the wrong side of PSOC KIT board

[Back2Volts]

Long pin female headers on a brand new KIT-59 PSOC 5           

[Back2Volts]

It is my last choice.   The pushbutton/LEDs will be under, facing the breadboard.       I am going to try to remove the headers with a lot of solder wick and patience...   

 I will order one or two more kits just in case.   

[CJay]

I've done the same lots of times, occasionally even intentionally 

They look like standard 0.1" single row headers so they're worth considerably less than the board, just clamp up the board, heat a joint and pull the pins one at a time, the header will be ruined but the board will be good.

[Back2Volts]

It was easy to wick most of the solder off.   The trick will be to wiggle the pins loose of the last bit of solder.   I will keep working on it later today.

The headers are low cost (~$1.40 ea.) compared to the PSOC 5 kit ($10), but not as cheap as the standard pin length ones.    In fact I have found rather difficult to find a source for the 1x40 female extended length ones.

I have another kit on order.   If I fail to remove the headers I will snap off the kitprog and use the kit as a target for a dedicated project.   Not a big deal.     

[james_s]

After buying a Hakko 808 several years ago I can only wonder how I ever got by without it. Wick is horrible for this kind of thing.

[tooki]

I've done the same lots of times, occasionally even intentionally 

They look like standard 0.1" single row headers so they're worth considerably less than the board, just clamp up the board, heat a joint and pull the pins one at a time, the header will be ruined but the board will be good.

^^^This. Don't wick off the solder. Instead, melt each joint one at a time and pull its pin (the big solder blob will retain more heat). Do this one pin at a time, as CJay said. Once all the pins have been removed, then use a solder sucker to remove the solder.

[Back2Volts]

I've done the same lots of times, occasionally even intentionally 

They look like standard 0.1" single row headers so they're worth considerably less than the board, just clamp up the board, heat a joint and pull the pins one at a time, the header will be ruined but the board will be good.

^^^This. Don't wick off the solder. Instead, melt each joint one at a time and pull its pin (the big solder blob will retain more heat). Do this one pin at a time, as CJay said. Once all the pins have been removed, then use a solder sucker to remove the solder.

Do you really mean pull?    Can you pull a female contact from the back ?   I would think pushing from the back may work.   Either way, I do not currently have a vise setup for electronics.   It may be time to get a decent one. 

[frozenfrogz]

You can get somewhat inexpensive automated solder suckers like some made by Zhongdi or those by other names / brands, there are threads about them here.
ZD-915, ZD-985, Duratool / CPC etc.

I bought a Solder Peak 1010DR some weeks ago (ZD-915 derivate) and I need to say: Best money spent in quite a while!
Even if you need it once a year, you will really enjoy having it. It changed my life and made me a much happier person (insert random praise here ).

[Back2Volts]

Just do like I suggested and destroy / remove the plastic by crushing / snapping it with a pliers and using diagonal cutters if needed to start a cut / break.
The plastic should easily come off and leave individual pins still soldered to the PCB.

It has soon became obvious that with the tools I have, it is the only option.   With some CHP170 wire cutters I cut in between pins and removed the larger plastic part.   I had not realized it, but the body is made of a layer similar to the one in male headers, with cutting indentations and then a larger piece on top.   I had to cut in two passes.   Then desolder/pull pin by pin and wick and cleanup.   

Now is to be seen if the kit still works, after all the heating torture and mechanical stress.

One learning point is that I need a decent vise, so I just ordered a PANAVISE 381.

[CJay]

Do you really mean pull?    Can you pull a female contact from the back ?   I would think pushing from the back may work.   Either way, I do not currently have a vise setup for electronics.   It may be time to get a decent one.

This kind of thing but with long pins?

It'll take a bit more care but they're not too difficult to get out one at a time, trim the long pin close to the board, break the plastic (heat helps, you can also usually deform it enough with pliers or cutters) and then pull them, one at a time.

You can get pin to pin headers to suit them though so that may save you the effort.

[Back2Volts]

I am done!   Here is a picture of the results

[German_EE]

As somebody who fixed a door handle on the wrong side* of a VERY expensive cupboard I feel your pain.

* Left right rather than inside outside, not that crazy

[P90]

As somebody who fixed a door handle on the wrong side* of a VERY expensive cupboard I feel your pain.

* Left right rather than inside outside, not that crazy

next time, go around and stick a piece of painter's tape on the handle side of each  door before you drill... ask me how I know this...   LOL

[German_EE]

OK, now I feel better knowing that I am not the only one. I ended up having to pay for four new doors rather than one so that the colors matched.

[Ushiwaka]

So now it's a TI Launchpad!

[VK5RC]

Ooooooh, been there way too many times. I do it about every year or so, just long enough to forget before but I recall after!