I use a Hakko FR-301 - I bought that after destroying two PCBs with one of those yellow tube things. 
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While I agree that desolder gun is worth every penny, availability of hotswap PCB option improved to a level that I’m happy enough just dealing with occasional hotswap socket replacement. Currently I have far more hotswap PCBs than not. And because most of my boards are 60%, PCBs of at least half of them are interchangeable which largely relieves me of stashing many backup PCBs.
Lately, I’ve been ogling 3D Resin Printers more which, at the low-end, costs about the same as Hakko FR-301. What makes me hesitate though is 3D Printing is a big rabbit hole. Only thing that keeps me from diving into it is I’m already trapped in an even bigger rabbit hole (ML).
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Yeah, I think at this point I know I can solder and desolder pretty well. So I’m after convenience and I like the purpose built sockets; even more than socketing with Mill-max.
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There was almost no splatter at all. The only downside to lead free solder that I can see is that you don’t have shiny solder joints, but they all still work and look like they were made by someone with competency (read: not me) so I’m very happy with it 
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I think my current old solder is lead free but no clue because no sticker on it but in Sweden shops/stores need permit to sell solder with more than 0.3% lead
Solder with Silver (Ag) seems to be goto for good lead free solder, I am waiting for some to arrive later this week
Half off-topic: my mind was blown when I found out (this year) that they used to add lead to gasoline, I never thought about why all the gas stations said “lead free” 
When they banned lead in Gasoline in the United States, violent crime also went down. Because lead is a neurotoxin and it impacts the part of the brain that limits those impulses; among other things.
The worst part? They knew lead was toxic long before it was banned, I watched a program that claimed they knew it was toxic even as they were considering it as an additive to gasoline.
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It was the same scientist that invented leaded gasoline and the chlorofluorocarbons known as Freon. Great achievement with creating two disasters
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The Chemours company (who owns Freon) also now produces Krytox GPL >.>
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Hence, if you lube your keyboard switches with Krytox, your finger nails will eventually fall out… 
Never mind, my drinking water still enters my 1936 house through lead piping.
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Welp… Decision to buy a desoldering gun has been made. 
Pad came out with switch. Solder had migrated downward rather than getting sucked out.
Came out just like the other switches, but upon looking at the switch I noticed a lot of solder on the pin…
Glad this board was cheap enough to learn on!!!
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Yip. This is the exact thing that happened with the Durgod Hades boards I was trying to work on with one of these:
A rock can work in place of a hammer - but only worth using that way in a genuine pinch.
While the keyboard hobby in general and customs especially are much easier to enjoy without soldering tools these days, modifying commercial boards is definitely a practice that still benefits from them. I get a kick out of turning a meh keyboard into something truly enjoyable, but I definitely wouldn’t have the patience to do that without an adjustable, motorized tool.
On that note - the situation of solder flowing down instead of up and out can sometimes happen with even really nice gear - it will usually provide some resistance when trying to pull when it does. If that does happen, add some more solder back to the joint - it will be able to transfer heat to the solder down at the bottom and make it a lot easier to remove without frying the pad.
Oh, also - that board may still be salvageable. Try bridging that connection with some other nearby ones with some tweezers or loose wire with it hooked up to a tester. I was able to save one of those Hades boards that way, with an albeit messy improvised bridge made of wire.
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I mean, the switch came out like every other switch before it and I was actually surprised with how well things were going after the hassle my Arc60 PCB was giving me just the other day.
The solder sucker I have also has a little silicone tube at the tip to help create a better seal for the suction, but this one pad ended up fouling the rest of the PCB. I may try dropping a Millmax socket in there to see if that works, but honestly not too pressed with this board. I bought it with the intention of practicing my desoldering/Millmax skills on anyhow.
Wost case scenario, I have a keyboard carrying case and spare USB C cable… 
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Yes, avoid these cheap yellow tube desoldering irons by all means.
They literally melt upon use.
Instead, I use a regular 60W Weller with piezo-magnetic bang-bang temperature regulation and a manual teflon-tipped cold desoldering pump.
For stubborn pads, a roll of copper desoldering wick can also be applied to suck up any remaining solder.
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Halfway through making Cthulhus.
- Left-pile:
- Cthulhus made of Ink v2 bottom
- NK Cream stem
- Milky Pro KS-3 X1 top
- MM Switch 53g 3-stage spring
- Right-pile:
- Milky Pro KS-3 X1 bottom and stem
- Ink v2 top
- TX 60L spring
I was going to use New Nixie top and Kailh Black v2 stem but 1) products of this combo seemed better and 2) I’m still enjoying New Nixies as is.
Milky Pro KS-3 X1 with Ink v2 top frankenswitch sounds pretty good, similar to Cthulhus sound on the tester although noticeably different in-use.
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Also, when desoldering I found this to help. Lifting pads or pulling them usually happens when you think it’s all free and it won’t seem to come out. Don’t pull hard. Don’t do it! We all do it and rip a pad off. I still do it sometimes.
Reapply a bunch of fresh solder. Desolder again. The new solder will mix with the old that’s run to the under side. Works like 9/10 times.
Any time you get stuck, fresh solder or flux are almost always the answer other than force and heat
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Yes, that is correct @pixelpusher. Especially, adding a blop of traditional lead-containing solder to nowadays manufacturer’s leadless solder can do wonders.
Another trick is to heat the solder joint and than quickly but gently smash the PCB on the table rim. The solder will fly out.
One of the most common errors among people starting out with soldering is using a soldering iron of too low wattage. It is the duration of the applied heat that destroys PCBs. High wattage soldering irons require less time to heat the solder on a pad. As said before, my solder irons are 60W.
I have been soldering since the age of six 
, building radios.
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I’d frankly pay $20~30 to use a desolder gun for an hour or rent for a day if available. Local Radio Shack would’ve been the perfect place to do it if they were around still.
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A long time ago, I checked into Maker spaces for this exact reason. I wanted to test the waters for a good solder station and desoldering, but found them a little too expensive when wanting to do one thing. It was like 50$ a month when I was only interested in soldering gear. At the time, I was not interested in using a laser cutting CNC machine Seemed better to just put that money towards the tool.
It would have been great if the placed offered some sort of tiered membership.
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