Ditching the heat gun for a $12 thrift store toaster oven changed my cap work
Everyone raves about heat guns for pulling old capacitors off PS1 boards, but I got tired of scorching nearby traces. About 8 months ago I tried a tiny toaster oven from Goodwill in Portland, set it to 200 degrees, and let the board preheat for 10 minutes before using my iron. The solder just flowed out cleaner, and I stopped lifting pads that used to take me 3 tries to fix with jumper wire. Sure, it smells like burnt toast for a bit, but the oven cost me twelve bucks versus the $60 heat gun I shelved. Now I only break out the gun for stubborn glue on SNES cartridge slots, not delicate board work. Anyone else use an unconventional preheat trick that feels wrong but works?