Desoldering problem (skittishness) - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2020, 03:28:32 am
content: Hi, does anybody else have problems using most solder suckers with jumpiness, and "not enough hands" if so what do you do/use?

author: Non-Abelian
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2020, 08:41:30 am
content: Quote from: cdev on December 16, 2020, 03:28:32 amI broke down and bought a desoldering station. I found the solder suckers to be a pain to use and somewhat hit and miss. I used solder braid for a long time, but that too is somewhat limited for convenient desoldering. Be patient and wait for Fa good quality desoldering station on ebay and it will be worth the money. Expect to spend several hundered dollars, but a good target figure is between US$300.00-$400.00. For that much, you can get a fairly recent Pace desoldering station. Just make sure you get all of the componets since there are lots of supplies, but but so many complete stations with handpieces, filters and tips.

author: fourtytwo42
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2020, 09:18:27 am
content: Quote from: cdev on December 16, 2020, 03:28:32 amI often get that problem now, I think it's an age thing as I have been using the same tools for decades. One thing I do find helps is to make sure the board doesn't move by clamping it down somehow. Its better if your de-soldering a pin or something the soldering iron tip can rest on while you place the pump tip over the top but often if I get a twitch the pump will go off to soon or something will move and you miss. I try to leave plenty of time between tries by doing a row of pins sequentially before going back to the start as I am sure you know to much heat in one place b*ggers the pcbWhen all else fails I resort to solder braid but that's to expensive for everyday use. If its something like a through hole chip I always clip the leads off the body first and then lift the pins out of the circuit board with the soldering iron tip from the component side first, finishing off with the solder pump last just to clear the holes, sounds slow but #1 priority is save the board

author: jmelson
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2020, 05:09:36 pm
content: Quote from: cdev on December 16, 2020, 03:28:32 amYes, the piston-type solder suckers jump when the trigger is pressed. No way to get around that, you fire off a spring-loaded plunger inside the tool.Desoldering stations with external vacuum pump do not have this kickback problem, and also provide stronger vacuum as long as you hold the pedal.This allows MUCH more effective removal of solder.Jon

author: opampsmoker
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2020, 11:13:35 pm
content: I use a huge chunk of blu tak to kind of hold the pcb down while i get the sucker on it...maybe i jam an unpopulated edge of the board into a blu-tak mound to keep the board fairly still.You can always put the PCB on a hot plate, or somehow warm it up first, so that the solder suckering operation is kind of easier.I dont know how the machine solder suckers work on fine pads without ripping the pads off.

author: Electro Fan
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2020, 11:29:59 pm
content: I haven’t been desoldering much but so far my solder sucker results are like the OP’s - pretty hit or miss, and not real fun. I’m much more comfortable and confident with braid.

author: mathsquid
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 18, 2020, 12:10:07 am
content: I definitely have the same thing happen when using a spring-loaded pump, but for what I do it usually isn't too much of a problem. I also have one of the old bulb-style desoldering irons from Radio Shack, but I rarely use it because it takes forever to heat up. I'm on my second one; the first one died after 20 years or so. You can get them on amazon for about $25, but if I needed to use it more than once in a great while, I'd go for a low-end desoldering station.I tried to attach a photo, but for some reason the "choose file" button isn't working for me.

author: jesuscf
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2020, 11:20:05 pm
content: Quote from: cdev on December 16, 2020, 03:28:32 amYou need to press the tip of the solder sucker hard to the pin you are trying to de-solder while the solder is melted with the soldering iron. Like in this video:

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 20, 2020, 02:41:01 am
content: Ive been curious about them.Quote from: mathsquid on December 18, 2020, 12:10:07 amThey have some ones on ebay with built in vacuum. for maybe around $35 That's kind of more than I want to spend but if somebody had one that they verified worked well, I might go for it just to be done with the problem.

author: Teledog
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 20, 2020, 02:46:27 am
content: Big jobs {ie: large connections} - "Soldapullt"Cleanup & small jobs - wick wetted with rosin fluxAnd yes..big pads with big wick & fat tips..SMD pads with tinier wick..and watch your temp! (done many BGA cleanups under the "scope")Edit: if you're just removing one or two SMD parts, use two (yes two) irons with fine tips (JBC) and cleanup with fluxed wickLarger parts, hot air with kapton tape - to cover the nearby parts that you don't want blown awayUsed vacuum desoldering machines in the past, but limited use -unless you've got cases of boards to rework...and a bit of a PITA to clearThe {unobtainium} glass sleeve broke in the handle/gun - repaired it with a mica sleeve- worked just fine

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 20, 2020, 04:19:11 am
content: I never had any luck at all with those spring loaded solder suckers. I used a Radio Shack desoldering iron with the rubber bulb for years before I finally bought a vacuum desoldering gun and immediately wished I'd splurged on the vacuum tool years earlier. I can't imagine not having one with how cheap you can get them now. I love my Hakko but some of the inexpensive Chinese ones are fine. Loads better than a Soldapullit.

author: Electro Fan
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 20, 2020, 06:26:40 am
content: Quote from: james_s on December 20, 2020, 04:19:11 amFR-301?Any other models to consider?

author: 0culus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 20, 2020, 06:29:32 am
content: I got the FR-301 from Tequipment using eevblog discount and the edu discount (they stack, you just need an active .edu email address); I quickly wondered why I didn't get one sooner. It is immensely handy. I still have a spring loaded sucker because *occasionally* it proves to be the better tool.

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 20, 2020, 08:11:42 am
content: For cheapo manual pumps, I find a couple of things help them.Either cut a notch in the teflon tip, this allows you to get the iron tip under the desoldering tip.Or get a piece of silicone tube to slip over it the end of the tip, like the engineer one but without the price-tag.And of course, golden rule, to remove solder you first should add solder.

author: BlackICE
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 20, 2020, 12:06:56 pm
content: I always have problems using a solder sucker or solder Wick. I broke down and bought a hakko fr-301 works great. I Justified to purchase because I had to change about 30 caps off of the PCB and a 28 pin dip LED on a another circuit board made short work of it where I would be very tedious using solder Wick or a solder sucker without damaging the PCB. What's the FR 301 I to remove a 40 pin through hole header pretty easily without any damage to the header or the PCB almost impossible using other methods without spending at least an order of magnitude more time with risk of damaged parts.

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2020, 04:56:53 am
content: I've tried solder wicks. It gets expensive and messy.I've tried hand pumps. Time consuming and never worked correctly.I've tried heat guns. I found it not optimal for through hole stuff.I've tried eBay desoldering tools. Sounds great. Sucking, not so much.I've finally broke down and purchased one of all-in-one unit by Hakko. I liked it and added another with different hole size. Now, desoldering is a pleasure and damage to parts and pcb is minimized. I can easily remove 40pin through hole components. With any other method, I could never do it. I usually resorted to cutting off legs and removing one at a time.One of the minus of my Hakko is clogging. I constantly need to clean nozzles and inner tubing. They do clog often.

author: Electro Fan
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2020, 05:34:11 am
content: tkamiya, which model are you using?

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2020, 05:37:34 am
content: FR-301 but I have different tips than what comes standard. They come with 1.0mm tip with shorter neck. I have 1.0mm tip with longer neck, 0.8, 1.2, and 1.5.

author: Electro Fan
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2020, 06:41:37 pm
content: starting to see a trend here, so looked for some video reviewsseems pretty compellinghttps://youtu.be/NedsPM05IRA

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2020, 11:23:35 pm
content: I wonder how this one compares?"Yae"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073TRPBHM/ref=sspa_dk_detail_3?psc=1Desoldering Gun S-993A 110V 100W 50HZ Electric DeSoldering Gun Solder Sucker Gun Suction Tin Gun with Vacuum DeSoldering PumpAlso there is an identical looking one, Vevor for a few bucks less.Both companies also sell Variacs, as well as other similar products.$245 is just too much for me. Even $120 is really pushing it. One review said it was flimsy and the nozzle broke but the others were positive.Why so expensive?

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2020, 11:57:42 pm
content: If it's from Amazon, at least you can return it.I thought the same way as you. $300 is too much. How hard can it be? Bought something like that and tried. Bzzzzz.... alot of noise. No sucking. Pump seemed too weak. I just wanted one that works and works well. So I turned to a brand I knew. Yes, it's a lot of money for a sucker.This is the one I bought first. Record says I paid 119 dollars US for it.https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07542D82F/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

author: Electro Fan
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2020, 12:10:57 am
content: sort the reviews by most recenthttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B073TRPBHM/ref=sspa_dk_detail_3?p;sc=1doesn’t sound very likely to be viable

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2020, 12:39:42 am
content: Just be sure replacement parts are available for the long haul. Tips wear out pretty fast, and heating element can get clogged easily. I'm already on 3rd tip on one of mine. I had to ream out the heating element tube one time on a bench drill press. With Hakko, you can buy anything you want from the factory store. It may be cheaper on long term basis.I like the stand that a version from China comes with. Hakko one is not that great. The gun does not stay steadily and can fall out.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2020, 03:25:39 am
content: I've been happy with this one, and it uses Hakko parts:https://www.amazon.com/Aoyue-Digital-Desoldering-Station-Built/dp/B00ABJ4AECSometimes it helps to add extra heat (iron or hot air) on thick boards.Desoldering braid + this unit or similar & you're all set!

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2020, 07:48:23 am
content: Quote from: Electro Fan on December 20, 2020, 06:26:40 amMine is the Hakko 808, it was discontinued when the FR-301 came out, I've never used the 301 but I would assume it works at least as well. I paid $200 for the 808 at the time, it seemed like a lot of money but it has paid for itself many times over in time saved and boards not damaged.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2020, 08:01:08 am
content: Quote from: cdev on December 25, 2020, 11:23:35 pmExpensive? $245 is cheap for a professional grade tool that will last 20+ years if taken care of. $125 is peanuts, that's only a couple of days work at minimum wage. You'd pay more than that to send out one board to have someone else repair it, compared to the cost of living these days tools have never been so cheap. I understand things can be tight but sometimes as the saying goes you gotta pay if you wanna play. Buy good tools and only cry once, I've never regretted spending too much on a tool but I have certainly regretted trying to go cheap only to end up buying twice and/or wasting days of my life that I can never have back.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2020, 04:05:28 pm
content: Quote from: james_s on December 26, 2020, 07:48:23 amA big benefit of the Hakko all-in-one design is that it takes up a lot less desk space, if that's an issue. On the plus side for the desk type units, they could (theoretically) have a more powerful pump, and the hand held part (the gun) is smaller/lighter in use.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2020, 02:06:29 am
content: I don't have any experience with the Hakko desoldering gun, but here's my 2¢:- I've used other gun-type desoldering guns, and I don't like the gun format. It works fine as far as heating and vacuum, but I feel like I don't have the fine dexterity of other vacuum desoldering tools.- I've also used Weller desoldering stations with the angled head (like DSX 80). Better than gun type, but still not my favorite.- My favorite is the pencil-grip style of desoldering station, like Pace SX series and Weller DXV 80.I ended up buying a used Pace desoldering station (ST 75 with SX-90) for just over $100, and after buying it a new front seal for $4.50, it performs like new. This is worlds ahead of any other desoldering tool I've used. (We just ordered a Pace ST 115 with SX-100 at work, to replace the ancient Weller desoldering stations we've been limping along with.)I would sooner recommend buying a used Pace desoldering station than buying a new gun. The Weller stations, frankly, sell for too much money used, so I'd ignore them.Regardless of which type, proper technique isessentialwhen using a vacuum desoldering system. In a nutshell, you want to 1) fully melt the joint, such that you can feel the leg freely wiggle in the hole, 2) only then begin suction while constantly moving the component leg (this prevents it from re-adhering to the side of the hole), and then 3) keep sucking for at least 1-2 seconds longer to both cool down the joint with cool air as well as to ensure the molten solder has fully cleared the desoldering tip, and then 4) every couple of minutes, give the tool a moment to reheat a bit, so that the rear end of the tip can reheat.3-4 are important to reduce clogging. (If you do encounter a clog, you can often clear it by turning up the heat a bit and letting it rest for a couple of minutes.)This 38-year-old Pace video explains the technique better than anything else I have ever found:- I have the aluminum Engineer solder sucker. It's not bad — the silicone tube tip makes a big difference — but these things just have their limits.- Solder wick is great for cleaning up pads, but I've all but stopped using it for actual desoldering.- Solder wick and solder suckers work quite well on single-sided boards. But as soon as you have to deal with plated through-holes, their effectiveness plummets.

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2020, 01:12:51 pm
content: Wow, I just needed to see a few seconds, Tooki, to see what you mean.That looks like the way to go... Damn, it seems you got a very good deal.So, thedesoldering system consists of an ?? (tool/tip) and (the controller?)Are they all compatible with one another?( Edit I see there is a very wide variety of units.. need to do more reading on the ecosystem)I don't do electronics professionally, and were it not for a literal bottleneck preventing me from doing some projects I have right now properly, would notcurrentlyneed a desoldering solution..Maybe I should budget a bit more.Quote from: tooki on December 27, 2020, 02:06:29 amThank you for this tip!

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2020, 03:09:03 pm
content: Looking at the video, the Pace seems to work the same way my Hakko clone does. I'm pretty sure this is not rocket science - it boils down to getting something that is well made, reliable, and somewhat easy to keep clean.

author: cheeseit
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2020, 03:39:55 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on December 27, 2020, 02:06:29 amExactly what I do, and learned within a short while of using a lowly ZD-915. If I may I'd add 5) use the tool(s) to clear the tip/nozzle while applying suction from time to time to remove any dross.I haven't had a clog since I started doing 1-5.It's a pleasure desoldering now, after suffering for years using a sucker(s) and wick. A good and well maintained sucker is ok-ish but even the ZD-915 is leagues above it.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2020, 06:30:22 pm
content: Quote from: cheeseit on December 27, 2020, 03:39:55 pmThe ZD-915 gun looks exactly the same as the one on my Aoyue 474A++ so these things probably all come from the same factory in China. - and I agree with you, they are a pleasure to use and spare parts (filters etc) are cheap and widely available. For my needs, I can't see any reason to go for a more expensive model.

author: Electro Fan
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2020, 07:07:27 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on December 27, 2020, 02:06:29 amWow, that is such a great video! The whole Pace series is excellent but I hadn't watched that one; it's my new favorite right after their first basic/intro soldering video.Watching how he extracted the DB9 was really something and then he got an role and did all sorts of cool desoldering. The creativity of the whole thing is impressive and it seems like it's a bunch of hidden secrets since this stuff has been around since at least the 1980s and maybe earlier.Long story sort, that video probably pushed me over the edge on a FR-301, but I have to check on my TEA status to see if I'm allowed....

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2020, 07:31:45 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on December 27, 2020, 02:06:29 amAwesome, thanks for posting that link. These Pace videos are so well made, and all using human/analog tech!

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2020, 09:48:48 pm
content: It depends on your use case and preference, I used one of the pencil type desoldering stations a few times at a former job and it worked fine but I didn't find it particularly easier to use than the gun type. If you plan to leave it at the bench all the time then the pencil type with a separate base may have a slight edge, but if you want portable then the all in one gun style is superior hands down. The Hakko (the 808 anyway) comes in a plastic storage case with a handle so it's easy to carry it around, get it out and plug it in, then when you're finished it comes with a little rock wool sleeve that straps over the tip with velcro so you can put it back in the case while it's still hot. The two piece bench systems are a lot more hassle to carry around but if you plan for it to live on the bench all the time then that may not matter.Whichever unit you get, it's important to keep it clean. The tip and barrel clog easily if you desolder something that has flux on it so use the tip cleaning wire frequently. The Hakko also comes with a reamer that looks a bit like a little screwdriver, you remove the tip and with the unit hot, ream out the barrel. It comes with multiple collection tubes and the little aluminum end stops but I've never actually replaced either of those parts, I just clean them out. The only consumable that I replace semi regularly is the rock wool filter at the very back, if it gets clogged up the vacuum won't be as good. The tips last a long time for me, I got about 10 years out of the one that came with it, the failure snuck up on me because it looked fine from the outside but it had eroded on the inside at the thermal interface with the heater. It looked fine but it wasn't working well.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2020, 11:23:59 am
content: Quote from: Electro Fan on December 27, 2020, 07:07:27 pmOne website (a government-sales Pace dealer run by a Pace employee) says Pace introduced the industry’s first continuous-vacuum desoldering system back in the 60s. So this stuff has indeed been around for a long time now!

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2020, 11:28:48 am
content: Quote from: SilverSolder on December 27, 2020, 07:31:45 pmI tip my bonnet* to the people who wrote and storyboarded those videos, as they are so exceedingly well done.The presenter/narrator was also not a random employee: those videos were made back when Pace was still based in Silver Spring, MD (a suburb of Washington DC), and the presenter was actually a newscaster from one of the DC-area TV stations.*I also tip my bonnet to whoever gets the reference.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2020, 11:49:59 am
content: Quote from: cdev on December 27, 2020, 01:12:51 pmI did! Mind you, it took lots of patience: here in Switzerland, Pace equipment only ends up on the auction and classified sites every once in a blue moon. It took 3 years of waiting with a saved search for one of these to come along!! In USA you'll have much less trouble.Quote from: cdev on December 27, 2020, 01:12:51 pmThe key components are a handpiece with a heated, hollow tip; a temperature controller; and a vacuum source. These can be totally separate (like in a system with a handpiece, controller station, and external vacuum source) or all integrated into the handpiece (like the Hakko FR-301). My Pace is a common configuration: a handpiece plus a controller station with built-in vacuum pump.As for compatibility: no, definitely not all compatible. From an electrical standpoint, the handpiece is nothing but a soldering iron with a trigger button. But just as regular soldering iron handpieces aren't interchangeable between brands (indeed, often not even between all of a manufacturer's stations), desoldering iron handpieces aren't, either. If anything, they tend to be less flexible, since the trigger and vacuum interfaces need to be present.Unless you're willing to invest the time to investigate tool compatibility, I'd sooner suggest buying a complete unit so you know it's compatible.Quote from: cdev on December 27, 2020, 01:12:51 pmHonestly, I think it's rarely a bad idea to spend a bit more on a tool. If selected well, that extra budget often pays dividends in extended lifespan and time savings. Plus, better tools are often just nicer to use. (I place an above-average value on the "joy" a tool gives me; I just like using good tools. And what's wrong with spending a bit of money to bring myself joy?)

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2020, 12:03:20 pm
content: Quote from: james_s on December 27, 2020, 09:48:48 pmTotally agree that it's preference. At my workplace (a vocational training center), we have an expert soldering instructor come in periodically to do classes with groups of apprentices. He, for example, hates the pencil type and has a clear preference for the angled style (like Weller DSX 80), whereas both my boss and I prefer the pencil type.We recently got a bunch of all-in-one desoldering guns (like the Hakko FR-301, but some other Japanese manufacturer I'd never heard of), and while we are very satisfied with their performance, neither my boss or I prefer the gun format.Quote from: james_s on December 27, 2020, 09:48:48 pmVery good point. For portable use, nothing beats the all-in-one guns.Quote from: james_s on December 27, 2020, 09:48:48 pmYep, cleanliness is critical.That reminds me, one other thing to remember: tin the tip! I constantly see apprentices try and desolder with a dirty tip, which of course will have terrible heat conduction. I try and teach them to not only clean and tin the tip before starting, but also to retin it periodically while desoldering. People really forget that all the physics of soldering still apply when desoldering: oxides don't conduct heat well; a pillow of molten solder makes a fantastic thermal bridge; flux helps; etc.Depending on the brand/model, the tips may be designed to only tin the face of the desoldering tip, or they may also tin up the sides a bit. But either way, the face of the tip needs to be shiny with fresh tinning. If it's dull, don't try and desolder, but go and clean and retin it instead. It'll improve results dramatically.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2020, 02:36:05 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on December 28, 2020, 11:28:48 amAh, that's why the presenter is so good. He is super professional in these vids (better than most modern day news presenters, LOL)!I give up on the "tip my bonnet" reference and look forward to the answer to the riddle!

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2020, 04:10:44 pm
content: I like the music in this Pace video..

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2020, 05:05:55 pm
content: FYI, some additional viewing on the topic:(Don’t be drinking or eating anything at 18:45. 😂)(Also available in a ton of languages)

author: Electro Fan
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2020, 01:58:18 am
content: Quote from: tooki on December 28, 2020, 11:28:48 amAnyone know the presenter's name? He is excellent!

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2020, 04:52:49 pm
content: Quote from: Electro Fan on December 30, 2020, 01:58:18 amPaul Anthony.The screenshot is of a comment onhttps://youtu.be/vIT4ra6Mo0s

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2020, 04:53:38 pm
content: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-anthony-79a3168/https://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/web-video/celebrating-50-years-washington-week-announcer-paul-anthonyhttps://www.sarasotamagazine.com/news-and-profiles/2017/10/a-voice-that-carriesSomebody should show him the comments on the Pace videos, he has quite the fan base!

author: wizard69
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2020, 04:57:41 pm
content: Assuming you have no medical issues, one thing that may very well help is strength training. Now this may cause some here too hurl but physical conditioning is important when it comes to motor control for jobs like this. Personally as I've gotten older and lost some of that physical capability i've seen this become more of an issue.Quote from: cdev on December 16, 2020, 03:28:32 am

author: Electro Fan
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2020, 07:25:11 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on December 30, 2020, 04:53:38 pmtooki, maybe you should send him some links; I think he would appreciate that.Thanks for rounding up all the info. Here are a couple quotes from your links:“I got my start in 1964 as the chief announcer for a Washington, D.C., television station, WETA. I had just graduated from Georgetown and found myself making four times more than my hard-working father ever made selling women’s shoes at his shop in Rochester, New York. My mother couldn’t understand it. ‘Paul,’ she’d say, ‘they are paying you this much for reading?’ And I’d tell her, ‘Mom, there’s reading and then there’sreading.’”“Ultimately, it’s about communicating. I take great pride in clarity and enunciation. For many years, I’ve been a lector, including at St. Martha’s Catholic Church in Sarasota.Afterwards, people who don’t have a clue what I do professionally come up and tell me that they not only heard everything I read but that they understood the import of it.I look at it that God gave me a gift. What better way to share it?”