Old motherboard part salvation :) - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: ChrisGreece52
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 10:22:37 pm
content: Hello recently i got 2 pcs from school and i wanted to salvage parts from their motherboards!!!Here are some pics of the motherboard number one and generaly the items scored!!!But the thing is the connectors and the usb hubs ... dont know how to remove them (without damaging them)Thank youTell me what you think please

author: mariush
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 10:33:15 pm
content: The headers will be kinda hard to remove without some hot air gun. Heat up the pcb under the usb connectors, add solder to the pins and then keep getting the solder liquid and shaking the connectors until they come out.People use solder pots to remove these things fast:You can buy cheap solder pots from ebay, dealextreme, dinodirect but they're often downright dangerous with poorly insulated heaters or mains wires inside - unless you know what you're doing to inspect such thing before using, you shouldn't use one.

author: ChrisGreece52
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 10:40:57 pm
content: Quote from: mariush on May 11, 2013, 10:33:15 pmThank you and sorry about the pictures

author: ecat
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 10:45:19 pm
content: The large copper ground planes and power planes can make it difficult to heat a small area of the board. If the component is a must have part and/or you do not have a sufficiently powerful hot air gun you cut around the part out with a dremel greatly reducing the board area that needs heating.If all you have is a soldering iron and you need to remove a multi-pin part you can hold the cut out piece of board in a vice and very carefully cut between the pins - a dremel + small abrasive disk is ideal for this. Once you have cut around all the pins it is a simple matter to heat and remove the remaining little pieces of pcb.A messy process with lots of nasty dust but effective if the part you are after is worth more to you than a working board

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 10:48:28 pm
content: Quote from: ecat on May 11, 2013, 10:45:19 pmThat's for damn sure. If you're ever feeling either suicidal or homicidal but can't work up the courage, just spend a few hours trying to rework a PC motherboard.My lawyer recommends I tell you that I don't condone this.

author: ChrisGreece52
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 10:49:32 pm
content: Quote from: mariush on May 11, 2013, 10:33:15 pmWell then i should not use one .... i am kinda irresponsible and i forget things more often than i should!!!So ill try the method of flux and solder on the pinsill answer tomorow and hopefully i could salvage some connectors to show you....

author: ChrisGreece52
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 10:54:22 pm
content: I think you are right anyway i dont pretty much care for these motherboards so drilling to reduce heat dissipation will be a nice alternative.But this board does not have such a big area for any component to dissipate heat ....

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 10:56:01 pm
content: Quote from: ChrisGreece52 on May 11, 2013, 10:54:22 pmThere are entire internal copper layers that are solid planes covering almost the whole board area.

author: ChrisGreece52
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 11:01:11 pm
content: Quote from: c4757p on May 11, 2013, 10:56:01 pmRight ... did not think about the internal layers at all ....i suck today

author: mariush
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 11:03:25 pm
content: Don't bother cutting the boards, you'd kill the dremel or the drills .. motherboards have lots of layers (6-10 layers) with copper between them... both copper and fiberglass are hard on drill bits and dremels... and fiber glass is also hard on your lungs (you'd have to use some protection on your mouth to not breath that in - you can find in hardware stores dust masks relatively cheap which helps A BIT but aren't guaranteed to trap all the fiber glass particles.Not all solder pots are dangerous, just those chinese ones. In theory you could buy one, remove the cup that holds the liquid solder and just go to your stove and heat up the cup and the solder in the pot on your stove. No risks then.The hard to get part in those is the cup, which has to be made from a metal that doesn't do bad things to the solder or doesn't interact with the solder... if not metal, it's a ceramic material.If you want really dangerous, see this:http://hackaday.com/2012/04/25/homebrew-solder-pot-is-too-dangerous-even-for-us/The nut got a halogen lightbulb and covered it with solder, the heat from the lamp melted the solder around - if the bulb explodes all that solder splashes around

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 11:05:24 pm
content: That is hilariously unsafe. I can see members of my family doing that. And then dying.

author: ChrisGreece52
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 11:08:56 pm
content: Quote from: mariush on May 11, 2013, 11:03:25 pmFirst : Then i wont go with cutting the board.Second:How the solder in the pot will be kept hot if i remove it from the stove ? (or you mean leave it inside ?)Third:THAT GUY I CRAZY!!!!

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 11:10:09 pm
content: Quote from: ChrisGreece52 on May 11, 2013, 11:08:56 pmHow does ice stay solid in my drink after I remove it from the freezer?

author: ChrisGreece52
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 11:13:56 pm
content: Quote from: c4757p on May 11, 2013, 11:10:09 pmSo it will still be cold after a few minutes due to its huge thermal mass?

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 11:16:42 pm
content: Quote from: ChrisGreece52 on May 11, 2013, 11:13:56 pmFTFY - yes.

author: ChrisGreece52
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 11:21:09 pm
content: Quote from: c4757p on May 11, 2013, 11:16:42 pmRight Thank you!!!

author: ChrisGreece52
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 11:22:39 pm
content: But from all this thinking a new question came up .... what shall i do with the CPUit an INTEL PENTIUM 4 running at 2.8 GHZ !!!!But the thing is that it has pins ... not contacts like my I5 for example. ...

author: mariush
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 11:23:48 pm
content: You can just leave it on the stove and lower the gas pressure when solder is hot enough and when solder cools down, turn the knob to get more heat on it.Of course, you don't put the pot directly on the naked flame and give yourselves burns when you put the component to desolder on the pot, you put the pot on stove plate or on a thin roof tile (the classic ones not metal or plastic ones that are available nowadays)sell the p4 on ebay, you'll get 5-10$ for it.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 11:23:58 pm
content: Hit it very hard with a hammer and see how many pieces it makes? Could make for some interesting artwork.

author: ChrisGreece52
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 11:29:37 pm
content: Quote from: mariush on May 11, 2013, 11:23:48 pmThanks for the info but ... 5-10 usd... does not seem to worth it ....

author: ChrisGreece52
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 11:30:04 pm
content: Quote from: c4757p on May 11, 2013, 11:23:58 pmLOL but no... is it so useless?

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 11:31:11 pm
content: If your head has a CPU socket you can insert it and you will be able to do very fast arithmetic mentally. Otherwise, yes, it is quite useless. It belongs paired to a motherboard, which you just destroyed.

author: ChrisGreece52
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 11:33:59 pm
content: I love your answersBUT i have the exact same motherboard twice so there is no problem with that... but i have to fix the bad caps that the other one might havebut will be worth it ?

author: Fsck
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 11:52:30 pm
content: Quote from: c4757p on May 11, 2013, 11:31:11 pmthey kind of make neat keychains.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 11:54:09 pm
content: Oh, that's a good idea! If only they were smaller.

author: ChrisGreece52
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 11:55:04 pm
content: Quote from: c4757p on May 11, 2013, 11:54:09 pmThats actually pretty good thank you ill go to the locksmith tomorow

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2013, 11:55:45 pm
content: Forgive me if I'm being daft - but the locksmith? Why?

author: nukie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2013, 12:02:37 am
content: ChrisGreece may I know how old are you?

author: ChrisGreece52
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2013, 12:04:04 am
content: Quote from: c4757p on May 11, 2013, 11:55:45 pmI dont know ... where do you go when you want to create a keychain out of an item ...... (actually i forgot i could drill the proccesor my self...)

author: ChrisGreece52
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2013, 12:04:52 am
content: Quote from: nukie on May 12, 2013, 12:02:37 am17 (High school student)

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2013, 12:06:00 am
content: Quote from: ChrisGreece52 on May 12, 2013, 12:04:04 amDrill? Craft shop?

author: ChrisGreece52
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2013, 12:06:54 am
content: Quote from: c4757p on May 12, 2013, 12:06:00 amI dont think so but i can acces one

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2013, 03:30:44 am
content: Remove the heatspreader from the CPU (overclockers have done it, so just search), desolder the pins (heat it up with a heat gun or propane torch and rub the pins off with a screwdriver), then solder on a loop of wire and you just made an interesting necklace.I have found that the best tool for salvaging parts is a soldering gun. For some especially difficult boards, a heat gun to preheat the board (hold it with a vise and set it to low) does a lot to make things easier.

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2013, 08:56:12 am
content: A good way to pull parts from a mother board is to use a barbecue, get the coals so they have gone white put your board over them on the rack for a few minuets and then pull what you want from the board, it is a good idea to wear thick gloves when doing this welders gauntlets are best as with these you can pick up red hot steel and not burn your hands well as long as you don't hold on too long and do not mind ruining the gloves. PS don't do this inside the house the fumes are toxic both from the charcoal and the board. Oh and I took it as read that you are wearing eye protection.

author: ChrisGreece52
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2013, 10:23:12 am
content: Quote from: G7PSK on May 12, 2013, 08:56:12 amThat seems a good idea it might be the way to go ... but the top idea with the soldering gun is pretty good to

author: nukie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2013, 12:11:00 am
content: Great way to start electronics hobby there are some power MOSFETs on the mobo too which is useful. If you are doing plenty of desoldering, I suggest you go to a paint shop and get a variable temperature heat gun. The painters use it for heating and stripping paint. It shouldn't be too expensive for a student. And it helps when it comes to preheating boards with lots of copper when your soldering iron can't handle. If you use flame to heat up boards, please do it outdoors the fume is no good for you and that's not the best way.