Today's experiment: cleaning boards with a grinder.

some one mentioned cleaning boards with an angle grinder the other day, so today I tryed it.

my opinion unless you have a space suit. and closed cabinet with vaccuum to collect the dust I don't reccommend it.

first tried to grind the solder from the back, guess I wasent holding my mouth right, didnt work too well.

then I decided to try the 7 inch blade and strip the front, it worked fine for speed, but created a lot of dust that Im sure is next to arsinic as far as hazard is concerned.

works and is pretty quick but like I said with out breating protection and dust collection equipment I cant reccommend it.

Back to the drawing board.

wow sure screwed the title to that one up, and cant edit it. sry

Were you trying to de-populate the board or just take certain items off?

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Originally Posted by olddude

wow sure screwed the title to that one up, and cant edit it. sry

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Better?

I was considering a somewhat similar idea. I have never used a sand blaster in or out of a cabinet. My musing was how clean could you work using a cabinent sand blaster. Like I said I've never used one so I don't know how sealed they are. Since air pressure is going in then it must come out as well so how good are the filters? I thought it possible to get the copper off as well as componets. Mike.

I was trying to find a way to clean low grade boards, of all items then recover the copper alu and chips etc.

I have a fume hood but the fan is not strong enough to use as a vaccuum for dust.

I have an idea for a striper using a band saw but dont have the money to build it right now.

Hey olddude that me I think. I do this all the time, only certain items on the whole board, and only hit spots with thr solder. Dose make some dust but not that much. If you have to do it in front of a fan to blow the dust away from you. I only take off ic chips and the transformers and sometimes the alu. If your afraidof a little dust your in the wrong bussness, just about every thing in e-scrap is toxic, lead, solder, fiberglass and who ellse knows whats in some of those other things on circute boards.

Have you tried a heat gun?

havent got a heat gun yet, I keep forgetting to get one :)

not afraid of the dust for my self but I do consider others. who will come after me.

I've been using a claw hammer on low grade boards as of late.

Works pretty well when there's someone beside you cleaning the material.

kind of hard to get IC chips with a claw hammer. at least for me it is.

I'll try my heat gun tonight and see how it goes.

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Originally Posted by olddude

kind of hard to get IC chips with a claw hammer. at least for me it is.

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No.

Useless for ICs.

Great for transformers and aluminum heat sinks.

Like freonjoe, I want to experiment with a heat gun for shearing boards.

I tried using a toaster oven on a couple smaller boards. Actually worked not to bad.

I was going to recommend an oven, or a chisel, I have a bunch of com boards I need to clean so I'm still a newb at it.

Tried the heat gun, IC's were easy but the caps that had leaked were a pain. A little slow but no nasty fumes or lead dust.

I will try using a 9inch angle grinder with a 5inch dia metal wire 'cup' shaped brush on it & see what its like.....

My other thought was burning the single components off using a magnifying lens in the sun while wearing a welding mask.
Since I'd just be looking for the capacitors that contain platinum.

I think your going to be looking a long time as there is no platinum in caps. only palladium and silver for PM's. http://www.goldnscrap.com/index.php?...hers&Itemid=50
http://www.goldnscrap.com/index.php?...hers&Itemid=50

So much for bringing me your TV's, eh Joe? Didnt know you were in the TV business as well. Must of been nice taking a look through my shop.

I use an air chisel. Things go flying... no dust. I was thinking about using an oscillating tool, but I don't have one yet. Someone mentioned a scraper blade on a sawzall. probably the same concept as an air chisel.

I don't like the idea of the fumes from heat gun / torch / burning and I don't like the idea of lead dust from grinding. I'm beginning to wonder if this is even worth the trouble to take these components off. But, I say that now when I have a couple hundred machines to process and around 20 servers... that thought may change if I run out.