How to desolder analogue sticks?

[Moosh89]

Hey everyone!

I have an old fried dualshock 3 motherboard that I want to use as "decoration" in a prop I'm making, but I need to remove the joysticks.

I've tried heating the solder with my soldering iron and it just won't melt, but the board underneath does, which doesn't really matter since it doesn't work anyway, but it sure won't look pretty if I keep at it haha.

I know there are 16 points each that are soldered, I have an adjustable watt soldering iron, and I had it at 30 when I started, and that wasn't doing it, so I cranked it to the 50 max, and it just blackens/browns the PCB underneath... The solder still stays hard, and "stuck"

I don't want to try getting someone to force them off because the board will break and that won't do me any good.

Thanks

[Modded Matt]

add new solder to the existing factory solder. that should help. The PS3 is a pain because the pins are usually bent over.  Take a pair of nial clippers and cut the post as close to the mother board as possible then apply new solder, reheat, and they should come right off.

a solder sucker works best for this, but a braid can also be used.

[Moosh89]

Thanks Matt!

It doesn't appear that the posts are bent over, we did manage to melt a tiny bit of solder on some joins, revealing the posts standing upright, but she's still stuck, and good too!

I will have to do some more shopping for a braid or desolderer (is that a word?). I did think about adding MORE solder but I wasn't sure if that would work.

I will post back if I still have any troubles

Thanks again, so so much!

[RDC]

The PS3 controllers are a witch because the solder is lead free, so it takes a little more heat, plus all of the leads are in plated holes (vias) versus just being stuck thru a non-plated hole and soldered to a trace like on the 360 controllers, so it takes even more heat to make sure you get all of that reflowed before trying to remove it.

Since your iron has an adjustable temp, turn it up, and for anyone that's interested in keeping the functionality of the controller make sure you have all of the solder removed (can wiggle the lead) before trying to pull the Stick off the board or you'll rip one or more vias out in the process, and depending on what you're trying to accomplish that could make for a lot more fun than you're after. Flow a little new solder on as Matt suggested, it doesn't have to be lead free, just anything that's rosin core, as it will help with the flux that's already in it and mix with the old too transfer heat and get it all melted so it can be removed with a desoldering pump. You can use braid, but then there's just more copper you need to heat up as well as everything else that's already needing it.

[3D0kassiah]

you can try chip quik use it the same as regular solder but itll leave the solder your trying to remove molten long enough so you can have to heat up all the pins to release it  or use a hot air machine