deskthority

It's a ZD-985 desoldering station! Cheap, readily available, works okay for now.
http://www.memotronics.com/vacuum-desol ... l-lcd-new/ I just used it to pull some PCB mounted vintage Cherry MX Blue switches from "f26c":
http://coronthica.com/by-uuid/f26c369b- ... 73a7cbab1/


I went from this... ...to this, in well under 20 minutes! We'll see how well it holds up over the long term. I do have a replacement parts kit for it (in a plastic baggie taped to the back of the station if you look closely in the photo).

More information here:
EEVblog #542 - ZD985 Desoldering Station
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ft50m8UU5WQ

Looks a decent piece of kit. Where did you get it?

I hope you were just warming it up on those MX Blues, and your first real target is some Alps.

I have the 986 , same shit in a different case

Muirium wrote: Looks a decent piece of kit. Where did you get it?

I got mine through eBay. The OP has a link to the actual supplier. I recommend getting it directly to avoid eBay's 10% tithe.

The ZD-985 is readily available internationally. The YouTube video I posted is by an Aussie. It comes up under many different brand names but always the same model number which is how you know. They're all the same OEM.

Muirium wrote: I hope you were just warming it up on those MX Blues, and your first real target is some Alps.

Experience builds on experience. I was practicing on some controllers and other random through hole parts yesterday and did the MX Blues in 18 or so minutes. Actual desoldering took 12 minutes, unmounting took 6. I'd like to disassemble these and run them through the ultrasonic cleaner to see if I can improve them at all.

I've desoldered Alps boards before though the hard way with a solder sucker. The issue is that the little plastic retainer wings break really easily on old brittle key switch housings. No, my real goal was to work on a ANSI and TKL conversions for Space Invader keyboards: the former with a 3D printed key cap, the latter with yet to be determined work!

Though, I have too many projects as it is. Anyone want to buy a keyboard?

andrewjoy wrote: I have the 986 , same shit in a different case

Wouldn't doubt it for a second. How do you like yours? I'm expecting mine to chew through replacement parts and fail at some point. So far it's been good. I do note that I have to hold the soldering iron below horizontal when desoldering to prevent clogs. In practice this means standing the board upright.

I got a refurbed unit from memotronics over the summer and absolutely love it.

The only PITA is changing out the filter in the barrel, it could be a whole hell of a lot more idiot-proof than it currently is.

jbondeson wrote: I got a refurbed unit from memotronics over the summer and absolutely love it.

Heh. Given that the new ones can ship with the heating wire disconnected (check out the video!) I would have liked to save $50 by going this route. Aargh!

jbondeson wrote: The only PITA is changing out the filter in the barrel, it could be a whole hell of a lot more idiot-proof than it currently is.

Yeah. I discovered by Googling around that the little circular metal cross is a shield that prolongs the life of the filter. The video showed me that you need to push the little button in the back down to release the vacuum housing on the gun. You have to push the clear tube back and then tilt it up. A little kludgy but I don't mind it so much.

A tool like this is a must for anyone who is desoldering more than 2 keyboards ever.

I am interested...

I have desoldered about 3 or 4 keyboards total by now, and using a traditional handheld desoldering pump is very time consuming.

XMIT wrote:

andrewjoy wrote: I have the 986 , same shit in a different case

Wouldn't doubt it for a second. How do you like yours? I'm expecting mine to chew through replacement parts and fail at some point. So far it's been good. I do note that I have to hold the soldering iron below horizontal when desoldering to prevent clogs. In practice this means standing the board upright.

its a bit loud ( louder than the 985) , but its solves some of the problems Dave had with it , the plastic connection for holding the nozzle is now metal.

Mine has never clogged.

its all metal too on the main part of the case ( fount is still plastic)

XMIT wrote: Though, I have too many projects as it is. Anyone want to buy a keyboard?

whatever happend to that AEK 1 ?

Your AEK I is still right here (or rather, out in the shed). Working on a PM.