[_Microft]

To remove SMD ICs more easily with a soldering iron, you can create a tool to help with it. Cut a lengthy piece with a curved end at the front (looks a bit like a finger) from an aluminum can and sand away the inner coating and print on the outside.

Then work the curved end between IC and PCB and start heating the contacts left and right while continuing to move the tool further in once the solder at a leg melts. The legs with solder on them will not attach to the aluminum and you have the IC off the board in no time.

For soldering the author might consider “drag soldering”, i.e. put a small blob of molten solder on the legs and keep moving the tip of the iron over the legs on one side. Keep doing that until there are no bridges left.

[userbinator]

Or you could just use a hot air gun, as the author did. IMHO trying to work with SMD using an iron is a losing battle.

[_Microft]

I’ve considered that before but never actually got one. For soldering SMD a small hotplate was a difference like day and night already. How cheap could I get away with when buying a hot air station/gun?

[wpm]

I paid $60 for mine on Amazon. YIHUA 959D.

Save the hundreds of dollars for a good desoldering gun for thru-hole stuff.

[axoltl]

The Quick 861DW has been a hobbyist favorite for a long time, and comes in at ~$300 (USD)

[userbinator]

An 858-style station costs roughly 1/10th of that and should be fine for hobbyist use; many commercial repair shops use them too.

[tripdout]

Or similar/clones, like the Atten ST-862D.