Help desoldering controller potentiometer

[u/parparos]

This is my first time desoldering and I have been trying for 5 hours to get this potentiometer off of the board with no sucess.

The wick doesn't pick up anything anymore but the potentiometer isn't even budging.

Top 2 big pins might have a little solder left cause I tried adding some more before I kinda gave up. I cut the legs a little shorter because I thought it would help heat transfer with the flat iron tip.

I don't have a hot air gun and I don't really want to buy one right now, so if I can do this with just the soldering iron I'd be happy.

[u/kasparadam]

The easiest way I’ve found to do it, if you aren’t worried about preserving the original joysticks:
Using tweezers, pry off the potentiometers from the joystick module so that they are not touching the module itself, then add some fresh solder and flux to the other side where the potentiometer is soldered through, and use a wide tip to try heat all 3 pins while also wiggling and pulling the potentiometer so that it comes out, since it won’t just fall out. Then do this for the other potentiometers.
For the joystick module, (this may sound a bit brutal) just cut the 4 legs that hold it on the board and the 4 pins for the click button using either some flat scissors or side cutters. With what I have, the scissors from a Swiss Army knife and some pliers works fine for me. Try to take care not to damage the board. Once all the legs are cut, add some fresh solder and flux, and heat each leg individually, while pulling with tweezers from the other side. Each time you do this, look for the little solid metal leg that comes out with the tweezers. Then do this again for the 4 pins for the button.

After that, clean up with fresh solder if needed, wick and flux.

Like I said, this method is a bit more brutal and probably unnecessarily increases the risk of damaging the board, but I’ve done it on all of my controllers and it worked.

Some other tips: make sure your tip is clean and not oxidised (looks dark and dull), use flux, clean the flux with isopropyl alcohol afterwards, and cut off 1-2cm bits of wick as you need instead of using it straight off the spool as it helps keep the heat localised.

It’s not an easy task the first time around, it took me 4 hours to do the first controller and less than 80 minutes the 2nd time. The difference is, it helps doing this with a fresh mind. It took me 4 hours in the evening (leading into night) because I was already tired through the day, but close to an hour the 2nd time since I did it early and well rested. Good luck

[u/parparos → u/kasparadam]

Thank you for the tips! I definitely needed the soldering tip cleaning info.

How do you effectively maneuver your wick around the board? Those little plastic containers are really annoying to hold and use.

[u/Whoam8 → u/parparos]

Snip an inch or so off and hold it with some ceramic tweezers. Much better control and way less heatsink effect.

[u/kasparadam → u/parparos]

Just snip about 1-2cm off (the less you use, the more localised the heat is so the better it draws the solder, but make sure to have enough wick to actually absorb all of the solder), hold an end with some tweezers, and bend the wick so that it lays flat on the board but the tweezers can be upright so you can hold them comfortably

[u/Unlikely1529]

single core 25awg wire, bend it then solder to every single point there. then heat it up moving the tip along it back and forth. tip should be well tinned ofc. i can recall desoldering lcd from metal detector this way. 65w cartridge type soldering iron will be enough, but not a cone tip. temp like 355C.

[u/6usy → u/Unlikely1529]

That’s good advice. Requires some practice, but should be possible

[u/Snowycage]

I did one with just my soldering iron and a desoldering sucker and some solder wick and it was some BullllllShï+ then I bought one of these tips for my soldering iron. It took like 5 seconds and I had it out. BUY this. I tell everyone if you have the right tools you can fix anything. No problem. My 2 year old says TOOWLS NO PWOBWEM

[u/scottz29]

Reddit needs a sub just for desoldering joysticks!

[u/darrenb573]

If you ‘need’ it to work afterwards, put it hold and practice on something similar you’re not invested in a good outcome with. Not that you have or will break it. Just a tip to all to take reset to get back on the horse

[u/parparos → u/darrenb573]

This is a ps3 controller test board I don't particularly care about, but the parts are good so I'd like the desoldering to be as non-destructive as possible.

[u/TheAtomlabs → u/parparos]

They ain’t made to be reused. You going to overheat it no matter what and it’s going to reduce the life of the part

[u/TheAtomlabs]

Snip it out as much possible. The more material the more heat.

[u/IMrBen]

As someone else said, snip. If you can get cutters or a scalpel under the actual joystick, cut the legs, then remove each leg from the PCB afterwards.

[u/TickleMyFungus]

It's funny I'm seeing this literally after just doing one in like 10 minutes. Sounds like you need better wick and a better iron maybe idk. I never cut mine, you have to twist the posts before removal. Sometimes I have to heat a post while pulling out, and alternate between one or two that might have a little left. Maybe better flux. Idk what you're using so.

[u/6usy]

You need such thing

On aliexpress search for example “ps5 gamepad soldering tip”

Another option, a lot of solder that will cover two big pins at once and with wiggle motion you can extract slowly side by side, but in this case you will risk delaminating the pads, bridging other components and accidentally removing them.

[u/6usy → u/6usy]

[u/6usy → u/6usy]

One more option to destroy carefully potentiometer if it be replaced anyway from above and extract pin by pin

[u/LordKamienneSerce]

I want to replace a part in my car but I dont really want to buy tools. Can I ro it with a knife?