Originally Posted by
ComputerScrapper
Removing the removable chips is a regular practice with most e-scrappers. The ones that are soldiered on the boards are a pain to remove and it can be toxic. The practice is known as "sweating" and it is a nasty business to say the least. The smell that comes off the boards when they are heated is just awful and toxic as well. Best to leave the chips on the boards unless they are removable. Just my opinion.
When I was a kid I used to like to fool around making circuits using the components I salvaged off broken electronics. Getting the components of with a soldering iron took too long so I tried out different alternative methods. I found that a twist knot wire wheel brush attached to an electric motor could be used to depopulate a board very quickly. It grids of the solder without damaging the components. Now that I've been reading about this stuff I realize that I probably shouldn't have done that without taking some precautions against the dust I was producing.
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