# Best way of removing these pins?



## Tipton444 (Oct 26, 2013)

I have a box of computer plug ends (I'm drawing a blank on what they are called exactly), and trying to find the best way of removing the gold plated pins. I did a forum search but didn't find what I was looking for, but I'm sure it's there somewhere. I've been removing a lot of different pins lately, but still relatively new, so it would be nice to find new methods. Are these the ones people boil in water sometimes? Any additional information would be great, thanks.


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## silversaddle1 (Oct 26, 2013)

You will soon discover that removing these pins is tough. Any molded type connector is pretty much a no go. The snap together/two piece types are fair game, but still hard, and the screw together ones are about the same. Just keep saving them up, wait for gold to spike again, and sell them as whole connectors. Last time I sold these things I got $2.00 a pound for them. Of course, gold was much higher back then. Thing to remember is they don't take up a lot of room, and they are heavy for their size. So a small box will weigh up pretty quick.

Scott


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## chlaurite (Oct 26, 2013)

Probably not worth your time, but...

Remove the two finger-screws (if it has them).
Pry off the front metal plate with a flat bladed screwdriver.
Slide a untility knife in flush with the inner housing (between the hard plastic or metal inner shell and the outer rubbery plastic. Rotate the blade 90 degrees in its own plane, and the rubbery plastic will fall right off.

Now, if you have a metal clamshell or a plastic housing similar to what you'd see on a motherboard - Go to town like normal;
If instead you have a blob of silicone and/or foil and/or all sorts of ugly stickyness, use an end cutter to chop all that crap off flush with the rear of the hard portion of the inner body.
At this point, you should have nothing really holding the pins in except a bit of friction, so pull the pins out with a pair of needle-nose pliers (if they don't just fall out by themselves).


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## chlaurite (Oct 26, 2013)

By the way, most of those go by the label "D-Shell" connector. Specifically, "DB9" (serial ports), "DB15" (game port, or VGA if it has three rows of pins), "DB25" (parallel).


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## Tipton444 (Oct 26, 2013)

Awesome. Thank you guys.. I was kinda staring at them thinking about all the work I would have to do, and figured I'd ask here first. Two bucks a pound isn't bad at all. I'll probably try some with your way of tackling them Chlaurite, and see how it goes. I figured there must be an easier way to get the pins, but I guess not. It's more of a learning thing, so we'll see how long I can last. I usually have a decent tolerance for time consuming projects. At least some of the other threads I've seen say these "D-Shells, DB15, VGAs" (Thank you!lol) have decent plating.


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## Pantherlikher (Oct 26, 2013)

Give a chisel n hammer a go... Chisel parallel to the pins, tap through it all and see if it cuts in half. I had some work great and pins pulled right out.

B.S.


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## butcher (Oct 27, 2013)

In a big vise put the connector in up to the base of the pins, squeeze the connector flat in the vise smashing the plastic around the pins as flat as possible, with a hammer blow knock of the major plastic portion exposed above the top of the vise, open the vise take out the smash plastic and pins, give them a couple of hammer blows to smash the plastic further around the pins, many of the pins will be freed from the plastic at this stage, and can be separated, those still stuck to the plastic can easily be removed with a pair of wire cutters later.


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## Anonymous (Oct 27, 2013)

The product you have there is the cut offs that are left behind when recyclers sell the copper on the cable assemblies which is worth far more than the ends. To sell the cables WITH these ends on devalues the cable price by approximately 40%.

This should tell you what value is likely to be achieved by processing these items. On the whole, extremely little Sir trust me. It's a waste of your time.

Jon


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## Pantherlikher (Oct 27, 2013)

You make it sound as though bending down and picking up a penny is a waste of effort....It is but 2 pennies and I can add my 2 cents.... :mrgreen: 

Recyclers don't want any end on copper wire as it devalues the wire. I have a bucket with plug ends that they take but for next to nothing.
Any gold plated end is in another bucket(s). If I ever run out of other things to do...yeh right... I'll pull those pins for a run through old AP.

Gold is gold. It's just a matter of you having better material to do before hand.

Did you know sand from Lowes and Home Depo has gold in it? Watched a goofy prospector prove it just because. Is it worth it? No. Sand costs alot more then what you get out of it. But if free?... Set it up and run it! You get a good work out and have something to show for it.

I have something to show for phone and Cat5 cable ends I processed.

B.S.


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## yar (Oct 28, 2013)

Pantherlikher- those plug ends should get dirty brass price, and I agree with you on the cable ends, put them aside for when nothing else needs attending to. Check some other scrap yards mine will buy wire with the plug ends on, it adds nicely to the weight.


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## yar (Oct 28, 2013)

Tipton you can put those ends in warm water to soften the casing and then run a blade through the casing and they should peel right out.


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## gold4mike (Oct 28, 2013)

yar said:


> Pantherlikher- those plug ends should get dirty brass price, and I agree with you on the cable ends, put them aside for when nothing else needs attending to. Check some other scrap yards mine will buy wire with the plug ends on, it adds nicely to the weight.



I have been cutting off all ends for years, thinking I was getting more for my wire at the local scrap yard. One day I saw them buy a 55 gallon drum full from a guy who left the ends on. I asked how much they docked him for the ends. She said nothing - they still go as 50%. 

I went back with just over 500 pounds a couple of hours later. I hate to think of how much time I wasted cutting them off. We currently get $1.00 per pound for 50% and they include ribbon cable in that category.

I'll still cut off those with gold plated pins but power supply wire adds up quick and the ends just add to the weight.


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## Pantherlikher (Oct 28, 2013)

That's odd. My scrap yard will take wire with ends but only pay $0.15 or so as copper baring and then tell you to cut the ends for almost $0.90.

Depends on the yard I guess. Mine is not a major scrap yard. Family owned and sends on to bigger yards. Does not even keep the prices up with the rest. But it's close and does not waste too much time and gas for the loads I take every week or more.

B.S.


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