# Pulling press-fit pins



## macfixer01 (Feb 17, 2008)

Someone had mentioned here way back when that they were getting cramped hands from pulling press-fit pins out of boards. The PLATT diagonal cutters I like to use have the jaws on about a 15 or 20 degree angle to the handles, so I let the natural curvature of the tool do the work. I've already pried off the blue plastic in the photo. Just grip a pin low (not hard enough to cut it of course) with the jaws parallel to the board. Then press down on the handles of the diags to rock the tool and pop the pin loose. This is actually pretty fast also.

macfixer01


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## patnor1011 (May 30, 2008)

yeah.. and heat board from other side to melt solder - they will be easy to take them out then.


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## Scott2357 (May 30, 2008)

Press fit pins don't have any solder. It's basically a square peg shoved into a round hole to make contact. You can loosen them up quite a bit first by driving the short end through the PCB with a hammer.

Also, if you don't mind a little PCB dust (always wear proper protection) you can use a radial arm saw with masonary blade to trim around the pin clusters then just break the PCB across rows to realease the pins.

Now press fit pins that have been soldered too, those are hard to get out !!


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## lincotech (Jun 10, 2008)

lately i stumbled upon a nice trick had i found trying to get pins out of a nortel back panel -
you can take out the plastic headers first with a screw driver then tern over the board that the back side with short pins faceing you ,now you take a flat headed hammer and tap GENTLY on the pins over a stable table or something


good luck!!


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