# Solder Mask Removal Comments



## lazersteve (Feb 27, 2010)

Please post your comments to the Solder Mask Removal Video here.

Here's a link to the Video post:

Solder Mask Removal Video Post


Steve


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## leavemealone (Feb 27, 2010)

Hey steve,nice video,great info.Can you do me a favor?Can you try it on a piece of a mo-bo or an IT board with gold tracings?I think the masking is a lot thicker and potentially denser on those 2 than a cellphone board.If I don't hear anything back by the morning I'll give it a try here at the house and let try to let everyone know how it went when I get a minute.
Johnny


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## lazersteve (Feb 27, 2010)

I just tried the process on an old HP board and the results were not as good. The HP board has a layer of what appears to be acrylic or epoxy on it.

I'll do some more experimenting and see if I can find out what types of board this works on and the proper concentrations of hydroxide for each type.

For the record the board I tested in the video was not a cell phone board, it was a laptop touch pad board. Another possibility is that when I heated the board to remove the components the mask was weakened by the heat.

I noticed that the board in the video has a dull light green mask, but the HP board has a shiny thick coating. Most of the older ISA and PCI cards have this dull colored coating.

Steve


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## samuel-a (Feb 27, 2010)

hi steve

all of your video require a log-in name and password, like the one that you have in the first entring to the site...
i tried your username and password but it's not working and can't see the video, or any other for that matter...


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## dick b (Feb 27, 2010)

Here you go!

Username: gold
Password: goldm1ner*

Click Here to Login
Type in the characters just as you see here.


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## lazersteve (Feb 27, 2010)

I performed a few more test on various board types, here's a photo of the results:








You are looking at a slotted cpu (cpu removed, components removed and split in half for comparison), a DIMM (components removed, split for comparison), and an old Vesa card (stripped one edge).

The items all stripped fine. The slotted cpu card could have been allowed to heat a little longer as some of the mask remained.

I used the same solution, adding a little water to prevent it from dehydrating but with no additional hydroxide added, for all the boards in the photo.

Steve


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## samuel-a (Feb 27, 2010)

thank you, but you misunderstood me.

when traing to access to a video (all of them) in the video section i get this log-in screen again.
and this user name and password just loop me back to the log-in screen again and again...



Edit: when problem wiil be fixed, please feel free to delete my post, as they are not relevant to the tutrial.


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## Barren Realms 007 (Feb 27, 2010)

You have to go and click on the I Agree button a 2nd time and it will take you in.

Great video Steve.

Could you please fix the spelling on on the other tag line.

Solder Mask Remval in 10 minutes or less


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## lazersteve (Feb 27, 2010)

Sam,

What browser are you using?

Are you accepting cookies for my site?

Are you allowing Active X scripting for my site?

Do you have the Firefox IE Tab plug in installed and configured for my site (Tools-->IE Tab Options-->http://goldrecovery.us/Add-->OK) if using Firefox.

Do you have the Firefox Media Player plugin Installed?

Do you have the latest version of media player installed?

Do you have my site on the exceptions list for any internet security suites you may have on your machine (Black ICE, Kapersky, Norton, etc)

Steve


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## samuel-a (Feb 27, 2010)

thank you, problem solved

i restarted my computer, and it just work as usual


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## trashmaster (Feb 27, 2010)

Thanks steve;;; The video is great ,,, I have around 200# of boards from telephones that are plated and I have been waiting fora simple way to remove the solder mask.... And thank you for all your videos they are great...

paul ([email protected])


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## Irons (Feb 28, 2010)

Steve,
I've found that alkalai solutions will severely etch glass, including Borosilicate, so it might be a good idea not to use valuable glassware, but instead, some garage sale casserole or something similar. I tried using Stainless (Inox) Steel but the solution created pinholes in the Steel after a while. HDPE works well but it needs to be heated in a water bath or use an immersion heater.


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## Juan Manuel Arcos Frank (Mar 2, 2010)

Steve:

WONDERFUL!!!!!!!...This process works lovely.I am going to use it with cell phones...Thanks.

Kindest regards.

Manuel


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## ljmolina (Mar 8, 2010)

Once again Steve, you are the MAN!!! This technique works great!


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## margsu (Mar 14, 2010)

I have a little question. Why to remove solder mask if there is only copper traces. Or can someone tell me what kind on boards have gold plated traces.


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## lazersteve (Mar 14, 2010)

Gold plated Traces

Steve


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## Anonymous (Apr 1, 2010)

hello every one i wanted to know when buying AR ( aqua regia ) what concentration type shouls i ask for and if i was to process 10 kg of CPUs can i mix pins and fingers in there and what container should i use and how much chemical and do i put everything in the container and leave it over night ( yes i have just bought steves DVDS but will be a while to get it to me as i live in Aussie land,, thank you my email is [email protected]


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## Barren Realms 007 (Apr 1, 2010)

vmsmnmam said:


> hello every one i wanted to know when buying AR ( aqua regia ) what concentration type shouls i ask for and if i was to process 10 kg of CPUs can i mix pins and fingers in there and what container should i use and how much chemical and do i put everything in the container and leave it over night ( yes i have just bought steves DVDS but will be a while to get it to me as i live in Aussie land,, thank you my email is [email protected]




Follow this link.
http://www.goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=6855


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## philddreamer (Apr 6, 2010)

Steve, I tried it & it worked! I got hold of a few nintendo 64 games w/ nice fat fingers. Weeks earlyer I tried fire; not good. Then came across your post & 
OH YEAH! Thanks. By the way, just completed my first batch of inquarts on AR. Success. Thanks to your video tutorials & the input of all the bro's & sis's @ GRF. com :lol:


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## Barren Realms 007 (Apr 6, 2010)

That is a nice looking button.


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## pudi.dk (Jun 4, 2010)

Thanks for this tip, worked excellent!
Before this I tried carefully grinding the solder mask away, got most of it although gold was lost. Now I don't have to worry about that anymore!

- Nic


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## flankdrive04 (Sep 27, 2011)

Thanks again Steve! Another very helpful and well produced video..

My question is about the 'after' process.

Would you suggest cutting these pads up, then process in AP as per fingers?

I did a search on these touch pads, but didn't really get what I was after.

Thanks again!

Adam


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## lazersteve (Sep 27, 2011)

Process them directly in AP or 35% HNO3.

Steve


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## adam_mizer (Dec 19, 2011)

Don't want to go off topic here, but have a question that may be related to the process.

Can the soldermask process also remove painted surfaces from karat jewelry items?


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## lazersteve (Dec 20, 2011)

Paint is easily removed with any one of several common solvents including, but not limited to; stoddards solvent, acetone, or paint thinner.

I'm not sure if the lye solution will do the trick.

Steve


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## Emporio (May 19, 2013)

I tried this method and the first one I did went pretty well. :lol: But I think I failed the second one. Think I had to much heat and the gold plating disappeared? :shock:


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## alexxx (May 19, 2013)

I recently obtained some amazing results with Steves hot sodium hydroxide + water solution.
It stripped some nice board trimmings very fast.


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## necromancer (May 19, 2013)

nice what are they from Alexxx ?

any more photos ?

(triple X)


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## Geo (May 19, 2013)

Emporio said:


> I tried this method and the first one I did went pretty well. :lol: But I think I failed the second one. Think I had to much heat and the gold plating disappeared? :shock:



more than likely, there wasnt any gold plating on the second one. the two boards may have been produced by separate companies.the gold plate may have been a voluntary thing that may have changed when gold prices went up. hard to say, but i see gold plating on the second board at the solder joints.


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## Claudie (May 19, 2013)

Geo said:


> Emporio said:
> 
> 
> > I tried this method and the first one I did went pretty well. :lol: But I think I failed the second one. Think I had to much heat and the gold plating disappeared? :shock:
> ...



My thoughts exactly


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## Marcel (May 20, 2013)

Emporio said:


> I tried this method and the first one I did went pretty well. :lol: But I think I failed the second one. Think I had to much heat and the gold plating disappeared? :shock:



This is korean eye candy , lol. They like to make even electronics look more valuable than they are..


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## griptheweasel (May 20, 2013)

In the video Steve suspects that the boards are covered in polysulfone. A quick search on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polysulfone) shows that while polysulfone is not susceptible to attack by mineral acids (things like HCl, nitric acid, sulfuric acid), it is not resistant to low-polar solvents. It lists ketones and chlorinated hydrocarbons as examples.

So, I wonder if the mask could be removed using something like acetone (one of the simplest ketones)? In the video Steve mentions that other users have had success with methylene chloride (a chlorinated hydrocarbon), so it stands to reason that acetone might work.

I looked for other posts talking about acetone removing the solder mask but didn't come up with much. If someone can point me to some, great. If not, I'm still going to test some boards I have to see what happens. If it works it seems a bit safer than hot NaOH


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## Smack (May 20, 2013)

siannopollo said:


> In the video Steve suspects that the boards are covered in polysulfone. A quick search on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polysulfone) shows that while polysulfone is not susceptible to attack by mineral acids (things like HCl, nitric acid, sulfuric acid), it is not resistant to low-polar solvents. It lists ketones and chlorinated hydrocarbons as examples.
> 
> So, I wonder if the mask could be removed using something like acetone (one of the simplest ketones)? In the video Steve mentions that other users have had success with methylene chloride (a chlorinated hydrocarbon), so it stands to reason that acetone might work.
> 
> I looked for other posts talking about acetone removing the solder mask but didn't come up with much. If someone can point me to some, great. If not, I'm still going to test some boards I have to see what happens. If it works it seems a bit safer than hot NaOH




I tried acetone a long time ago and it never touched it, even tried conformal coating stripper and no change.


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## griptheweasel (May 21, 2013)

I tried acetone today (4 hour soak) as well as ethyl acetate (labeled as MEK substitute) with no luck. Oh well, had to try.

But with that failure I decided to test whether the removal of the solder mask in Steve's original video was completely a result of the NaOH solution, or if heat was also playing a factor. I took a board I had leftover from removing the fingers and heated it in tap water. I let it sit in a good boil for 1-2 minutes. After about a minute the solder mask covering large sections of metal started to bubble. When I removed it from the water I just rubbed those sections and the mask came right off. The parts of the mask covering small connections stayed intact, but it does appear that heat alone can get you somewhere in removing the solder mask.

I also tried it on another board with a different looking mask and got nothing, so it also looks like this technique depends on the type of solder mask.


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## Nostradomus (Apr 8, 2014)

I am fairly new here and I have only made a few posts. I want badly to see steves videos and for some reason I can't seem to get them to play, yes I have all my software up to date and so forth, I am a computer repair tech. amongst other things...I was wondering if anyone has alternate link to those videos and most importantly right now the video pertaining and describing the method of removing the solder mask?? If not I am going to continue trying to get the videos on Steve's site to work in the mean time but I would really appreciate any ones help in seeing this video asap. Thank you everyone on here cause there some much good information on here and I am truly blessed to have the ability to read and learn from it.


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## necromancer (Apr 8, 2014)

Nostradomus said:


> I am fairly new here and I have only made a few posts. I want badly to see steves videos and for some reason I can't seem to get them to play, yes I have all my software up to date and so forth, I am a computer repair tech. amongst other things...I was wondering if anyone has alternate link to those videos and most importantly right now the video pertaining and describing the method of removing the solder mask?? If not I am going to continue trying to get the videos on Steve's site to work in the mean time but I would really appreciate any ones help in seeing this video asap. Thank you everyone on here cause there some much good information on here and I am truly blessed to have the ability to read and learn from it.




did you try clicking on the play button ??

i always see "buffering" no matter how long i wait,


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## lazersteve (Apr 10, 2014)

Many of my videos are on YouTube and can be viewed on any computer that has access to YouTube. 

Some of my older videos are hosted on my web server and have issues playing without the proper version of Media Player. On my FAQ page I go over several fixes for the videos that are difficult to play. 

If I ever get any free time I plan on moving all of my videos to YouTube. 

Steve


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