Hot Glue Removal

[buffalono]

Hello All, Been reading this board for awhile and have learned alot. Have a question about working on an amp with a pc board that has the larger components hot-glued in place. Are there any tricks for getting the stuff off?
I have a Trace Elliot Velocette with output tube red plating and some of the tube socket solder joints that I would like to resolder are covered with hot glue. Also the applies to the blocking caps and other components I need to check.

[52 Bill]

Welcome to the board.

If you can't just pull off the hot melt, the only other way that I've been able to remove it is to cut off as much as possible with side cutters or an art knife and then heat and scrape the rest off. I use the tip of my iron for smaller bits, and a heat gun for larger areas.

Be careful if you go the heat gun route, as it can do damage to the circuit board and other components. I will sometimes use a small sheet of metal to cover areas that I don't want to heat up.

[Enzo]

Hose it down with freeze spray, then it can be shattered.

[buffalono]

Thanks

Great advice, i used both suggestions and was able to access the areas I needed.

[Rick Erickson]

Hot Glue Removal:

When I read your title my first thought was, "Let me guess - he is working in a Trace Elliot..." <LOL>
If this amp has the push-on pin connectors for the Heater connections, I would suggest pulling the connectors and hard-wiring all the heaters. Flyback diodes are also a good idea in these amps to prevent pc board arcing.
fyi - The Gibson Goldtone GA-15 uses the Vellocette pc board, with minor circuit tweeks.

RE

[Alex R]

An old hair dryer is handy for getting things hot but not too hot. It melts hot glue just fine and if you don't get it too sticky it just pulls off. Blow air behind the thing that it's stuck to if you can.

[jrfrond]

+1 on the freeze spray. That's what we've been using for years. Who's got time for blow driers?