Get some junk boards and practice away

http://pinballrehab.com/1-articles/solid-state-repair/tutorials/167-soldering-tutorials

Bam!

Buy some old electronics at the thrift store and take them apart.

Following this for the read/links... I've done coils and other basic stuff, its a skill I always want to improve but never make the time. I even have some scrap boards set aside to mess with.

Here is a guy on youtube with a series of tutorials.

The FIRST and MAIN - for what you want - problem is, to get the old RAM-Chip out of the board. The DESOLDERING is the main problem. If you have no experience there, you can destroy your cpu-board more when soldering the new socket for the NVRAM in.

Hakko 808 is the best tool for desoldering.

I have made a few years ago a (bad) video how to desolder the old RAM-chip on a WPC-CPU-Board without a desoldering tool - the poor mans primitive way, but works perfect - you only need a needle (0,6 mm) from your pharmacy, a small srew driver and an electronic pliers.

So, if the old ram is out, soldering in the new socket is pretty easy, when you exercised a bit before.

BUT be very very careful, the traces and VIAS are VERY delicate; if you do not trust in your own work, let it do an expert, because the CPU-BOARD is too precious.

Heres are the videos:

PART 1:

PART 2:

As I got some critics from german users, that I used the wron pliers and better should use a knife or even a dremel, I made another video, to show the differences - make your own choice, what is best - I prefer the method with my favorite pliers. Here we go:

Do NOT use desoldering raid or a primitive desoldering pump, your vias will flow. Use either a Hakko 808 or my primitive method - thats my opinion.

Good luck ....

- Ingo

If you don't want to or cannot afford a Hakko 808 for desoldering, you MUST have a decent temperature controllable solder station, something like this -
ebay.com link: Hakko FX888D 23BY Digital Soldering Station Includes FX 8801 Iron T18 D16 Tip
or similar, & perhaps pick up an assortment of tips for it as well.

Buy some fun kits to build.

http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/products.asp?dept=1071

Or go to the local dump and see if they have any old VCRs or electronics you can take apart, desolder components on, and resolder them back on for practice.

The concepts of soldering are easy to grasp and put into practice. Becoming an expert takes a LOT of experience.

I've got an old LCD computer monitor that is well and truly shagged, bound to be some boards in that. I'd be happy to post you a couple if you like, PM me.

Assemble one of these: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/announcing-for-sale-64-switch-matrix-tester-from-pinitech

There is lots of repetitive soldering, which certainly helps when gauging your progress.

I had a lot of fun building synth kits from here http://www.paia.com/index.asp

If you are going to pull the 6264 RAM off of a WMS MPU you need a vacuum powered desoldering tool... period. Wick and a soldaput is not going to cut it.

Find old VCRs or even DVD players. Open them up and find through hole components. Practice removing them and putting them back in. Buy an untested junk pinball board off of ebay and try and fix it. Get kits to practice following schematics and assembling.

Also get the 1.6mm and the cleaning tool that goes with it. That will work on larger pins. There are a few cases where a 2.3 would be nice, but probably not worth spending the money on.

The best IMO is to have someone with experience give you some hands-on instruction. Nothing better than personal interaction when it comes to learning skills like this.

Please note I corrected the tip size for the Hakko desolderer. (Gotta quit drinking this early in the day.)

What fun is that?

Find some junked, non repairable pin boards, and practice desoldering on the parts of the board that aren't burnt up / corroded. Don't practice on parts of the board that are junked, you'll only frustrate yourself.

It's hard to find serviceable boards for anything in modern production. You need something 20 years old or older to take apart

For starters, find a Millennial who has multiple tattoos.

Just practice till you get the feel of how the solder flows, both removing or installing components. Honestly if your good enough, you could probably solder with a Bic lighter, OK joking on the lighter!
Have a pair of long tweezers too. Harbor Freight sells component removal tools too, like picks, and lighted tweezers.
The following pics were from the NV RAM I installed on my HUO CC. I used a simple Radio Shack pencil iron, and Radio shack spring release solder sucker.

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