# how to repair ripped off pad on pcb board?



## xnothingpoetic

I was removing a small cap on a PCB board and got one end off clean but the other end ripped off from too much force applied. 

 I tried putting solder on it but wouldn't stay. Guess I ripped it clean off.

 Anything I can do?


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## ericj

Well, if the pad has a trace on either side of the board, you can just run a wire to the next place to solder into that trace.


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## beer

you could connect your cap with another component in ur pcb by using a wire.


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## xnothingpoetic

No trace on the broken side.

  Quote:


 you could connect your cap with another component in ur pcb by using a wire. 
 

That might work, but I have to figure out what to connect it to.


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## d-cee

hard wire it to the track or next component down the line =\


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## xnothingpoetic

What if I drilled a tiny hole where the pad used to be (no bigger than it was), and put a small solid copper (or similar) wire in there and solder both ends to make it stay, then put new cap on it?

 would that work?


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## beerguy0

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *xnothingpoetic* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_What if I drilled a tiny hole where the pad used to be (no bigger than it was), and put a small solid copper (or similar) wire in there and solder both ends to make it stay, then put new cap on it?

 would that work?_

 

If the PWB is two sided, that should work. If it's multi-layer, then there may be traces in the way. Can you post a pic?

 If you do try drilling, get a pin vise and some really tiny bits. Don't try drilling with a regular drill. Too much potention for real damage.


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## Denim

A common practice is to find the component or connection that the trace came from and hard-wire from that point to the component that would have been soldered to the pad that pulled off. It wont be pretty, but it will work. You can glue the wire down in a couple places so it doesn't get pulled out and cause any problems. 

 It sucks, I did it earlier this week.


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## ericj

Wait a minute. No trace on the underside. 

 You said you lifted the pad. Did you tear out the through-hole plating as well? 

 If you didn't, you can just apply some Good Flux and probably still solder to the through-hole.


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## xnothingpoetic

I said there was no trace on the top side where I ripped it off, but I was wrong, there is a small trace (hard to get to).

 The board is dual layered, so I can't drill through it because there are traces on the other side.

 And no I didn't rip out any hole.

 I'll just see what else I can do...


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## clatter

I don't understand the suggestion of soldering to the through-hole plating - it's no use unless there is still a trace connected to it, and the trace will be broken if it's on the side where the pad lifted off.

 I've ripped off plenty of pads in my time, and there is no clean way to fix it. You just have to find some other equivalent point to solder to.


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## solderinggeek

The correct techniques, one using a pre-attached dry film adhesive and the other uses a 2-part epoxy, are listed here:
   
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meulzHIq4Us
   
  and
   
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwrnWasLYUc
   
  The tools to make this repair on your own can be found here:
   
  http://www.soldertools.net/categories/PCB-Repair-Materials/Pad-Repair-Kit/
   
  Hope this helps with your PCB pad repair!
   
  BWET


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