Kapton tape works as a temporary heat shield as well. Since I don¡¯t try to save 2 pin devices I just heat them up till both pads melt and they stick to the iron. 650F is plenty hot for this. I solder back on at about 600F.?
For the three pin devices I can pull with tweezers as I go around and hit each pin till they are all loose at once.
For ICs I use hot air with the smallest tip and a low air flow. My air station is in C and 260C works for chips you are going to toss. If I am saving a chip I read the specs on the data sheet about max heat.?
Colin - K6JTH?
Colin Kaminski