Hello all,

I've searched the forum, and see that this question has been asked more than once.. but it doesn't seem that a good answer has been given yet.

I'm looking to buy a fibre glass pen for cleaning up the d0 point, as described in Team Xecuter's install guide.

I've done a few chip installs, each time using an X-acto knife to gently scrape away at d0. Well I just did an install today, and for the life of me I just couldn't get a good connection to d0. So more and more attempts to clean it up with the X-acto *almost* resulted in a scraped of trace. Luckily I was able to make my connection after all, and do have the system working now... but I was literally one more attempt away from killing the topside of the mobo.

This was a little too close for comfort for me. I realize if I did kill the topside of the board, I could have taken the MB out and used plan B with the alternate d0 point. But I really don't even want it to come to that again... so the fibre glass pen would definitely save some major headaches next time.

I've searched google, mouser electronics, jameco electronics, etc.. None of the big electronics suppliers carry this tool, and just about the only place on Google I can find it is located in the UK. And my luck, it doesn't even appear they take US orders.

So can anyone suggest a US-based website, or better yet a walk-in location where I might be able to pick one of these up? I've heard some people suggest Radio Shack... but after searching their catalog and their website, I couldn't find one. So I have my doubts that Radio Shack actually does carry them... just think people might be jumping the gun a little bit there and assuming Radio Shack carries them. But please correct me if I'm wrong

Any help on this would be appreciated...

I'm not sure about the pens, but here's my technique if it helps at all:

First I hold the hot soldering iron on the d0 for 15 or 20 seconds. That seems to melt some of the coating off, making it easier to scrape off with the exacto knife.

I'm in Canada, and I can buy a fibreglass pen for you and send it to you. Shipping would be like $1, and you could just pay for the actual item cost.
Let me know if that's cool.

QUOTE (wiseblood @ Jan 16 2004, 09:30 AM)

I'm in Canada, and I can buy a fibreglass pen for you and send it to you. Shipping would be like $1, and you could just pay for the actual item cost. Let me know if that's cool.

That sounds great man... many thanks for the offer! I'm going to PM you right now with shipping details

Sorry to beat a dead horse on this one... but I haven't heard back from wiseblood in awhile, so I guess I'm going to have to keep looking for my fibre glass pen.

So consider this a bump on the thread Can anyone possibly point me in the direction of any websites (In the US) that might have these pens?

Thanks again for any help on this one.

radio shack sells these electronic scrape pen things, dunno if its the same thing, just remember seeing em when i went to pick up some flux

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/esr/PCB67_70.pdf

Medium fibre glass pencil 1+ 3.36, 5+ 2.69, 10+ 2.35
Fine nfibre glass pencil 1 4.10, 5+ 3.49, 10+ 3.08

Thanks for the two quick reply guys... very much appreciated. I ended up picking one up on ebay. Here's the auction link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=2218442031

This guy sells them as a "coin cleaning pen" for coin collectors, so I'm assuming the fibre glass tip would do the same job to a circuit board. It also looks like this ebay seller has these on a pretty regular basis, so if anyone else in the US needs one I would imagine you could contact him.

Thanks again to all that have helped