By David Coe, founder and bench technician
Boards damaged by a previous repair: what is recoverable
Some of the work that comes to this bench arrived dead the second time, not because the fault beat anyone, but because the repair did. Torn pads, lifted traces, cracked chips from a hot-air guess, screws that gouged a track. Shops send these jobs in because the customer has already paid once and nobody wants to say the machine is lost. Often it is not.
What we see, regularly
- Torn pads and lifted traces: a connector or chip levered off with too much heat in the wrong place. Rebuildable more often than not, with jumper wires and re-laid pads.
- Bridged or cold joints: solder that went sideways under magnification, shorting two rails that should never touch.
- Overheated areas: warped board, melted connectors, a chip that has visibly given up. This is the group where "honest no" is most common, and we say so before charging anything.
- The classics: battery adhesive that took a trace with it, a screwdriver slip on a component, tape holding a connector "in place".
How the job runs
- Diagnosis first (£35 + VAT, waived when the repair goes ahead). What is original damage and what is repair damage, written up.
- Photos on your ticket: of what arrived, and of what we found underneath. Useful when the customer asks what happened to their machine.
- A revised quote for the real work: pad and trace rebuilds land inside the fixed £120 + VAT where they are small; bigger reconstructions are quoted before any paid work.
- A straight answer if it is beyond saving: no charge beyond the diagnosis, and the evidence to explain it.
The awkward part, said plainly
Plenty of these boards were damaged by another shop, and sometimes by the shop sending them. Nobody at this bench keeps score: it comes in from all sides, it is a recognised part of trade board work, and repair damage is often easier to see than it is to cause. You do not need to explain anything to us. Tell us what you know, and the microscope does the rest.
Before you post it
Send a message on the ticket with the history and a few photos if you have them. If the damage is clearly beyond recovery we will say so from the photos before you pay any postage, and if it takes a microscope to know, the diagnosis is the cheapest way to find out.
Previous-repair questions
Can you tell from photos whether a damaged board is recoverable?
Sometimes. Message on the ticket with photos before posting, and if it is clearly gone you will be told without paying postage. Anything underneath a chip needs the microscope; that is what the £35 diagnosis is for.
Do you charge if the board turns out to be unrecoverable?
Only the diagnosis fee: £35 + VAT. Repair work that did not happen is never charged.
Someone (maybe me) caused this damage. Is that a problem?
No. Repair damage comes through the door from every direction; it is a normal part of trade board work. Tell us what you know and the bench takes it from there.
What can be rebuilt?
Torn pads and lifted traces are usually rebuildable with jumper wires and re-laid pads; cracked joints are replaceable; warped, overheated boards are where the honest no lives. The diagnosis says which one you have.
The books are full. Join the list
Our bench is at capacity, so we are not taking new jobs right this moment. Open a trade account and we will email you the moment we are booking again. No commitment. Questions? Email jobs@soldersector.com.
