Damaged pin in Blitter socket

[exxos]

Like these

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/355469910094

[rubber_jonnie]

Mine from the article is just a long pin header, about 3 or 4cm bent into shape, the other end is just an unbent counterpart, soldered to a thin piece of Veroboard to make a one piece tool, then wrapped with insulating tape for a more comfortable grip.

I prefer that to the pin as the other end gives you a prodding tool of the same size.

Something a bit like these:

Screenshot 2025-09-02 at 21.59.35.png

[DoG]

Search for Dental Instrument Tools on Aliexpress or use a sewing pin and bend that.

[ijor]

Search for Dental Instrument Tools on Aliexpress or use a sewing pin and bend that.

A dental instrument seems to be ideal, but I thought it would be quite expensive. It turns out that they can be cheaper than a sewing pin set. I just bought a dental "explorer" (that's the technical term), for U$1.5! Can't believe an actual dentist is going to use something that cheap, but I guess it will work for me just fine.

Now I need to perform the surgery, but I am not very talented for this kind of work :( ... we'll see.

Thanks too all of you!

[ijor]

Tried both with the dental instrument and with a sewing pin without much luck. The pin doesn't seem to budge. It's like I can't really hook under the pin.

Is it possible that this is a different kind of socket and the pins are not open at the bottom? Or they are open but far below? Or am I doing something wrong (probably)?

[dml]

Is it possible that this is a different kind of socket and the pins are not open at the bottom? Or they are open but far below? Or am I doing something wrong (probably)?

Not sure, maybe.

A microscope always helps with this kind of thing - not sure if you have access to one.

Can you try getting the hook around the side of the pin instead of under it? It will definitely push the pin sideways but you can correct that later. Main thing is to get it pressing back towards the IC first.

[Maximilian]

Can you take a picture of the socket without the chip still in it?, and the tools you are trying with?

A real dental set is quite expensive, I have a couple of them here and these materials aren't cheap.

Trying to bend the contact from the side will almost certainly damage the socket, but first try from the underside.
(if everything else fails, you could try a very thin and hardened needle from the side)

If you are trying to recreate rubber_jonnie's repair tool, it sounds like you do not have the correct length after the bend, or perhaps the material is too thick.
A dental pick isn't the correct tool as the bends/lengths do not match.

[ijor]

A microscope always helps with this kind of thing - not sure if you have access to one.

I don't have a microscope, unfortunately. I am using one of those magnifiers that you wear as a headband. Not bad, but yeah, not the same as a microscope.

Can you take a picture of the socket without the chip still in it?, and the tools you are trying with?

Here they are:

20250904_094529.jpg

A real dental set is quite expensive, I have a couple of them here and these materials aren't cheap.

That's what i thought, but it seems that some tools can be very cheap. I didn't bought a full set. Just a single instrument. But even a full set wasn't very expensive. Of course, there were expensive brands, very expensive, as well.

If you are trying to recreate rubber_jonnie's repair tool, it sounds like you do not have the correct length after the bend, or perhaps the material is too thick.

BlitterSocketDamage-4.jpg

BlitterSocketDamage-5.jpg

It is very possible that the bent is too long. I don't have tools to make a much smaller bend. I tried pushing the pin from the top, but sounds like I might have made things worse. :(

Some pictures with a macro lens:

[dml]

There are other ways to fix this which involve extracting pins from the top (1 good + all bad, so you have a template to straighten the bad ones - or better steal a good one from a spare socket) but it needs plenty of soldering experience and correct tools etc. not something to get right on a first try.

Do you have anyone nearby with microscope and tools to do this kind of thing? It might be worth the extra time and inconvenience if it can avoid some more problems. Otherwise it is better to persevere with the current idea, getting a tiny hook under the pin.

Definitely need a much smaller hook though. Tip not more than <2mm from the bend.

You can soften a pin or needle by heating it red hot in a flame and letting it cool slowly, repeating a few times (annealing, opposite of tempering) and it will be easier to bend a hook very near the end, using some other tool like tweezers or needle pliers.

[exxos]

What I tend to do is go in from the side of the pin and bend it forward enough to then get the pin to hook under the pin to pull it out the rest of the way. Sometimes pushing a pin from the top (between pin and plastic) can be enough to bend the pin forward to get a hook. Though depends how bad it is.

Also your pin needs more of a C-shaped hook. Yours is more like a L-shaped currently.