Removing a Luxeon from its Aluminum Home

Who has removed a Luxeon emitter from its Aluminum-clad PC board? Is it just a matter of desoldering the LED's copper contacts on the PC board? Or is the LED's copper/aluminum slug epoxied onto the board?---Marc

Can't you just buy the Luxeon "emitter"? This, of course, is just the emitter w/o heat sink.

I have done this a couple of times.

First desolder the led leads by putting a small pry bar (tip of jewelers screw driver) under the lead and gently lifting up as you heat the solder joint. It should pop up about a 1/32 of an inch. Remember which lead went to the positive side, it has a tiny hole in it or the short lead right next to it.

Next grab the aluminum plate with vise grips (or slip-joint pliers) on both side of the emmitter and bend away from the emmitter. This will peel the aluminum away from the epoxy and the led assembly will drop off.

I mounted one on a 1/4 in brass machine screw with Arctic Silver epoxy and screwed it into a round slug that just fit inside the flashlight I was modifying..

Good luck

WhiskeyPapa3--Thanks. I'll give it a try. I needed to know if the epoxy would be too strong. BTW, I love the idea of use a 1/4-20 brass screw. I had made a mount from 1/4" diameter aluminum rod an threaded it 1/4-20. Your method is much faster.

Stu---I would have bought the Luxeon emitter if I could. I'm working with 5W "white" Luxeons and they are not available in the plain emitter for a couple of months.
Thanks---Marc