Set up your work area. Fill the crock pot with the pickling acid and water and turn the crock pot heat on and cover. Fill up the bowl with cool water and set to one side.
Lay out your tools to one side. Put the soldering block in the center of the table so you can work with the items the solder joint is being broken from. Put the item that is having the solder joints broken on top of the soldering block.
Set the torch or welder up nearby so the handle is within reach. If you are using a soldering iron, position the iron to be heated for use. Rest the torch head or soldering iron on the stand if there is one available.
Examine the joint where the solder weld that needs breaking has been formed. Determine what kind of solder was used to make the weld in the first place. If it is a silver or gold solder joint, you will not be able to use a simple soldering iron to break the weld and will need to use a high heat torch in order to break the weld.
Turn on the gas and oxygen of the torch that you are using. If breaking a joint on something with a tin or low-heat solder joint, then turn on or plug in the soldering iron instead.
Light the flame on the torch. Adjust the flame to the appropriate level to break the joint on the solder. If using a soldering iron, heat the direct area where the component ends touch the solder joint. When the appropriate temperature has been reached, eventually the solder joint or weld will break. If using a torch, heat the outside of the entire piece first, moving the torch in a circular motion. Watch for the flux on the weld joint to liquefy.
Hold the tweezers in the same hand as the torch. Pluck off the desired components from the place where the weld joint has been broken once the solder has liquefied.
Drop the components that have been plucked off of into the pickle pot carefully. Turn off the torch or soldering iron. Wait for about half an hour to remove the items from the pickle pot. Dry the items off with a towel.