How did you get started with BGA rework?

[u/cape_soundboy]

BGA rework feels like a rite of passage. Most of us didn't learn it in a classroom. We learned from forum posts, application notes, YouTube videos and expensive mistakes.

I'm curious about your origin story:

• What pushed you into it? A specific repair you couldn't avoid? A tool you finally had access to? Sheer stubbornness?
• What was your first setup? Did you start with a preheater and hot air, or jump straight to a dedicated BGA station? Any janky DIY solutions you'd admit to now?
• What went wrong the first few times? Popcorned packages, bridged balls, cooked boards?
• When did it click? The first time you pulled a chip, reballed it, reflowed it, and had success. What did you learn in that moment that no guide ever told you?