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Old 11th Jul 2017, 12:06 pm   #1
stevehertz
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Default Dry solder wick anyone?

I have some solder wick that goes back to the days when I was a test engineer in 1984. Just recently, doing more work on PCBs, I once again began using it. I found it to be fairly ineffective as it didn't seem to 'suck up' solder from PCBs. Without really thinking about it too much, I put this down to it being old and maybe the flux had dried out and lost its effectiveness or something. In fact I found my trusty plunger solder sucker to do a much better job. However there were times when I thought that some good solder wick would be better, particularly when access was limited, so I bought some Servisol Soldamop from Maplin. Frankly, this stuff is no better than my 30 year old stuff. In use - just like the old stuff - you have to really press hard with the soldering iron to see any signs of solder being sucked into the braid. In fact mostly you see very little evidence of this happening. Examining the 'business' side of the braid afterwards it looks like the solder has stuck to it spasmodically in flat blobs without any spreading along the braid as it should do if it has enough flux on it. I reckon that both my rolls of solder wick do not have enough flux impregnated. Before our Test Department allowed us to buy in solder wick, we used to make our own by taking the braiding off coax wire and immersing it in a jar of flux for a minute or so then hanging it up from a paper clip to drip dry. That stuff worked a treat, it really sucked up solder from a PBC. And for that matter, I recall that commercial solder wick I have used in the past also works well, though perhaps not as good as our home brewed stuff.

I'm left believing that both my spools - new and old - are both light on flux - or whatever the impregnation is.

What are your experiences with solder wick? Anyone share my findings?

BTW, please, this thread is about solder wick, not the various other mechanical solder removers etc that can be bought. Thanks.
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Old 11th Jul 2017, 12:16 pm   #2
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Default Re: Dry solder wick anyone?

I use 'Soder-wick' branded braid in various sizes for various jobs. It works quite well when it's clean, but is almost always improved by the addition of a bit of flux. I keep a flux dispensing pen around for surface mount work, and wiping that over a length of braid transforms it. Making sure the iron is clean and freshly tinned also helps.

I have noticed that the braid quickly corrodes with marks from my fingers as I pull it out of the dispenser. If it's been more than an hour or so since I pulled the braid out, it's necessary to either add flux or snip off the corroded piece. Otherwise it doesn't work at all.

Chris
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Old 11th Jul 2017, 12:21 pm   #3
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Default Re: Dry solder wick anyone?

Copper is a good conductor of heat. My experience is that unless the wick is in very good contact with the solder to be removed, the heat from the soldering iron will flow up the wick rather than into the solder. The best way I found is to hold the wick partially to the side of the solder to be removed and heat both wick and solder at the same time. Once the solder is molten it seems to flow into the wick better. Sometimes it even helps to add a bit more solder first before trying to remove it. I have some wick which is years old but once you get the knack it seems to work OK.
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Old 11th Jul 2017, 12:55 pm   #4
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Default Re: Dry solder wick anyone?

Whatever wick I use I always add some liquid flux to it before use. Capillary action is 'large' and a little goes a long way. It works wonderfully every time.
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Old 11th Jul 2017, 12:56 pm   #5
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Default Re: Dry solder wick anyone?

My experience has been the same so I now add my own flux to it.

A block of resin costs less than a pound and when I'm starting a new reel I hold the soldering iron on the wick on top of the resin and pull it along for it's whole length.
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Old 11th Jul 2017, 1:29 pm   #6
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Default Re: Dry solder wick anyone?

Seems like most people are finding the same as me; not enough flux on the stuff.

The liquid flux that I used to use to make my own solder wick years ago was kinda like diluted varnish; reasonably gloopy and quite smelly. Looking at the auction site, there's a myriad of different kinds and some mention the words alcohol and no cleaning. That makes me think they're not really what I'm looking for, to dry on to and stay put on the solder wick. Where can I get my old style liquid flux and what was that stuff called chemically or otherwise?
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Old 11th Jul 2017, 1:40 pm   #7
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Default Re: Dry solder wick anyone?

I've got solder wick that is more or less useless too. So I dip it in plumbers' flux and that does the trick, although theoretically that's the wrong flux to use in electronics as it's acidic/corrosive. But I remove what I can from boards and components afterwards.

What's this flux mentioned that others use?
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Old 11th Jul 2017, 1:55 pm   #8
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Default Re: Dry solder wick anyone?

The stuff I use on braid is simply sold as rosin flux and is a hard translucent block. I also use some Polish stuff, "pasta do lutowania," that's a consistency like grease. The latter is fine to dip the wick in immediately prior to use but is messy if you want to do the whole reel and re-coil it.

The only liquid flux I've ever used is Baker's Fluid.
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Old 11th Jul 2017, 2:00 pm   #9
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Default Re: Dry solder wick anyone?

I've got a small tub of 'Powerflo' flux, a small dab of which does wonders for dried-up solder-wick.
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Old 11th Jul 2017, 2:22 pm   #10
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Default Re: Dry solder wick anyone?

I have had the same issues and now routinely use "liquid flux RMA" which translates to: Rosin flux-mildly activated. It comes in bottles with brush from the usual auction site for around £3 for 50mls.
My desoldering braid is Chinese manufactured and bought from uk sellers in various widths and works a treat when lightly brushed with RMA flux
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Old 11th Jul 2017, 2:32 pm   #11
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Default Re: Dry solder wick anyone?

Unfortunately I have always found that Solder Wick and others like it to be very poor for desoldering work and useless on through plated PCBs. The only ones that I have found that are realy good are Pro-Wik and the one I now always use Chem-Wik however you do need a bank loan to buy to buy it.

Comparing Solder wick to Chem-Wik the braid of the Solder wick is very coarse and they both have a Rosin flux, I can only assume that because the Chem-Wik is woven with sub 0.04mm copper that it does not conduct the heat away from the joint as much as the Solder wick does.

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Old 11th Jul 2017, 2:44 pm   #12
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Default Re: Dry solder wick anyone?

I've always found solder wick to be pretty useless, though that may be at least partly down to my lack of skill. I just use a solder sucker, or if removing components from a scrap board I blow the melted solder away with a straw.
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Old 11th Jul 2017, 3:05 pm   #13
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Default Re: Dry solder wick anyone?

I just googled 'best solder wick' and found this interesting web page: https://www.electronicspoint.com/thr...he-best.54448/
The consensus there seems to be that solder wick looses its effectiveness with age due to oxidisation. Well, yes I get that thought, but surely if there's enough flux on it it won't oxidise? or at least, a decent amount of flux would protect it for years.

Once again, that's the issue, lack of flux. I think I'm going to get some separate flux and re-dip all my solder wick, making sure its well covered.
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Old 11th Jul 2017, 3:08 pm   #14
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Default Re: Dry solder wick anyone?

I'm sure that that the performance of solder wick depends very much on its age. New stuff seems to work well, but it deteriorates and it eventually becomes pretty ineffective. Whether it is oxidation of the copper, or decomposition of the flux is hard to say.

B
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Old 11th Jul 2017, 3:17 pm   #15
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Default Re: Dry solder wick anyone?

See this 2013 thread too: https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=100612
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Old 11th Jul 2017, 3:42 pm   #16
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Default Re: Dry solder wick anyone?

ChemWick is always good and I use it.
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Old 11th Jul 2017, 3:53 pm   #17
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Default Re: Dry solder wick anyone?

Based on all the positive reports, I've ordered some Chem-wik Rosin for immediate use of, and also a bottle of liquid flux RMA to re-dose my old solder wick, as advised earlier by VT Fuse. That'll do it.
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Old 11th Jul 2017, 4:56 pm   #18
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Default Re: Dry solder wick anyone?

Quote:
Originally Posted by cmjones01 View Post
I use 'Soder-wick' branded braid in various sizes for various jobs. It works quite well when it's clean, but is almost always improved by the addition of a bit of flux. I keep a flux dispensing pen around for surface mount work, and wiping that over a length of braid transforms it. Making sure the iron is clean and freshly tinned also helps.

I have noticed that the braid quickly corrodes with marks from my fingers as I pull it out of the dispenser. If it's been more than an hour or so since I pulled the braid out, it's necessary to either add flux or snip off the corroded piece. Otherwise it doesn't work at all.

Chris
Yes, I've gravitated towards this over the years, despite the name setting my teeth on edge. It's certainly better than some I've tried - that are worse than useless. I agree with the points you make about tarnishing.

I mainly use it for cleaning up surface mount pads before refitting the components, trying to unblock plated through holes with it, or de-soldering PTH components, is hard work and if there is too much heavy gauge copper around on the PCB, tantamount to impossible. Anyway I have a Pace electric de-solder machine to deal with that these days.b
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Old 11th Jul 2017, 5:13 pm   #19
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Default Re: Dry solder wick anyone?

We have some silver stuff at work (silver plated?) doesn't smell of flux when used but don't half suck. Even works with unleaded solder. At home I just strip a bit of co-ax and smear with my 50+ year old Fluxite.

A hot high-ish power iron helps too.

Last edited by Guest; 11th Jul 2017 at 5:16 pm. Reason: Added a bit
 
Old 11th Jul 2017, 5:45 pm   #20
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Default Re: Dry solder wick anyone?

I recall using some desolder-braid that had a 'core' of flux down the centre [shades of ~Multicore~ solder?] that had to be activated by dipping into a pot of water before use. It was great [along with a 75-Watt Wolf chisel-bit soldering iron] for mopping-up the solder excess when I needed to replace centre-contact-damaged BNC sockets from the PCBs of a certain popular 1980s two-way PMR transceiver.
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