De soldering ?

[Chuck H]

This is something I don't do a lot of. I'm undertaking an extensive rebuild and in the course of stripping things down I found plenty of frustration. Since I don't de solder much I only have a bulb sucker and some braid. No de soldering station.

The OG bulb sucker works pretty well really. When you can get it right into position. Which isn't always. I've used it effectively enough in the past that I hoped I could "get by". I imagine a proper de soldering station might allow better access to tighter spaces and perhaps more suction to make up more difference there too?

When the bulb couldn't be employed I tried the braid. This is an old spool I purchased from Radio Shack back when that was still possible. And it absorbs NO solder. Nothing wicks into it as if it's not fluxed at all. I have to compress/spread the braid and sort of heat/drag it across contacts to get any result at all. At which point I'm using more as an abrasive than any sort of "wick". I've read some bad reviews about some current brands that mimic this complaint. Unfortunately I don't have any flux either because I've just never needed it. Otherwise I might have tried adding flux to the braid. So anyway...

I've already have 90% of the de soldering completed. I'll probably use the hack knee skills I learned today using what amounts to stone knives and bones to complete the process tomorrow. But for future reference I think it would be nice to have a list of tips, tricks, brands of braid that actually work, a good bench flux to have on hand and any endorsements for serviceable, but affordable de soldering stations or attachments, etc.

TIA

[J Luth]

No de soldering station. I use a couple of different size and brands of solder suckers but always default to the big blue one. I also have a few of the old Radio Shack braids that do nothing. I tried some G C Electronics brand braid that didn't work. What does work and works every time is the solder braid from M G Chemicals they call it Super Wick. I have several different sizes, It has never failed and works fast.
I get it locally at an electronics supply store.

[g1]

Agree with the pump style solder sucker (soldapullt etc.) being a major upgrade from the bulb type.

[Chuck H]

What does work and works every time is the solder braid from M G Chemicals they call it Super Wick. I have several different sizes, It has never failed and works fast.

I just wanted to highlight this since the no solder absorption problem has been an issue for a lot of braid brand reviews. If there's a brand that works, as this one is reported to by at least yourself, I would like people to know that.

EDIT: On an unrelated note M G Chemicals has come up as a vendor for products that I've researched for another venture. I'll be considering their offerings with a biased regard now. So thank you for this. Could be a time saver to know of a company that actually delivers and understands what the products need to perform.

[Jon Snell]

We didn't have sdesolder braid back in my workshop in 1964, we used the screen from stripped TV coax cable and fluxite paste. Messy but worked a treat.
Desolder pumps in the wrong hands are dangerous to your PCBoards as too much heat for too long, coupled with the partial vacuum lifts the track off the board!
Save your pennies and buy either a hot air desoldering station, (paint stripper with a small nozzle) or a rework station for not a lot on fleabay.
The saving in time and damaged boards will pay for itself quickly.
Braid I now use; SOLDASIP Lead-Free Desoldering Braid - 2mm x 30m

Nice and wide for stronger mopping.

My Metcal desoldering station does most things though, Solder Sip is useful for those harder to get at bits.

[Mick Bailey]

I still have a tin of Fluxite bought in '74, though I've never used it for electronic work due to the corrosion (zinc chloride) and difficulty in removing every last bit of residue. The fumes also rust anything nearby. It gets used for the odd model engineering job or soldering galvanised sheet steel where the acid cuts through any oxide layer. I too have found the lack of absorbency of modern solder braid. Servisol Soldamop is pretty good, but is quite pricey for daily use as a repairman. When I got my vacuum desoldering station I couldn't imagine going back, but braid still has its place - I use it quite a bit for cleaning up boards after SMD removal but with added resin flux that I mix with propanol and dispense using a syringe.

[Helmholtz]

This is an old spool I purchased from Radio Shack back when that was still possible. And it absorbs NO solder.

"Old" is likely your problem. Also noticed that with old solder wick. Probably due to superficial copper oxide.
For flux I use colophony (wood resin used with violin bows) dissolved in alcohol.

[Chuck H]

"Old" is likely your problem. Also noticed that with old solder wick. Probably due to superficial copper oxide.
For flux I use colophony (wood resin used with violin bows) dissolved in alcohol.

Being a rosin rather than an acid, does this require cleaning afterward to avoid oxides? Does the colophony look any worse than typical rosin core strand flux? Black or charred residue? I know cleaning can be about appearance too but that never bothered me and I don't typically clean off flux after soldering with rosin core strand.

[Helmholtz]

Being a rosin rather than an acid, does this require cleaning afterward to avoid oxides? Does the colophony look any worse than typical rosin core strand flux? Black or charred residue? I know cleaning can be about appearance too but that never bothered me and I don't typically clean off flux after soldering with rosin core strand.

Residue is clear, amber colored, non-corrosive and non-conductive. It's only activated by heat.

I have been using colophony for over 40 years.

[Mick Bailey]

Colophony is another name for Rosin - I think it's an older reference as I see it in pre-WW1 textbooks but it's still used today. Rosin flux is acidic when heated, but at room temperature it's relatively inert. I have seen older equipment (tube B&W TVs and radios from the 50s) where untinned PCBs had corroded green around the edges of remaining rosin flux. Maybe the flux was contaminated, or under prolonged damp conditions acidic components can form. Generally I don't remove flux residue as I use no-clean flux, but some rosin fluxes need to be removed depending on classification. None of the cored solder I've bought for for electronics work has ever needed cleaning off though. I still have some Ersin Multicore (my favourite of all time) from the 60s that doesn't need cleaning. My problem nowadays is I've developed a sensitivity to rosin flux due to prolonged exposure that means I now have to wear a respirator when soldering, which is a real bind. I've found that non-rosin electronic fluxes are nowhere near as good.

Peavey used to leave huge welts of flux on PCBs, particularly on SS power amps in the 70s, without any harm. So much left you could scrape it off and re-use it.

[Helmholtz]

What's the difference between resin and rosin?
My dictionary suggested wood resin (not wood rosin).
Am. vs brit. English?

[Helmholtz]

To be clear: A good new solder wick shouldn't require adding flux, as it should already be coated with flux.
With old wick I'd try soaking it with the rosin solution.

[g1]

Can anyone comment on standard vs lead-free solder wick? Do you need both types?

[Helmholtz]

Can anyone comment on standard vs lead-free solder wick? Do you need both types?

Wow, didn't know that even exists. As solder wick shouldn't contain lead itself, the difference could only be in the flux coating.

(Some of our products needed to be lead-free since the late 90s.)

[Chuck H]

I think he means wick designed to work with lead free solder.?. Which doesn't like to wet or flow anyway as far as I can tell.