"Ross Herbert" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:34:29 -0600, Ignoramus19508
wrote:

:On 2008-01-30, Ross Herbert wrote:
:
: Your desoldering tool (like most) is probably fitted with a small
diameter
tip
: (approx 0.8mm - 1.00mm inside diameter)
:
:Yes.
:
: designed for sucking solder from around small gauge component leads
: and IC pins where the tip make full peripheral contact with the
: board. When the solder melts around a pin all the air passes solely
: around the lead and maximum effect is achieved inside the through
: hole.
:
:Well, it does this pretty well with a real vacuum pump attached
:instead of the "desoldering station pump".

Yes, of course it will. But the desoldering station pump is NOT a
specialised
1/3HP vacuum pump. It is designed as being adequate to suck solder from
around
component pins ONLY when the nozzle completely surrounds the lead AND make
100%
peripheral contact with the pcb solder pad.


Well Ross, I gotta tell you that I use my Weller desoldering station just
about every day, I keep the same sized tip on it with a 1mm hole at all
times. It is used both for pin sizes where the hole will fit over the pin,
as you describe, and also for any other joint that I need to get the solder
off as well. I have never had a problem with it developing enough suck to
remove solder from a joint that requires the tip to be applied in a way less
than your stated 'ideal', unless it has reached the point where it needs
servicing. I think that in common with most soldering / desoldering tools,
it depends on how often you use it, and hence how much skill in its use,
that you have developed.

Arfa