What is most important with solder wick, is that it must not be corroded.
The wicking process is thermal, if the copper is corroded then the there
isn't a good thermal transfer between the iron/component and solder, you can
use flux to help get rid of the corrosion but normally good clean wick
works perfect.

You must also have the right temperature, no sense trying wick out a joint
for a heatsink, the heatsink will just absorb all of the heat, you would
require a lot of heat, the best thing to do when desoldering heatsink joint
is to use a solder puller (vaccum type).

Also I would not recommend the use of small gaz torches or those electric
type of soldering irons, specially those that you have to press a switch.
Having to press a switch, makes you loose control on the soldering iron
pencil/point. Get a good temperature control unit if you can those are the
best, all of your concentration can be pointed to the job.


wrote in message
...
CHEM-WIK: not good enough
DRI-WICK: better than CHEM-WIK acceptable but nothing to rave
about....

My guess is that the amount of flux is what determines effectiveness.

Any preferances?