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?

I've found Chemwick to be better than most actually. There are some REAL crappy
brands of solder wick out there.

Be aware that once you remove the wrapper from any decent solder wick it starts
losing effectiveness over time. It takes a while, but it does happen. Let's put
it this way, unless you're a professional tech using it on a daily basis, don't
buy the 100' roll.

Keeping the sheath on the roll helps, as does keeping it in one of those
plastic toolboxes that "kinda" seal when you close them.

Also any solderwick is hard to use on plated through holes, or holes with
grommets. This is where you gotta keep bringing up fresh wick, someone might
look and think you're wasting it, but that's not so. Got to keep that circuit
board in good shape. Solderwick burns up whether or not it has sucked up alot
of solder. If you just keep laying the heat on it you start lifting pads.
Hitting it repeatedly, but keeping the contact time down to about a second or
so is the way to go.

If your Chemwick was surplus or something it might be old, if it's like 3 or 4
years old it's not as good as it should be, and that's important. We are paid
to be able to change these parts without damaging the equipment. Armed with a
good iron, good wick and the knowhow to use it we should be able to change,
say, an LA7610 about ten times without collateral damage. But I agree that you
definitely need good wick, whatever the brand.

I'll have to try that Dri wick sometime, but up until now I had never heard of
it. I don't do purchasing so I don't hear about every new thing out there.

JURB

Whatever has the finest braid, and is the freshest is
the best. I have had very good luck with ChemWik. It
must be new. Even the slightest amount of oxidization on
the wick, and it won't work.

-Chuck Harris

wrote:
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?

Yeah, what you said about old is definitely true. I moved and just
dug some of this stuff out of storage and I can gaurantee you this
wick is close to 10 years old. It still works, but it DEFINITELY
works not as well as I remember it!

Yeah, those motherboard rivets are tough. I'm replacing some of those
industrial espionage BAD CAPS and what I found was that if you get as
much off as you can, THEN work the cap out, the cap lead takes even
more solder with it on its way thru.

I have no idea where I got the DRI-WICK
(JURB6006) wrote:

I've found Chemwick to be better than most actually. There are some REAL crappy
brands of solder wick out there.

Be aware that once you remove the wrapper from any decent solder wick it starts
losing effectiveness over time. It takes a while, but it does happen. Let's put
it this way, unless you're a professional tech using it on a daily basis, don't
buy the 100' roll.

Keeping the sheath on the roll helps, as does keeping it in one of those
plastic toolboxes that "kinda" seal when you close them.

Also any solderwick is hard to use on plated through holes, or holes with
grommets. This is where you gotta keep bringing up fresh wick, someone might
look and think you're wasting it, but that's not so. Got to keep that circuit
board in good shape. Solderwick burns up whether or not it has sucked up alot
of solder. If you just keep laying the heat on it you start lifting pads.
Hitting it repeatedly, but keeping the contact time down to about a second or
so is the way to go.

If your Chemwick was surplus or something it might be old, if it's like 3 or 4
years old it's not as good as it should be, and that's important. We are paid
to be able to change these parts without damaging the equipment. Armed with a
good iron, good wick and the knowhow to use it we should be able to change,
say, an LA7610 about ten times without collateral damage. But I agree that you
definitely need good wick, whatever the brand.

I'll have to try that Dri wick sometime, but up until now I had never heard of
it. I don't do purchasing so I don't hear about every new thing out there.

JURB

You nailed it! My ChemWik is probably close to 10 years old!!!!

It DEFINITELY doesn't work as well as I remember!!

(definitely have more to add onto Digikey order....)

Chuck Harris wrote:

Whatever has the finest braid, and is the freshest is
the best. I have had very good luck with ChemWik. It
must be new. Even the slightest amount of oxidization on
the wick, and it won't work.

-Chuck Harris

wrote:
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?

wrote in news:f5ktl0dmls5egcbipe02qjteqegmdav39m@
4ax.com:

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?

I don't use solder-wick for anything. I have had a small roll in my toolbox
for years and the next time I see it I am throwing it out. A Solda-
pullt/Soldersucker is all I use. Works great for everything from hand wired
tube circuitry to multilayer plated thru boards.

r


--
Nothing beats the bandwidth of a station wagon filled with DLT tapes.

Funny this thread should come up... I washed laundry yesterday, I "thought"
I checked all my pockets. Evidently I didn't. I have one new roll, spooled
of 5' that was in one of my pockets that went through the wash and dryer and
a 5' spool that came unraveled (Lord only knows where the spool is) and it
went through the complete wash/dry cycle. From what I'm reading from you
folks, it's probably no good now - but I'll try it anyway! But along the
same lines, I have to say as others have, some brands are good, others
aren't. I had one brand which I loved - it worked real well. I'm thinking it
was Chem Wick. Can't recall. One other brand didn't do crap. I ended up
throwing it away. IT was LOUSY. I'm not looking at the spool to know the
brand, I think it is Chem Wick, but not sure. I bought 8 rolls of it a week
ago, and the roll I am using works ok. Will have to report back on the
brand.
JS

wrote in message
...
Yeah, what you said about old is definitely true. I moved and just
dug some of this stuff out of storage and I can gaurantee you this
wick is close to 10 years old. It still works, but it DEFINITELY
works not as well as I remember it!

Yeah, those motherboard rivets are tough. I'm replacing some of those
industrial espionage BAD CAPS and what I found was that if you get as
much off as you can, THEN work the cap out, the cap lead takes even
more solder with it on its way thru.

I have no idea where I got the DRI-WICK
(JURB6006) wrote:

I've found Chemwick to be better than most actually. There are some REAL
crappy
brands of solder wick out there.

Be aware that once you remove the wrapper from any decent solder wick it
starts
losing effectiveness over time. It takes a while, but it does happen.
Let's put
it this way, unless you're a professional tech using it on a daily basis,
don't
buy the 100' roll.

Keeping the sheath on the roll helps, as does keeping it in one of those
plastic toolboxes that "kinda" seal when you close them.

Also any solderwick is hard to use on plated through holes, or holes with
grommets. This is where you gotta keep bringing up fresh wick, someone
might
look and think you're wasting it, but that's not so. Got to keep that
circuit
board in good shape. Solderwick burns up whether or not it has sucked up
alot
of solder. If you just keep laying the heat on it you start lifting pads.
Hitting it repeatedly, but keeping the contact time down to about a
second or
so is the way to go.

If your Chemwick was surplus or something it might be old, if it's like 3
or 4
years old it's not as good as it should be, and that's important. We are
paid
to be able to change these parts without damaging the equipment. Armed
with a
good iron, good wick and the knowhow to use it we should be able to
change,
say, an LA7610 about ten times without collateral damage. But I agree
that you
definitely need good wick, whatever the brand.

I'll have to try that Dri wick sometime, but up until now I had never
heard of
it. I don't do purchasing so I don't hear about every new thing out
there.

JURB

Just looked up that gizmo. Lots of versions of it out there.

I was thinking vacuum ought to work really good.

(that Digikey order keeps getting longer....)

"Rich.Andrews" wrote:

wrote in news:f5ktl0dmls5egcbipe02qjteqegmdav39m@
4ax.com:

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?

I don't use solder-wick for anything. I have had a small roll in my toolbox
for years and the next time I see it I am throwing it out. A Solda-
pullt/Soldersucker is all I use. Works great for everything from hand wired
tube circuitry to multilayer plated thru boards.

r

soder-wick = garbage
zip-wick and chem-wick are ok...

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?

Someone needs to make vacuum foil wrapped solder wick in small sizes.

wrote:

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?

"Rich.Andrews" wrote in message
. 1...

| I don't use solder-wick for anything. I have had a small roll in my
toolbox
| for years and the next time I see it I am throwing it out. A Solda-
| pullt/Soldersucker is all I use. Works great for everything from hand
wired
| tube circuitry to multilayer plated thru boards.

I personally only use the desoldering iron from Radio Shack with the rubber
bulb on top. Cheap, and only needs one hand to use.

N

wrote in message
...
Yeah, what you said about old is definitely true. I moved and just
dug some of this stuff out of storage and I can gaurantee you this
wick is close to 10 years old. It still works, but it DEFINITELY
works not as well as I remember it!

Yeah, those motherboard rivets are tough. I'm replacing some of those
industrial espionage BAD CAPS and what I found was that if you get as
much off as you can, THEN work the cap out, the cap lead takes even
more solder with it on its way thru.



On the last couple boards like that I've done I've had to resort to a Weller
140w soldering gun, the ground plains soak up an incredible amount of heat.

My local supplier gave me a sample pack of GC-Wick to try, and I liked it.
Chem-Wick has always been my fav, but I'd rather get it locally if possible.
I've actually had fair results with Radio Shack wick when I ran out on the
road...

On larger solder joints or where there is a LOT of solder there, the bulb
works fine, but get into some smaller spots, the bulb isn't always able to
be manipulated. The wick, can be. I "used" to use a bulb religiously, but
wick is the way to go for me - now. In "my" work, it does a far better job.

JS

"NSM" wrote in message news:WXE7d.10580$223.2479@edtnps89...

"Rich.Andrews" wrote in message
. 1...

| I don't use solder-wick for anything. I have had a small roll in my
toolbox
| for years and the next time I see it I am throwing it out. A Solda-
| pullt/Soldersucker is all I use. Works great for everything from hand
wired
| tube circuitry to multilayer plated thru boards.

I personally only use the desoldering iron from Radio Shack with the
rubber
bulb on top. Cheap, and only needs one hand to use.

N

Get yourself a bottle of GC liquid flux, dip the braid in it and all fine
braid works great. However, I use a home made vacuum system with a solenoid
valve and foot switch. No kick back like a soldapult, very fine tubing gets
in tight places, never damage a pc trace again.
Not cheap, but good tools never are.
My .02,
Tom
wrote in message
...
Someone needs to make vacuum foil wrapped solder wick in small sizes.

wrote:

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?

"NSM" wrote in news:WXE7d.10580$223.2479@edtnps89:


"Rich.Andrews" wrote in message
. 1...

| I don't use solder-wick for anything. I have had a small roll in my
toolbox
| for years and the next time I see it I am throwing it out. A Solda-
| pullt/Soldersucker is all I use. Works great for everything from hand
wired
| tube circuitry to multilayer plated thru boards.

I personally only use the desoldering iron from Radio Shack with the
rubber bulb on top. Cheap, and only needs one hand to use.

N



I have used the bulb type and the vaccum pump and a few others. The one I
keep coming back to is the solda-pullt. The small version is almost
useless. A needle tip on the weller and I am good to go.

r

--
Nothing beats the bandwidth of a station wagon filled with DLT tapes.

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?

solder wick etc.

call me crude and unsophisticated, but I have had great results using
75 ohm TV aerial coax cable (just the copper braiding with the core
and plastic inner insulation removed). Dip/smear this in flux resin
and, provided that the braid in question is in good shiny condition,
it picks all the solder up.
And its cheap ;-)
Ben