EMRFD Message Archive 4317

Message Date From Subject
4317 2010-02-21 16:18:58 john Solder Wick
I'm posting this mundane question as I thought it might be of interest to someone else.....

Not long ago I picked up some solder wick from a Vendor at a very good price, or so I thought. As it turned out it did not have any additives, rosin, etc added to the bare brad, and it would not pick up solder from the PC board soldered connections even with a 35 watt iron with a flat blade....when I tinned the tip of the solder wick slightly then in using it again, it would pick up "some solder" from the board, but very poorly.

Does anyone have any "magic keys" on how to use this poor solder wick or is it just good to make ground strap out of or fill the garbage can. I've since obtained some good wick from Mouser....just curious what to do with the other poor wick.

73, John K5IRK
4318 2010-02-21 16:23:18 Don Hackler Re: Solder Wick
It probably just needs some flux applied to make it work.


4319 2010-02-21 16:24:42 Dave - WB6DHW Re: Solder Wick
John:
Add some solder flux to the solder wick. I had the same experience
with cheap solder wick.

Dave - WB6DHW
<http://wb6dhw.com>

john wrote:
> I'm posting this mundane question as I thought it might be of interest to someone else.....
>
> Not long ago I picked up some solder wick from a Vendor at a very good price, or so I thought. As it turned out it did not have any additives, rosin, etc added to the bare brad, and it would not pick up solder from the PC board soldered connections even with a 35 watt iron with a flat blade....when I tinned the tip of the solder wick slightly then in using it again, it would pick up "some solder" from the board, but very poorly.
>
> Does anyone have any "magic keys" on how to use this poor solder wick or is it just good to make ground strap out of or fill the garbage can. I've since obtained some good wick from Mouser....just curious what to do with the other poor wick.
>
> 73, John K5IRK
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
4320 2010-02-21 16:29:24 Russell Shaw Re: Solder Wick
john wrote:
> I'm posting this mundane question as I thought it might be of interest to someone else.....
>
> Not long ago I picked up some solder wick from a Vendor at a very good price, or so I thought. As it turned out it did not have any additives, rosin, etc added to the bare brad, and it would not pick up solder from the PC board soldered connections even with a 35 watt iron with a flat blade....when I tinned the tip of the solder wick slightly then in using it again, it would pick up "some solder" from the board, but very poorly.
>
> Does anyone have any "magic keys" on how to use this poor solder wick or is it just good to make ground strap out of or fill the garbage can. I've since obtained some good wick from Mouser....just curious what to do with the other poor wick.

I dip it in liquid solder flux Multicore ESF33 (old no-longer made, think it's
pine sap and alcohol). It works even after letting it dry.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-your-own-Eco-friendly-soldering-flux/
4321 2010-02-21 16:38:22 Graham / KE9H Re: Solder Wick
Get a flux pen of type RA or RMA flux, and wet the solder braid
before using. It will work as good or better than "good wick."
Better if you can get an RA flux pen.

4322 2010-02-21 17:46:25 w4zcb Re: Solder Wick
long ago I picked up some solder wick from a Vendor at a very good price, or so I thought. As it turned out it did not have any additives, rosin, etc added to the bare brad, and it would not pick up solder from the PC board soldered connections even with a 35 watt iron with a flat blade....when I tinned the tip of the solder wick slightly then in using it again, it would pick up "some solder" from the board, but very poorly.

Does anyone have any "magic keys" on how to use this poor solder wick or is it just good to make ground strap out of or fill the garbage can. I've since obtained some good wick from Mouser....just curious what to do with the other poor wick.

73, John K5IRK

Well, give me the stock number for the Mouser stuff, The solder wick Radio Shack sells has fairly recently gone from fair to lousy. For what you want, go to your stained glass store and pick up a little bottle of their water soluble non-smoking (They lie a lot right there) liquid flux. Good stuff, really soluble and non corrosive. Not terrible expensive either. A bottle is a few ounces and a lifetime supply. squirt a drop on the wick and spread it along the length you're going to use with your fingers and have at it. You might find it even better than Mouser.

W4ZCB

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4323 2010-02-21 22:20:16 John Kolb Re: Solder Wick
Back in the '60's we made our own solder wick at Wavetek by taking
small copper braid, soaking it in
solder flux, and letting it dry. Unlike modern solder wick, it was a
little sticky to handle but worked well.

John

At 04:18 PM 2/21/2010, you wrote:
>Does anyone have any "magic keys" on how to use this poor solder
>wick or is it just good to make ground strap out of or fill the
>garbage can. I've since obtained some good wick from Mouser....just
>curious what to do with the other poor wick.
>
>73, John K5IRK
4324 2010-02-22 00:08:12 Ian White GM3SEK Re: Solder Wick
Graham / KE9H wrote:
>Get a flux pen of type RA or RMA flux, and wet the solder braid before
>using. It will work as good or better than "good wick."

Agreed - a felt-tipped flux pen is a 'must have', especially for SMD
work where it is often necessary to apply additional flux.

Solder wick loses its effectiveness over time because the copper
oxidizes and the flux seems to crystallize, so the solder doesn't flow
so easily up the braid. It definitely helps to store the solder wick in
a tightly sealed package, but the best cure is a light stroke of the
flux pen, immediately before use.

For my own particular patterns of work, the only solder wick that I buy
ready-made is the 0.125in/3mm size, which is good for general PCB and
SMD work. I also try to buy it in small quantities from a supplier with
a large turnover, so it's always reasonably fresh.

Larger solder wick is needed less often, so I find it best to make that
by stripping some coax braid, giving it a quick swipe with the flux pen
- et voila.


--

73 from Ian GM3SEK 'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)
http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek
4325 2010-02-22 06:18:05 Howard Weinstein Re: Solder Wick - availability? cost?
What does a little spool of solder-wick cost these days? And where can I purchase it?
de K3HW

4326 2010-02-22 06:35:59 Russell Shaw Re: Solder Wick - availability? cost?
Howard Weinstein wrote:
> What does a little spool of solder-wick cost these days? And where can I purchase it?
> de K3HW
>
>
4327 2010-02-22 09:44:43 john lawson Re: Solder Wick - availability? cost?
Hi All,
 
First let me thank all of you for your posts and helpful hints on how I can figure out how to use that balky solder wick I purchased "for a song".  
 
Some of you have asked where you could get the wick that works.....I ordered the "good wick" from Mouser.  The Mouser link below goes directly to the page in the catalog that lists the wick...see the lower righthand corner of the page....the Pro Wick is what I have used with no problem at all....  
 
http://www.mouser.com/catalog/catalogUSD/641/2149.pdf
 
Once again, thanks for all the helpful suggestions....73, John K5IRK 

---
4335 2010-02-22 17:44:16 ret44@usa.com Re: Solder Wick
Here's my trick for using solder wick. It works even with "el cheapo" wick with no flux (Radio Shack).

You do your first wick close to the end of the wick. Then grab the end of the wick with needle nose (it's still hot!!) and bend it 90 degrees. You'll find that solder has wicked up about 3/8" to 1/2" up inside the wick with absolutely no sign oh solder anywhere on the outside. Cut it off where it's no longer stiff. It looks wasteful, but it's not. The wick will take no more solder. Repeat as needed.

When I first used it back in the 1970s, it was not available with flux, so everyone had to do it this way.

HTH,

Rick








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4339 2010-02-23 03:47:46 Dominic Re: Solder Wick
John,

Often use for component salvaging when not using the blowtorch!

The nice soldermop stuff works fine but is tad expensive.
At a push I found you can use old (but obviously not green) lengths of RG58/RG213 braid too (excellent ground strap material!). Don't need much but as you found out if you tin the end you apply or add flux it does work. I sprayed (soaked!) a short length with flux from an aerosol and it works fine. Avoid pots of cheap plumbers flux though as tends to be acidic and eats soldering ir