Where can I buy de-soldering wick?
I went to a hardware store and asked for desoldering wick but they had no idea what i was talking about.. any more specifics or what this actually is? thanks.
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You have a couple of good options:
- Desoldering braid
- This is cheaper then a desoldering pump, but you do need to be careful about lifting pads. It’s easy to do if you aren’t watching.
- Desoldering pump
- Get a good one, if at all possible. Most of these damage the PCB by burning it because they took to long to heat up. A practice board is a requirement for one of these!
- Desoldering bulb
- These are nowhere near as good as a good desoldering pump, but work. Again, practice on junk boards first. Way too easy to damage things.
If you have a local RadioShack, you can find most of these. You probably don't, so check Amazon in lieu of having a local electronics store to hand. If you can afford a Hakko desoldering pump, that's what I'd recommend.
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I like simple braided copper wire. Strip it, dip it (in flux), and wick it under heat. As the wire fills up, cut off the filled ends 1/4 to 1/2 inch at a time. Its almost free because you can use any braided wire strands you have.
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good advice and a great way to recycle +
great idea +
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Radio Shack does sell desoldering wick, but I have found it to be of low quality.
Some wick has flux in it, which helps get the solder to flow into the braid.
High quality wick can be found online at places like Markertek.com, mouser.com, digikey.com and frys.com. You may also find a local electronics or pro audio store in your area with a good selection.
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You can order de-soldering wick online at the websites of any major distributors of electronic or soldering components. I do a lot of shopping online at Digikey and I know that they have a wide selection of de-soldering wick in different sizes. Amazon.com has also a good selection of desoldering wick.
You can remove solder by placing your wick over the solder and then heating desoldering wick with soldering iron.
More details about how to use soldering wick is here:
http://soldering-irons.com/how-to-solder...
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Tinkersphere has desoldering wick. It's used to remove the solder off electrical connections for repairs. Get some here: http://tinkersphere.com/electronics-tool...
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