Labels: 17542 , Desoldering , Length , Width

#6: Aven 17542 Desoldering Wick, 2.5mm Width, 5' Length

This product is sometimes called "solder wick," "desoldering wick," or "desoldering braid," -- if you've never used it look up a how-to video online. Like any soldering project it will require some manual dexterity and finesse, but compared to the alternative (solder-sucking pumps) this is very easy to use. It worked great. I'm no electronics expert but I have done some soldering before, and this product worked great on my first try. I used it to remove/replace bad capacitors from a broken LCD monitor.

Here's what I did:
Hold the solder wick container in your left hand (or off-hand). Keep the wick inside the container and only pull out a little bit at a time as you need it. Place the wick end on top of the solder point, then holding the soldering iron in your right hand, press the tip of the iron down on top of the wick heating the wick and solder simultaneously. When you see the silvery solder flow into the wick, you're done, lift off the iron and the wick. Use wire cutters to clip off the end of the wick, now full of solder, and repeat.

A note: Your soldering iron should be HOT for desoldering-- factory-installed solder typically has a higher melting point than the hobbyist stuff you may have used before. A 40w iron will do but 60w is recommended. I used a Weller 60w Iron with a 800 deg. F tip. The idea is to go in hot and fast and remove the solder quickly without damaging any components. It should only take a few seconds per solder joint.

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