[TechAssist] Re: 1 pound roll solder, 50 feet of chem wick

From: "Hoyt's TV" <hoytstv@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <techassist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2005 18:34:17 -0400
I had one of those too. I used a flux pen on it before using it.

I also have a 1 lb. roll of solder that missed the flux injector.

Russ Hoyt
Hoyt's TV
Exeter, NH


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gary McCartney" <gary@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <techassist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, July 24, 2005 3:22 PM
Subject: [TechAssist] Re: 1 pound roll solder, 50 feet of chem wick


>I had a 50' roll of wick that wouldn't pick up any solder. I fixed it by
> soaking the wick in liquid solder flux, then drying it in the sun.
> Worked fine then.
>
>
>
>
>
> Gary McCartney
>
> McCartney Electronics
> Guelph Ontario Canada
> Est. 1984
> email: gary (at) number63.ca
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> gulftech@xxxxxxxx wrote:
>> My apologies to those of you who are getting tired of this thread.
>>
>> John reminded me of a point I want to make.
>>
>> First, all solder wick is not created equal.  I have had some rolls that
>> just wouldn't work.  I have had the best luck with Techspray No-clean,
>> but some rolls of the same brand are better than others.
>>
>> Second, wick has a limited life.  Did you wonder why wick comes in a
>> vacuum-sealed bag?  That is done to lessen oxidation of the copper.  Once
>> oxidided, the wick is almost worthless.  I once bought 50 5-ft rolls from
>> a distributor at what I thought was a great price.  It was so poor that I
>> threw almost all of it into the garbage.
>>
>> Third, it may be better to get rolls of 25' than 50 or 100.  It depends
>> on how much you use.  (Wayne could probably do with the smallest
>> available!)  Once the package is opened, the rate of oxidation increases,
>> so you end up thinking mean, nasty things about the distributor you
>> bought it from thinking they sold you garbage.  For that reason, I only
>> open one roll at a time, and roll out 10 feet at a time to other techs in
>> the shop.  Also, helps me keep track of wasteful usage.  I can understand
>> Perry's situation of working in the home, where desolding stations or
>> desoldering irons are impractical, but I cringe when I see a tech waste
>> five feet of wick on a flyback.  Yes, I tend to micromanage!
>>
>> Now, if someone has ideas on the best brand of wick, I'd be interested...
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>>
>> Ken Smith
>> Gulf Technical Services
>> 3034 Gulf Breeze Parkway
>> Gulf Breeze, FL  32563
>> 850-934-8324 (Voice) 850-932-0819 (Fax)
>>
>> On Sun, 24 Jul 2005 13:54:46 -0400 "John @ Myers TV "
>> <myers_tv_b@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
>>
>>>I met a fellw once who desoldered with freeze spray. He didn't care
>>>that
>>>he wound up with blobs of solder all over the board.
>>>
>>>As for me, I swear by solder-wik. I buy it in 50 ft rolls, but
>>>splurged
>>>last time for a 100ft roll.
>>>
>>>John Myers
>>>Myers TV Service Co.
>>>376 E. State St.
>>>Alliance, OH 44601
>>>
>>>Voice / Fax: 330-821-6545
>>>Myers_tv_b@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>http://www.myerstv.net
>>>
>>>Work as if you were to live a hundred years,
>>>Pray as if you were to die tomorrow.
>>>                            Ben Franklin
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>tjanphyl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>>>
>>>>I have several of those blue spring loaded desolder tubes you cock
>>>
>>>on
>>>
>>>>your knee and push the button. It sucks flyback pins good,and any
>>>>massive globs and I use wik on the ICs. You know this is like
>>>>anything. Bowling, skeets,baseball,fishing.You can find a dozen
>>>
>>>guys
>>>
>>>>who swear BY one thing, and the other dozen swears AT it. Do what
>>>
>>>you
>>>
>>>>are most efficient with and that's what will make you more money.
>>>>Phil
>>>>
>>>>Phil Bader, Pres.
>>>>Jan Phyl TV Inc
>>>>Winter Haven, Fl
>>>>(863) 299-8821
>>>>estab. 1976
>>>>
>>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>>From: Electric Medic <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>>>Date: Sunday, July 24, 2005 12:31 pm
>>>>Subject: [TechAssist] Re: 1 pound roll solder, 50 feet of chem
>>>
>>>wick
>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Wayne: I tried those desolder stations one time, it was a Pace. It
>>>
>>>>>was blue
>>>>>with a foot pedal and all. Had a long clear hose that ran up to
>>>>>the tool. I
>>>>>was not coordinated enough to use it. I tried and tried to work
>>>
>>>that
>>>
>>>>>contraption, I was running solder all over the board. I couldn't
>>>>>suck and
>>>>>heat at the same time. I would suck after the solder was cool or
>>>>>vice versa.
>>>>>I would melt the plastic tip so the hole was to big then it would
>>>>>slurp up
>>>>>chip components. I wouldn't even try it on those tiny areas where
>>>>>those chip
>>>
>>>mponents are everywhere. I remember using it on a tuner that I
>>>
>>>>>replaced on
>>>>>some brand and I sucked up a chip resistor and I almost never
>>>>>figured out
>>>>>what was wrong with that set. Plus, I couldn't use it on service
>>>>>calls. I
>>>>>know I waste a lot of wick especially on flybacks, I must have 6"
>>>>>of the
>>>>>stuff hanging with solder on it taking out a flyback, but I am
>>>>>used to it.
>>>>>
>>>>>Perry Bower
>>>>>Electric Medic
>>>>>"It's Cheaper to Keep Her"
>>>>>http://www.electricmedic.com
>>>>>3850 Washington Road  Suite 4C
>>>>>Martinez, Georgia 30907
>>>>>Phone: 706-8MEDIC4  (863-3424)
>>>>>Phone: 706-863-3474
>>>>>Fax: 706-863-2316
>>>>>mailto:info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>>>From: techassist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>>[mailto:techassist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Wayne Vanaman
>>>>>Sent: Sunday, July 24, 2005 10:49 AM
>>>>>To: techassist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>>Subject: [TechAssist] Re: 1 pound roll solder, 50 feet of chem
>>>
>>>wick
>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Hey Perry, buy a desolder station.
>>>>>I put the date on a 50 foot roll of chem wick when I opened it: 26
>>>
>>>>>june2001.  I finished that roll off on 26 June 2005.  Four years.
>>>>>
>>>>>Not only will you spend less on chem wik, desoldering is faster
>>>>>with a
>>>>>desolder station.  I spend about a dollar a month on filters. Much
>>>>>cheaper than chem wik.  It takes about two seconds to desolder a
>>>>>joint,and no damage to the board.
>>>>>
>>>>>If I used two rolls of solder wik a month, 2x$10=$20 $20x48
>>>
>>>months=
>>>
>>>>>$960.  I bought my solder station for about $1500 in 1993.  That
>>>>
>>>>would
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>be 144 months times $20 = $2880 minus the $1500= over $1300
>>>
>>>savings,
>>>
>>>>>plus the time saved.  My solder station was paid for long, long
>>>
>>>ago.
>>>
>>>>>Wayne Vanaman
>>>>>Omega Electronics
>>>>>6904 W Fairfield Dr
>>>>>Pensacola, Fl.  32506-3310
>>>>>
>>>>>Wayne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>>WWW.PensacolaTVRepair.Com
>>>>>
>>>>>850-456-5995 voice
>>>>>850-458-6369 fax
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Electric Medic wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>Is that correct? 18 Month's for one roll of solder? I never
>>>>>
>>>>>thought about
>>>>>it
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>and I am not sure how long it takes me to go through a roll. I
>>>>>
>>>>>use off
>>>>>rolls
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>everywhere, one in my toolbox, one in the truck, and one on each
>>>>>
>>>>>bench. I
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>know my wife bought about 20 rolls of the stuff sitting up there
>>>>>
>>>>>on the
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>shelf. I think the parts salesperson talks us into a roll every
>>>>>
>>>>>time we
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>order parts. That will probably last me 30 years. Hey, I finally
>>>>
>>>>was
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>>good-newsed, I won't have to by solder again. I can retire on
>>>>>
>>>>>what I have.
>>>>>I
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>wish the wick would last that long. I must go through those 50'
>>>>>
>>>>>foot white
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>round ones in 2 weeks.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Perry Bower
>>>>>>Electric Medic
>>>>>>"It's Cheaper to Keep Her"
>>>>>>http://www.electricmedic.com
>>>>>>3850 Washington Road  Suite 4C
>>>>>>Martinez, Georgia 30907
>>>>>>Phone: 706-8MEDIC4  (863-3424)
>>>>>>Phone: 706-863-3474
>>>>>>Fax: 706-863-2316
>>>>>>mailto:info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
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References:
- [TechAssist] Re: 1 pound roll solder, 50 feet of chem wick
  - From: gulftech
- [TechAssist] Re: 1 pound roll solder, 50 feet of chem wick
  - From: Gary McCartney
[TechAssist] Re: 1 pound roll solder, 50 feet of chem wick

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