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

  • From: gulftech@xxxxxxxx
  • To: techassist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Sun, 24 Jul 2005 13:30:31 -0500

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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