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

  • From: Gary McCartney <gary@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: techassist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Sun, 24 Jul 2005 15:22:52 -0400

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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