PCB component removal technique

[BusyBee]

So for me stick with the solder wick: you can buy a lot of it for the cost of a de-soldering station anyway.

Gary

I have a solder sucker plus desoldering wick. I find with the wick that it does seem to go off with time. Since getting up to speed with surface mount techniques I have found liquid solder flux a useful addition to the workshop. I may try adding some to the wick next time I use it to desolder something as it often seems to almost behave by magic the attraction of solder to a joint. For instance - when soldering a row of SM IC pins, if they are wetted with the flux a loaded normal size soldering iron bit can just be drawn along them soldering each terminal as it passes. A bit of a technique but not as difficult as it sounds. The wick has a more solid form of flux which perhaps does not react quite as fast in its normal form.

Tracy