Desoldering Braid Wick - How To Use It & How To Make Your Own DIY At Home

In this video we take a good look at desoldering braid. Learn how to use it correctly and effectively to desolder and remove components and also learn how to make your own DIY desolder wick braid at home... And is the home made desoldering braid as good as the commercial ones? Wanna find out? You just gotta press PLAY
I work in collaboration with:
The Electronics Channel (with Carlos and Detlef)
/ @theelectronicschannel
Gran Canaria Uncovered
/ @grancanariauncovered (with Detlef and Julie. Not electronics related)
Det Builds Stuff - / @detbuildsstuff8128 (Detlef)
Retro Upgrade - / @retroupgrade (Carlos)
For All Your PCB needs: free $5 discount coupon
www.pcbway.com...
Equipment used in my videos. These are affiliate links, you pay the normal price and I make a small commission.
TEST METERS
Aneng AN8009
s.click.aliexp...
amzn.to/469ZgOS
www.banggood.c...
KM601
s.click.aliexp...
www.banggood.c...
VC480C+
s.click.aliexp...
amzn.to/3Q3LEz7
amzn.to/46tmNdo
MESR-100 ESR METER
amzn.to/3tiy8hK
amzn.to/3RwvejK
s.click.aliexp...
XC6013L CAPACITOR METER
s.click.aliexp...
amzn.to/3t71Nul
amzn.to/3LDdcbO
TM-902C TEMPERATURE METER
s.click.aliexp...
amzn.to/3LFzERv
amzn.to/3PTwuvW
FNB58 USB ANALYZER
s.click.aliexp...
amzn.to/3tb1QW8
amzn.to/46oMn30
www.banggood.c...
PCI POST ANALYZER
s.click.aliexp...
amzn.to/46m9Gep
TL460S Plus PCI_E ANALYZER
s.click.aliexp...
amzn.to/3ZERvOs
MULTIMETER PROBE KIT KET05
s.click.aliexp...
OSCILLOSCOPES
FNIRSI 1014D
s.click.aliexp...
amzn.to/3RxMFk1
www.banggood.c...
FNIRSI DSO-TC3
s.click.aliexp...
amzn.to/3RBsgdS
www.banggood.c...
FNIRSI DPOX180H
s.click.aliexp...
amzn.to/468oooT
www.banggood.c...
BENCH PSU
NPS3010W
s.click.aliexp...
amzn.to/3rxsuIf
www.banggood.c...
SOLDERING
T12 Station with M8 9501 Handle
s.click.aliexp...
amzn.to/3FdG8Ul
SUGON T26D
s.click.aliexp...
QUICK 861DW
s.click.aliexp...
amzn.to/3PBOKZH
amzn.to/3RCSqNh
PROS'KIT SS-331H
s.click.aliexp...
THERMAL CAMERA
Infiray P2 Pro
s.click.aliexp...
amzn.to/457PgEb
www.banggood.c...
MICROSCOPES
Amscope Optical Microscope (copy)
s.click.aliexp...
uk.banggood.co...
amzn.to/4675Qp0
amzn.to/459uvrY
ANDONSTAR AD407
s.click.aliexp...
amzn.to/3PSQKxJ
amzn.to/48sxej4
EEPROM Programming
TL866 II+
s.click.aliexp...
amzn.to/3RTCRB9
amzn.to/3LDu3Lu
CH341A
s.click.aliexp...
amzn.to/48IZiir
If you would like to support this channel
You can send donations
www.paypal.com...
You can subscribe to Patreon
/ learnelectronicsrepair
You can click Join to become a channel member
Thank you
Richard

[@JurassicJenkins]

Hi, I’m in 22 minutes into the video and want to complement your thoroughness on testing each braid, flux and adding solder to assist with the removal. It’s a mundane process but you covered all the bases for questions. I can’t wait for the next 22+ minutes to see if reclaimed coaxial works. But quite frankly, even if it does, I’ll stick to the purchasing of solder wick and leave the “coaxial” option as a tool in my brain kit and use when the opportunity arises, like if I was stranded in Gilligan’s Island trying to impress Ginger and the professor with my scavenger abilities making a coconut radio. Well done! 😊 looking forward to more tips and techniques, hopefully making me better at these types of tasks. By the way, back in the ‘80’s I hated using even proper solder wick ‘cause I didn’t know the flux tip! Thanks!

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

Yeah I used to think desoldering braid was useless stuff back in the 70s 80s 90s - until I learned to dip it in flux.

[@davet3804]

I dissolve rosin in ipa then put 1 drop on braid and it works superbly every time

[@davidmetcalf219]

This was a fantastic insight... I myself was in need of some braid and this helped me with converting cable into braid to finish my project... however... my wife is furious and is now going to miss some stupid dance programme. Please warn us about potential hazards when messing with electronics. Enjoy your shows :)

[@John_Smith__]

Tanks for your video and indeed the tv cable copper wire does have a great desoldering result ! I will try it myself!

[@tim_buck_too9126]

Been using recycled copper coax shield and home made flux for longer than I can remember. I make flux by dissolving pine resin and some Borax with Isopropyl alcohol. I then mix this solution with light petroleum jelly. Always worked as well as anything I can buy commercially.

[@andymouse]

sounds great!

[@JurassicJenkins]

Your truly a seasoned and experienced pro. Win! 😀

[@tim_buck_too9126]

@@JurassicJenkins The same mix works well with silver solder when the need arises to do some plumbing as well. The resin and Borax are mildly acidic and act to clean any oxidization from the surfaces. The petroleum jelly creates an air barrier whilst the joint is made. You can clean of the concoction after soldering and there will be a very thin layer of resin left after the joint has cooled protecting the finished joint. Back in the days prior to conformal coating, the dried resin IS what protected the joint. Didn't look too pretty but it certainly worked.

[@stalwartcomputers5182]

I would recommend Never mix petroleum jelly as a flux additive because it can actually cause corrosion within the layers of the pcb especially if it's any cheap vasaline.

[@tim_buck_too9126]

@@stalwartcomputers5182 For at least 20 years, I used that exact flux to do board level repairs on PCB's used in industrial robots and automation equipment whilst working for Mitsubishi Motors. Never had a failure as you describe in that time. That's my experience anyway.

[@hernancoronel]

This video is very good for learning how to use desoldering braid, thank you! I’d also bet that you could use simple 2.5 mm2 electrical wire twisted with some flux and it will probably work as well if not better because “fresh” wire might outweigh the benefits of old coax cable, maybe food for thought or for a future video.

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

There are some videos on YT using multistrand wire to make desoldering braid, that works to various measures of success, as I mentioned near the start of the video. Because old coax has a plastic sleeve, the copper stays in good condition apart from the first few inches in from the ends.

[@Theag393]

I find coax cable braid too thick... For gentle BGA rework

[@keithking1985]

When I 1st got some solder braid I thought of coaxial braiding right away to make my own. You need to keep it pulled tightly although. I solder each end to keep it from opening up on you. But it works if you get it right. Can get you out of a fix. So this is a good video to show you this handy TIP. 👍🇮🇪🙏🏼

[@karlharvymarx2650]

As a tightwad slowly learning electronics, I get many of my victim parts by stripping old PCBs, so I've desoldered 1000's of things. Real name brand braid from Digikey tends to work out of the box but is impractically expensive for me and still benefits from added flux. Lightly twisted scrap parallel strand wire plus flux is my usual goto braid. It can be helpful to leave a little insulation on the end to protect fingers from burning. A way to usually get nice longish braid from coax is to cut off about 50cm and pull out the center conductor and its insulation. Then the shield can often be pulled out without the bother of lengthwise cuts through the exterior insulation. Results vary, but it is worth a try for time and blood savings. Do you use anything besides isopropyl for removing flux? My flux is made for electronics, not plumbing, but any trace of it left on the board will ruin it with corrosion (white crust) after about year. I can deal with metallic lead, but dusty lead salts scare the crap out of me. Isopropyl makes it look clean but apparently leaves a lot behind. My best so far, nuclear option is washes in isopropyl, acetone, and dish detergent followed by a 5 minute rinse under running scalding hot water. After drying I submerge it in polyurethane. It seems like a big improvement but I'm still starting to see signs of corrosion after a few months. I think my electronics flux might be relabeled something-else chinesium. I don't remember this being a problem when I used a flux pen. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? BTW, I've tried many permutations of my nuclear option ingredients--with and without polyurethane, for instance.

[@Colin6712]

Another brilliant video, I'm a bit old now but I'd still like to learn electronics it's just finding a start point

[@BjornV78]

9:40 That Flux is one of the best, it's Kalafonia, extracted from a certain pine resin. You can make this liquid by adding Isopropanol alcohol. This type of flux and solder with lead gives very nice shiny solderpoints. Regarding the DIY desolder wick, i think it's less expensive to use normal stranded copper wire, then buying coax cable, which costs more per meter then plain electrical cable. If you want to use coax for DIY desoldering braid wick, then is RG174 coax cable ideal for that. Also, the cheap desolder braid wick that state that it contains "flux" contains in fact very little flux, you have to add extra flux for a better result, even on the desolder braid you buy from Farnell, Digikey, Mouser etc..... If it comes to solder or desolder, flux is your biggest friend :-)

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

I would agree it is not worth buying coax to make desoldering braid, but this was just a length of scrap coax, and there is plenty of that around for free.

[@meTimetraveler]

I have always struggled with desoldering and using solder wick. I will have to try the solder wick with flux. I have burnt traces..etc. I bought on Ebay just last week or 2 , well maybe a month ago, well you have seen the solder suckers the ones you set then push the button and it sucks up the solder...well could never get one of those to work really good. so on ebay i got a solder sucker and 30w soldering iron all in one. i found the best way is to hold part of the inside of the solder sucker on the pin so it heats up the solder through the trough hole, also when the pin moves its time to pop the trigger...most of the time it clears out the whole through hole. It also came with a really long poker pin that works to push out melted solder. The whole kit cost $12 with extra tip too free shipping

[@Janktzoni]

The grey colored cable that doesn't wick very well is likely aluminium. The white glue that is flexibly holding down components is silicon based. Kafuter k-704, it exists in white and black and can be found on Ali. The same brand also has that pale yellow glue that becomes very hard and is difficult to remove.

[@jase4270]

I just stripped some copper wire got the missis to plate it for me and I use homemade flux made from pine sap and alcohol works great.

[@inse001]

For curiosity I also made some desoldering braid myself. Absolute decadency: I had a piece of RG316 cable as scrap, it has silver plated finely woven shielding which I pulled from it. Soaked it in liquid flux and dried it afterwards, it’s no worse than than Soder Wick:-)

[@ralphj4012]

By its very nature solder braid acts as a heatsink / barrier between the iron and joint. In my experience you need more power, a higher temperature (especially with lead free solders) and a wider tip which needs to increase along with the width of the braid.

[@seeithappen1]

Yes you are right about that. Sometimes the heatsink effect is strong enough to make the braid create a bond with a conducting path on the pcb

[@jeremylaidman6525]

Have you tried snipping a short bit (eg 10mm) of braid and using that? When it's still connected to the roll, there's more copper to soak up the heat.

[@ralphj4012]

@@jeremylaidman6525 Yes, that's one method but then you need tweezers or pliers (another heatsink) to hold the braid and extract it. I've seen one channel use hot tweezers to hold short lengths of braid. I do laugh when I see people holding the reel (the same when holding solder reels) so close to the joint as the heat travels up the braid, results in hot fingers and eventually melts the plastic reel, but then I do this myself occasionally. Generally, when using braid, the higher the heat, more powerful the iron and larger the tip, the better, but with the risk of potentially damaging the pad / trace.

[@seeithappen1]

@@jeremylaidman6525 Yes that could work better. I find braid wick an outdated way to desolder. Infrared works way better.

[@jeremylaidman6525]

@@seeithappen1 can you please explain infrared? I've not heard of that for desoldering.

[@TheEspikes]

Well elaborate analysis. kudos!👍

[@ElTelBaby]

ROFL I'm loving your Green Hair in camera top right... Way cool...

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

LOL I changed the colour of it today, I'd had enough of the green look

[@cskeet1320]

Another great video Richard Thanks for your diligence in this experiment. It looks using the Soder wick brand braid with flux and leaded solder added to the joint is the easiest, most faff free method. But if you run out, using a bit of salvaged copper coax would be just as good! The solder braid is not that expensive and certainly cheaper than buying coax cable to repurpose in this way, if you don't happen to have any at home. I have a Pro'sKit desoldering gun but usually find using braid easier to use, especially when component legs are bent onto the track and soldered down or with larger heat sinking compoments. I also find the desoldering gun blocks up quite a lot when used to remove lead free solder (even after applying leaded solder first). Very annoying. I will try fluxing the (fluxed) solder braid from now on after this video. Should be even better.

[@greengrayradio1394]

Nice test, Richard! I have tried 0.75mm flex with rosin form pine, works fine in a pinch, after being told what a friend did on an out station when having to desolder components without braid. He just pulled the wire through the rosin on a pine nearby..

[@f1remandg]

Brilliant and your very consistent endeavours where admiral.

[@4lgor1thm]

Hi Richard... You can try also steel wool with flux/solder paste... it works flawless.

[@maks886]

Pasta do lutowania literally means paste for soldering in polish

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

Cheers I kinda figured that out, The Lithuania thing was just my sense of humour coming out, though I actually really did think that when I first saw it years ago 😂

[@nerminkahric8269]

I love all your videos buddy keep up the work😊😊

[@frankbaron1608]

love this video. I have several soldering irons. yet the one i use most is the weller magenstat tipped one i got from a ham rally a couple of decades ago.

[@MuellerNick]

I use to let a bit of tinned wick remain when cutting off. So getting it all started is way faster. But then, I don't like wick anymore since I bought a used Well desoldering station. :-)

[@Travis141123]

A good use for RG-58, other than cordage to make a clothesline or tie your boot shut...

[@gregorymartin8139]

Richard is a craftsman. I'll definitely be more confident with desoldering now. Any ideas on replacing the tips on solder suckers?

[@ElTelBaby]

1 could also try multi strand copper wire...

[@Ghost572]

1 minute into the video and dipping the braid in flux is news to me. Totally makes sense why it would work though. The other day I was struggling to get a little bit of solder braided up and it didn't matter how hard I was pushing on it. (This was to get some solder off some tiny little legs on an FPC connector for a nintendo switch I am trying to repair)

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

Ahhh, now you have seen how to use it with flux, your life will never be the same again 😁

[@Ghost572]

​@@LearnElectronicsRepair I saw an interesting technique for using a soldering iron to solder multiple legs together on an IC using a metal wire across all of them and letting the heat transmit through it to melt the solder. I say this because I just got to the part of your video where you had a metal braid that you couldn't solder to and it makes me think it probaly is possible to have a metal wire and melt solder without having to attach its self to the device. I mention this because I am quite new to using hotair stations and I find it crazy how fast the board I am working on heats up even under a short amount of time (10 seconds) from the hot air station , temperature is around 300-350celcius. It sort of worries me its going to start breaking components and in comparison to me using a soldering iron which melts the solder quickly and doesn't turn the board to a portable frying pan. I will have a look through your videos after this just to see if there are any specific videos on hot airstation use but most of the information on the internet is a person telling me they have a temperature of 330Ceclius and their airspeed and just pull the component off in 10 seconds. 😃

[@247hinkey]

Another great video Richard. Thank you. p.s great idea regarding copper foil.

[@Dutch_off_grid_homesteading]

Heya, nice test loved it and even coax cable is doing a great job maybe the silver looking 1 has a coatting on it ?

[@craigbourne4792]

Never thought of using that... Dam I have roll's of that. Happy day's :) Plus the same flux lol

[@Piasecznik72]

It is Polish and translated would be soldering flux. Direct translation "paste for soldering" (polish has different word order than english).

[@cndbrn7975]

Thanks I was just wondering what I was going to do with all of this t.v. co-ax I have laying around. Would telephone wire be the same I wonder? Better take a look.

[@wherami]

very interesting

[@hiscifi2986]

Thought you would have used RG58.. especially the double braided military stuff..

[@muppetpaster]

Soderwick is definitely genuine and is the BEST in the bizz...It is the same as Chem-Wick.... It is named Soder as in the American way of saying solder...."Sauder" If you know what I mean...Without the L....

[@x_CrossHair_x]

MG Chemicals (Brand) works great

[@sprinter768]

I've been using solder wick wrong, that is, without flux. It works but not so great. Now I'm sold on using flux with the solder wick every time.

[@seeithappen1]

I experienced that desoldering braid wick has a limited storage time. No matter how good you store it, after some time the copper gets oxidized cuprous and doesn't take solder in anymore. Need to be very careful with thin conducting paths as the pressure you use on the braid wick can break them away from the pcb. Don't see much advantage of it compared to vacuum or infrared.

[@CXensation]

True - I had some solderwick at least 20yrs old - didnt work anymore. All copper material will suffer this problem.

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

@@CXensation Stick it in some of that Lithuanian Pasta and I am sure it will work just fine 😅

[@CXensation]

@@LearnElectronicsRepair 😉

[@edwinmorre3973]

Use an Eagle soldering paste it will worked without a doubt

[@1998eclipse1998]

Just curious why you don't use a 3way light bulb and 3 way lamp fixture. I live in USA so it is easy to find 30-50-70 50-100-150 and 50-200-250 light bulbs. I looked up if they make 230 volt 3 ways and they do make them

[@RectifiedMetals]

RG59 works well

[@no1baggiefan]

I've been using homemade braid for decades, only in a workshop enviroment do I use "manufactured" braids.

[@andymouse]

I hated wick for years, then someone told me turn the heat to 390c, re-wet the joint, and use flux, I have never looked back I curse the day's that I spent with those bloody manual solder pumps, the one that didn't work was Ali....cheers.

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

So similar to my settings - 380C (on a T12 which is probably equivalent heat transfer to 390c plus on an old style soldering iron)

[@andymouse]

@@LearnElectronicsRepair yep, when you hit the sweet spot for your equipment you ask yourself 'how did I not go mad before ?'

[@weerobot]

Wow Interesting..Brillio Pad??

[@weerobot]

@Mr Guru OK Just a Idea...lol

[@daz41262010]

cool :) I've always wanted to know if this idea would work :) but does it make it any cheaper though :)

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

Only if you use scrap coax cable - it isn't hard to find for free (at least not here). One good haul from a skip/dumpster would keep you going for a long time

[@andymouse]

Camera looks better, did you do anything...cheers.

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

I replaced the webcam if that is the one you mean

[@frankbaron1608]

do you pay import dutoes on ali express? i am looking at their stereo microscopes.

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

I don't normally and being in the Canary Islands I also automatically get 21% (Spanish IVA which is like UK VAT) deducted from the advertised sale price at checkout as the Canary Islands are part of the the EU single market but outside the EU Customs Union. Anything valued less that €149 arriving here from China or elsewhere is exempt from VAT or duty anyway (which begs the question: now the UK left the EU and took back control why did they suddenly, as a result of leaving, have to pay VAT on everything imported regardless of value?) Anything arriving here over €149 here may be subject to IGIC (the local Canarian sales tax analogous to VAT) which is 7% but the post office 'Oficina de Aduana' seem to be very relaxed towards actually collecting it. Results in other locations may vary.

[@frankbaron1608]

@@LearnElectronicsRepair opiions vary on the EU, however when we were in it i ordered many a thing from oversease. i think the most expensive was a signal generator whcih i suspect was made in china and is still going strong otday. i recall only paying duty on one item and i can't recall where i bought it from, however now were' not in the eue and all people in the uk are seeing is broken promises from a broken govenrment elected in by a broken political system, nothing would suprise me less thanbbeing ripped of on import duties. i wa looking at a couple of the £250 ish microscopes. like you i wans binocular or trinocular types. i am partial to seeing things in 3. which one did you get?

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

@@frankbaron1608 Mine is basically this one on the double boom stand and with 1080p 60fps camera (option 5 on the listing) www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001842060150.html?af=ler2002 The double boom stand adds a lot to the price and also adds a lot to the stability of the microscope. Whatever you buy I would really recommend you buy a microscope with the 0.5x Auxiliary Objective - this will give you 3.5x to 45x magnification, otherwise you will have minimum 7x magnification and this is way too much for soldering work 🤪

[@frankbaron1608]

@@LearnElectronicsRepair nice scope. the shipping puts me off though. over 200 quid to the uk.

[@AliensInc.]

I wonder where I can find unleaded solder? I need a solder with a lower temp than the crap I can get. 🤔 I searched ebay and other places but nooo, they have to use the useless rule of unleaded solder that we all know suck. 😝 I did though once see an even lower tempered solder, down to some 180C or such, can't recall the name of it.😮‍💨 Sorry my memory's full since the -90's, a lot of useless crap I learned in school still blocking valuable memory 🤪😜

[@littletear27]

The last one kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIO5fYirhLKKaKM its not made of cooper, its aluminium because that doesnt work

[@JurassicJenkins]

I learned this trick several months ago, at least on the KZbin app on iPhone - to reference a time in a video use @time like @17:55 which is the time you want present. Yours of course works outside of the video as it references the video and time. I’m not sure how to do that. 🎈

[@vadjrob]

Nice tip Paul. As our host would say @43:30 !

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

Actually the one taken from TV Coax that did not work (Aluminium like you say?) was the penultimate one. The last one, silvery coloured and narrower, was from Ua SB cable from a scap ATX case - the ones that plugs to the motherboard on a 9 pin header and go to the USB sockets on the front of the case. That worked pretty well, but not has good as the copper one

[@willthecat3861]

OMG. Did you say at around 49:05 that Lithuania is "... a bit of Russia."

[@andymouse]

He said " ex bit of Russia " as it was once annexed by Russia.

[@frankbaron1608]

"soder" exactly what i said when the ex wife left me.

[@derekholcroft]

Americans call solder, soder so it's probably from there.

[@jimnicosia5934]

Never liked braid.

[@stevenbliss989]

The flux tin you use , although technically "medium activity", is much more aggressive than normal rosin, and really needs to be cleaned well after, otherwise will eat up your traces , although it may take a few decades! :) ...that is why it works so well :) ...but be careful of the down side.

[@theelmonk]

Same experience - I had no confidence in the stuff, but someone who worked professionally on SMD parts suggested the chemtronics. I use it frequently now. But it's expensive .. I will try this. Though good fine coax is also expensive !

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

Look around for some scrap coax, that is what I am using. There is plenty of it around, at least here, as many people are moving away from satellite to streaming. Skips/dumpsters are as good a place as any to find it.

[@budgiefish]

I guess Chemtronics have mastered the art of long life dry flux as I've tried a few over the years and chemtronics (chem-wik and soder-wick) has been the only manufacturer that's worked reliably without needing any extra flux. Goot Wick just spreads the solder around, maybe it was fake as I'm sure it came recommended at one point, but I think I had a decade old chemtronics one that was still working fine so that's what I'll continue using (usually just for cleanup of pads, otherwise the weller desoldering iron comes out 98% of the time)

[@stevenbliss989]

Braid should actually be made of aluminium plated with copper. Heat transfer is slower, so not as good, but VASTLY cheaper! Does anyone make such a thing?