Esteemed Fellow E-crafters...
One useful technique often employed here at the MJF Radio Labs to
remove solder from those pesky little holes is to snip off a chunk of
desoldering braid(6-10 mm or so) and position it on the hole with a pair
of tweezers, hemostats, etc. Then, using a hot iron( I use a small 800
F conical tip in the WTCPT for about everything on circuit boards) press
the braid into the hole a bit and quickly turn the board UPSIDE DOWN
while holding the braid snugly against the hole with the iron. Hold it
there for a moment. A puff of smoke from the flux in the braid often
indicates things are "flowing" well. I then remove the iron and braid
while the board is still inverted. Yes, you probably think that sounds
clumsy, but I do it all the time...it just takes a practice run or two
to develop your technique. Often it helps to add a bit of solder to the
hole to bring the solder up to the top of the hole so you can obtain
sufficient contact for the heat transfer. This is what I usually do if
there are just a couple of holes to open up.
As far as desoldering irons go... have two: A $75 Weller with a
bulb and a Radio Shack, also a bulb type that cost less than $20. Guess
which one works the best? Yup...RS. Don't ask me why...their tips are
quite similiar. Maybe the RS iron gets hotter...
Mike N0MF
Mo. Valley, IA
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