How to get free desoldering braid...

[Evil Lurker]

I have discovered a method for scavenging free desoldering braid. Basically CRT TV's and monitors have a braided wire running around the tube near the degaussing wire. This braid is basically the same stuff as desoldering braid, except it has been tinned. As it is, its useless for desoldering. But, if you take a sanding sponge and run the braid back and forth over the sponge ala "polishing your shoes" it is possible to expose enough copper in less than a minutes time that the wire will wick solder. Its not quite as good as the real stuff... takes just a little bit more time and heat to get it started wicking but once up to temperature it works great.

[mariushm]

Re: How to get free desoldering braid...

The real solder braid also has some flux between the strains of copper. It's not quite the same thing.

[Sparkey55]

Re: How to get free desoldering braid...

Yes sir. I have done that and used old coax cable braid also. I have found that when I hammer the braid flat it works even better. YMMV.

[ratdude747]

Re: How to get free desoldering braid...

The real solder braid also has some flux between the strains of copper. It's not quite the same thing.

correct. you have to add your own flux.

[Sparkey55]

Re: How to get free desoldering braid...

I have never had to add flux to copper braid in order to wick up solder. The secret is in how you clean the braid.

[ratdude747]

Re: How to get free desoldering braid...

I have never had to add flux to copper braid in order to wick up solder. The secret is in how you clean the braid.

you do if it isn't prefluxed... the flux is what makes the solder wick...

[Toasty]

Re: How to get free desoldering braid...

The real solder braid also has some flux between the strains of copper. It's not quite the same thing.

When you're broke, you learn <quickly> how to make do.

[Evil Lurker]

Re: How to get free desoldering braid...

Oh yeah, just figured out something else... how to chemically strip the tin. I tried using plain old drain opener to get the job done, basically it wouldn't touch the tin... the acid needs an oxidizer to get the job done.

So I took some Rooto sulfuric acid drain opener and made about a 50-50 solution with water. Then I very sparingly sprinkled in a bit of potassium nitrate into the acid bath. Within 30 seconds the tin was stripped completely leaving nice clean copper.

[kc8adu]

Re: How to get free desoldering braid...

i have simply wetted the dag ground braid with liquid rosin.
thought of that when i was a teen(70's)

[Sparkey55]

Re: How to get free desoldering braid...

you do if it isn't prefluxed... the flux is what makes the solder wick...

Capillary action is what makes the solder flow into the braid. Flux, when heated to form a liquid acts as a void filler to remove air pockets and to clean the braid surface while in emulsion of contaminants. Flux is not needed if you clean properly.

[ratdude747]

Re: How to get free desoldering braid...

Capillary action is what makes the solder flow into the braid. Flux, when heated to form a liquid acts as a void filler to remove air pockets and to clean the braid surface while in emulsion of contaminants. Flux is not needed if you clean properly.

Not really... yes, that's how it adheres to the copper, but you are missing part of how braid works.

The flux also distributes the heat and allows the solder to flow up the braid... otherwise, the solder would only wick to the braid being directly heated by the iron.

what braid should look like when being used: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L4iv...igdnwBeJLDaoM= (pay attention to the second joint at the end...)

I know this by being forced to use fluxless braid before... its useless without adding flux...

liquid rosin is flux (for all intents and purposes) so yes, that would work. as long as it can both clean and distribute heat.

[Sparkey55]

Re: How to get free desoldering braid...

I know this by being forced to use fluxless braid before... its useless without adding flux...

Ratdude, I have been soldering before you were born and have worked for several Aerospace companies in that time and have had excellent training in that arena. I learned techniques that are used industry wide. You have not the life experience to know that there is more than one way to skin a rat; I mean a cat.

[ratdude747]

Re: How to get free desoldering braid...

I know this by being forced to use fluxless braid before... its useless without adding flux...

Ratdude, I have been soldering before you were born and have worked for several Aerospace companies in that time and have had excellent training in that arena. I learned techniques that are used industry wide. You have not the life experience to know that there is more than one way to skin a rat; I mean a cat.

I know from experience that flux always makes braid better and generally leads to better desoldering.

I may be young but i first learned to solder just over 4 years ago, and for the past 1.5 years or so I have been soldering almost every day, honing my skills. I know damn well what does and doesn't work, and for anything major/multilayer, fluxless braid does't.

Why? I've maid the mistake of trying it. it's like trying to solder without flux or fluxed solder... it just doesn't work very well, and for the exat same reason- in order for solder to flow and adhere properly, there needs to be flux somewhere, or else very little solder adheres to the base metal.

In industry, AFAIK, flux is used with the braid somewhere... even the military uses flux on the braid (applied externally).

as for your comment about skinning a rat, yes, there are multiple way to TRY to skin a rat, but only certain ones work. In the world of desoldering, the methods that work best are vacuum sucker/irons/station, fluxed braid, and picks/needles.

[momaka]

Re: How to get free desoldering braid...

Flux is not needed if you clean properly.

Sure, just try cleaning the area on a motherboard after a BGA chip removal. If you can do it with flux-less braid, without any flux, and without lifting any pads where the BGA chip was - my hat off to you, sir!
Oh, and by cleaning, I mean silky-smooth BGA pads.

Besides, even if you do have all of that experience, many other people don't. So for all intents and purposes, I recommend everyone to use braid with flux because in the end: braid with flux (whether you add the flux yourself or use pre-fluxed braid) is way much easier and less risky to use than flux-less braid with no flux added. When you have customer's shit you don't want to screw up, it's just a no-brainer to add a drop or two of flux.

[999999999]

Re: How to get free desoldering braid...

I always add flux to braid, including pre-fluxed braid... it just works better, faster that way.

[budm]

Re: How to get free desoldering braid...

I always use flux, for about 35 years now, not worth to damaged the board, parts can be replaced, but board is harder to replace, best not to damage the traces. Good 40watts iron, flux, fine braid copper solderwick. First day of electronics training in school was taught how to solder properly, most people knows the theory well but damages the parts and the boards and causes more problems due to poor soldering jobs, I see that in new tech coming in for the job, first test is to show us how well the person can solder and un-solder parts from the PCB.

[severach]

Re: How to get free desoldering braid...

I use flux everywhere except for hot air desoldering where it impedes the process as would be expected. Fluxless soldering is a form of self torture. Sure it can work but flux soldering is always faster and better. The quality improvement, saved time, and reduced damage to the work piece is well worth the time spent swabbing the residue off.

I call BS on the industry wide argument. Flux is industry wide. Non flux is nowhere, nothing but a beginners mistake. Flux is cheap compared to the alternatives like vacuum soldering, inert gas soldering, high failure rate, and working all day wrecking the tools while getting nothing done. I'm not spending a ton of time scrubbing clean copper when a dollop of rosin paste cures all that ails me in places the scrubber can't reach. The only time I scrub copper is when the wire cannot be replaced and time has corroded it so deep that no amount of acid paste can clean it.

Flux! It does a solder good.

As for free soldering braid I'm surprised that noone has mentioned the copper wire we all throw away in bad power supplies. Strip, flux, and desolder. It is consumed faster than real braid and doesn't draw as well but at almost zero cost I can afford to use too much. I don't need to place orders or remember where I put it. Don't forget that the insulation makes a heat resistant handle and pieces of it can be placed on component leads that need to be insulated.

[Agent24]

Re: How to get free desoldering braid...

It's an interesting idea, but I'd argue the point that your CRT-salvaged braid is 'free' after you factor in the time spent un-tinning it and then deciding what to do with the rest of the monitor afterwards...

[ratdude747]

Re: How to get free desoldering braid...

It's an interesting idea, but I'd argue the point that your CRT-salvaged braid is 'free' after you factor in the time spent un-tinning it and then deciding what to do with the rest of the monitor afterwards...

All things considered, nothing is "free". It's the first rule of Economics.

Some people have more time than money, so to them, all that matters is monetary cost... so in that case, it is psydo-free.

[Agent24]

Re: How to get free desoldering braid...

Well, unless you got some for a Christmas present or such, perhaps...