What is a mechanical solder sucker?

[rievax_60]

Re: What is a mechanical solder sucker?

Send us a photo of tip and the braid. applying the flux to the braid should be enough. A small amount of solder on the tip will help to wet the wick.

[johnnyh55]

Re: What is a mechanical solder sucker?

I bought a flux pen but do I apply the flux to the solder to be wicked up or to the wick itself? I tried both but they dont seem to work

[rievax_60]

Re: What is a mechanical solder sucker?

I use a K type tip. Extra flux helps a lot.

[johnnyh55]

Re: What is a mechanical solder sucker?

Use solder wick. See post #25.

I tried it but its not wicking for some reason.

[SteveNielsen]

Re: What is a mechanical solder sucker?

Use solder wick. See post #25.

[johnnyh55]

Re: What is a mechanical solder sucker?

So I turned down the temp to 572 but it wasn't melting the solder on the board so I turned it up to 662 and now it seems ok. How do you pickup solder on the board when there is not enough to be picked up by a solder sucker?

[stj]

Re: What is a mechanical solder sucker?

it works just fine in the stand - that's why it's there.
infact i only use wool - none of that wet sponge shit.

[johnnyh55]

Re: What is a mechanical solder sucker?

888D has wire-wool in the iron-stand

That's true, lol. So I just rub the tip in the wool, or do you think I'll need to remove the wool from the stand and give the tip a good brushing in the wool by squeezing the wool with one hand and turning the iron with the other?

[stj]

Re: What is a mechanical solder sucker?

888D has wire-wool in the iron-stand

[johnnyh55]

Re: What is a mechanical solder sucker?

no, you didnt damage anything.

your tip needs a clean using some wire wool probably, then put some solder on it at a REASONABLE temperature.

what iron is it?

It's a Hakko FX888D. So you can clean the tip with wire wool? I know in the manual it says never use a file on the tip but I guess wool is ok?

Also every solder tutorial I look at show a component pad on the PCB that is easily noticeable, is it normal that I don't really see a pad on the motherboard, I guess it's there but really small?

[stj]

Re: What is a mechanical solder sucker?

no, you didnt damage anything.

your tip needs a clean using some wire wool probably, then put some solder on it at a REASONABLE temperature.

what iron is it?

[johnnyh55]

Re: What is a mechanical solder sucker?

damage would be obvious.

That means, I did damage something? Or I would see it, if I would of damaged something?

but i bet your tip was black and the solder didnt stick very well!!!
you oxidised it with too much heat!

So is my tip no good anymore? Should I buy another one, or it's still good, I just need to re-tin and it should be ok?

[stj]

Re: What is a mechanical solder sucker?

damage would be obvious.
but i bet your tip was black and the solder didnt stick very well!!!
you oxidised it with too much heat!


i dont know who wrote 450' because they didnt put their name down ( i wonder why! )
the solder is 60/40 with rosin-based flux - so looking at "real" brands for data.
http://www.rapidonline.com/Tools-Equ...der-Wire-30236
http://www.rapidonline.com/Tools-Equ...er-60-40-30459

so there's your temps.
braid has powdered flux in it and should just work - but most wont work on big lead-free stuff.

[johnnyh55]

Re: What is a mechanical solder sucker?

that's an insane temperature now i converted it to 'c
455'c!! you shouldnt be over 350 (662'F)
if you ignore this, you burn the flux.
infact that temp is for lead free solder, if your using 60/40 you may need to go under 300 (572) because the flux is usually different

conversion done here btw. (incase it's wrong!)
http://www.onlineconversion.com/temperature.htm

show us the solder label btw.

Ok that would explain part of the problem I assume. Why would the tutorial say to set the iron at 450 degrees Celsius?
https://www.badcaps.net/index.php?pageid=cap_removal

I kind of figure it was too high. So if I lower the temp it should be easier to solder? Maybe I was burning all the flux off way too fast. I have attached a picture of the solder I am using.

Also, desoldering braid should be fluxed right? To help bring the solder in the braid? Because the one I bought isn't flux I think, and when I add solder to the braid it helps wicking the solder on the board. Maybe ill buy the MG Chemicals solder wick and try that instead.

Now by having the iron temperature too hot, do you think I damaged anything?

[stj]

Re: What is a mechanical solder sucker?

that's an insane temperature now i converted it to 'c
455'c!! you shouldnt be over 350 (662'F)
if you ignore this, you burn the flux.
infact that temp is for lead free solder, if your using 60/40 you may need to go under 300 (572) because the flux is usually different

conversion done here btw. (incase it's wrong!)
http://www.onlineconversion.com/temperature.htm

show us the solder label btw.

[johnnyh55]

Re: What is a mechanical solder sucker?

Well there is something I am doing wrong, either too much heat(852F) or solder too thick(1.2mm)? When I apply the iron to a solder joint, it doesn't transfer heat to the solder it seems, I always have to add a little fresh solder. There is something I must be doing wrong every youtube video I checked they just touch the capacitor leads and the solder melts after 1 second.

I also notice when I apply heat to the pad and the lead, the heat never seem to transfer to the other side where I apply solder. I always need to apply a little bit of solder to the tip while touching the pad and lead and then it begins to melt on the other side.

[ChaosLegionnaire]

Re: What is a mechanical solder sucker?

i also recall another fellow member saying that he uses a paper clip to clear the hole. cant remember his user name tho.

How do these joints look? I know they are not too nice but are they acceptable?

wtf, it looks like an adjacent solder track has been bridged with solder. it also looks like u got a huge spherical blob of solder in the center and its also bridging an adjacent pad.

a good joint should look conical, bright and shiny like the ones on the left of the picture. it looks like u put too much solder on the center one. if u got a circular solder blob instead of a conical one, u have to desolder the cap, clear the hole again and try again. or if u are lazy, just try to use the sucker to remove some of the excess solder.

[johnnyh55]

Re: What is a mechanical solder sucker?

How do these joints look? I know they are not too nice but are they acceptable?

[johnnyh55]

Re: What is a mechanical solder sucker?

No. Put enough solder on the soldering tip to make contact with the hole and the pin for heat transfer, as the pin and hole heat up and solder starts to soften turn and push the pin into the hole. Don't wiggle it sideways or the tip of the pin can poke into the metal lining the hole or catch on the side of a solder pad and tear it off. Be patient.

When I was tinning the tip yesterday, I had a blob on the tip, I assume this is too much? I then wiped it down on the sponge to remove a little bit, is that the correct tinning procedure?

[SteveNielsen]

Re: What is a mechanical solder sucker?

No. Put enough solder on the soldering tip to make contact with the hole and the pin for heat transfer, as the pin and hole heat up and solder starts to soften turn and push the pin into the hole. Don't wiggle it sideways or the tip of the pin can poke into the metal lining the hole or catch on the side of a solder pad and tear it off. Be patient.