Desoldering braid removes surface solder from a circuit board. It makes reworking PCBs easy and quick. With a few tips and tricks, products like MG Chemical’s Superwick can work like magic. You can remove solder from surface mount parts, wick away excess solder blobs, and repair boards using it. In this video, James shares tips and tricks from the element14 community for using desoldering braid. (Please note: the makers of Superwick, MG Chemicals, sponsored this video)
One of my favorite shots in the entire episode is one of the microscope pictures. I often write a draft script of what I want to cover before I shoot all of the overhead video clips. In my notes, I wrote, “microscope to see the flux--can you even see it?” Imagine my surprise when I looked at Superwick under the microscope and could clearly see the flux on it.
Supplemental Content:
- Quick: what's your best desoldering braid/wick tip or trick?
- Example Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for Superwick
- Example datasheet for Supewick (with flux types and widths listed)
Bill of Material:
| Product Name | Manufacturer | Quantity | Buy Now | Buy KitBuy Kit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flux Remove, Pen Applicator | MG Chemicals | 1 | Buy Now | Buy NowBuy Now |
| 70/30 IPA Cleaner (Spray bottle) | MG Chemicals | 1 | Buy Now | Buy NowBuy Now |
| Superwick #423 - 0.8mm, Rosen | MG Chemicals | 1 | Buy Now | Buy NowBuy Now |
| Superwick #424 - 1.5mm, Rosen | MG Chemicals | 1 | Buy Now | Buy NowBuy Now |
| Superwick #425 - 2mm, Rosen | MG Chemicals | 1 | Buy Now | Buy NowBuy Now |
| Superwick #426 - 2.5mm, Rosen | MG Chemicals | 1 | Buy Now | Buy NowBuy Now |
| Superwick #426-LF, 2.5mm, Lead-Free | MG Chemicals | 1 | Buy Now | Buy NowBuy Now |
| Superwick #426-NS, 2.5mm, No-Clean | MG Chemicals | 1 | Buy Now | Buy NowBuy Now |
| Rosen Flux Pen | MG Chemicals | 1 | Buy Now | Buy NowBuy Now |
