Soder-Wick Lead-Free
Request a Sample

Your Sample Request

Soder-Wick Lead-Free Desoldering Wick

*=required field

Request SDS

Request SDS

Soder-Wick Lead-Free Desoldering Wick

*=required field

Soder-Wick Lead-Free Desoldering Wick

Soder-Wick® Lead-Free desoldering wick is the state of the art in desoldering technology. It is specially designed for removal of today’s high-temperature lead-free solders. The single layer weave used for Soder-Wick® Lead-Free desoldering wick is lighter in mass than any other desoldering wick available and allows for lead-free solder removal at lower temperatures. Soder-Wick® Lead-Free desoldering wick responds faster than any other conventional desoldering braid. This unique design minimizes overheating and requires less “contact” time thus preventing heat damage to the PCB and sensitive components. For Lead-Free rework, Soder-Wick® has the answer.

5' and 10' bobbins have 2 packaging options:

25 bobbins in sealed bag 10 bobbins in resealable pouch

Features & Benefits

  • Engineered specifically for high temperature, lead-free solders
  • Transfers heat to the solder joint more quickly and efficiently than conventional desoldering braids
  • Specifically designed for all lead-free solders
  • Can also be used with Tin/Lead solders
  • Soder-Wick® Lead-Free packaged in ESD-safe static dissipative bobbins
  • Minimizes the risk of damage associated with static electricity
  • Non-corrosive ultra high purity no-clean flux
  • Will not leave ionic contamination on the boards
  • Especially effective at removing residual solder from SMT pads
  • RoHS Compliant
  • Patent Pending

Applications

  • Soder-Wick® Lead Free safely removes solder from all lead free applications

Specifications:

  • MIL-F-14256 F
  • NASA-STD-8739.3 Soldered Electrical Connections
  • DOD-STD-883E, Method 2022
  • ANSI/IPC J STD-004, Type ROL0

Swipe to View Add to Cart Button 

Soder-Wick Lead-Free - 40-1-5

Wick Size #1 White/Gray

0.03" / 0.8mm wide - best for SMD and micro-circuits
Part # Size Units Per Case
40-1-5

5' / 1.5m L, ESD-safe bobbin

25 bobbins
Soder-Wick Lead-Free - 40-2-5

Wick Size #2 Yellow

0.06" / 1.5mm wide - best for small pads and SMD
Part # Size Units Per Case
40-2-5

5' / 1.5m L, ESD-safe bobbin

25 bobbins
40-2-10

10' / 3.0m L, ESD-safe bobbin

25 bobbins
SW14025

5' / 1.5m L, ESD-safe bobbin
10 bobbins per resealable pouch

6 cans (60 bobbins total)
Soder-Wick Lead-Free - 40-3-5

Wick Size #3 Green

0.08" / 2.0mm - best for medium pads
Part # Size Units Per Case
40-3-5

5' / 1.5m L, ESD-safe bobbin

25 bobbins
40-3-10

10' / 3.0m L, ESD-safe bobbin

25 bobbins
SW14035

5' / 1.5m L, ESD-safe bobbin
10 bobbins per resealable pouch

6 cans (60 bobbins total)
Soder-Wick Lead-Free - 40-4-5

Wick Size #4 Blue

0.110" / 2.8mm - best for large pads
Part # Size Units Per Case
40-4-5

5' / 1.5m L, ESD-safe bobbin

25 bobbins
40-4-10

10' / 3.0m L, ESD-safe bobbin

25 bobbins
SW14045

5' / 1.5m L, ESD-safe bobbin
10 bobbins per resealable pouch

6 cans (60 bobbins total)

FAQs

What is desoldering wick made of?

Desoldering braid (wick) is made of fine strands of ultra-pure copper woven and coated with flux. Its geometrically precise weave design allows for maximum capillary action and solder capacity. Soder-wick optimizes heat transfer through the braid and into the solder joint, resulting in faster wicking action than any other competitive brand. Minimal flux residue on the board speeds up the cleaning process or eliminates it entirely.

How do you use a desoldering wick?

1) Place the braid over unwanted solder, preferably on the greatest solder build up so that it maximizes the contact of the braid to the surface area of the solder. 2) Next, place your iron tip over the wick at 45 degrees and allow heat to transfer to the pad. Molten solder will absorb into the braid. 3) Move the solder tip and braid as needed to remove all of the solder at one time. Careful not to drag the braid over the pads, which can scratch. 4) Once the braid is full of solder, you must trim the spent portion and move to fresh braid in order to pull more solder. Remove the iron and braid simultaneously to avoid soldering the wire to the board.

Does solder wick expire?

Yes. As the copper is exposed to the open air, oxygen and moisture in the air interacts and oxidizes the copper. This oxidation is most apparent by the color of the wick. The brighter the copper, the fresher the wick. Oxidized copper will darken like a dirty penny. The more oxidized the copper, the slower the wicking action. We generally recommend replacing wick after 2-years, but that can be longer or shorter depending on storage conditions. Keep the wick bag or can sealed for maximum product life. If you have wick that appears to be too oxidized to use, unroll around 6”, trim off, then test the remaining wick. The outside of the spool of wick becomes oxidized first.

Are you supposed to cut off the solder wick before or after you use it?

The temptation is to desolder an area and keep moving up the spool of braid. However, it’s best to work towards the end of the braid to isolate the heat. Once the desoldering braid is brought up to soldering temperature, the flux has been fully activated, so that part will not draw more solder. A long strand of used braid only acts as a heat sink, slowing down your process.

What is a solder wick?

Desoldering braid or “wick” is a pre-fluxed copper braid that is used to remove solder, which allows components to be replaced and excess solder (e.g. bridging) to be removed. The soldering iron is applied to the wick as it sits on the solder joint, and when both are brought up to the solder's melting point, the flux is activated and, through capillary action from the braided design, solder is drawn up the wick.

Do you need to clean flux?

Yes, flux should be cleaned off of a printed circuit board (PCB) after soldering is completed. The following are the reasons to remove flux residues: Improve Aesthetic Appearance of PCB - If you are a contract manufacturer of PCB’s, the visual appearance of the board reflects on your work. A clear, greasy-looking residue around a solder joint may raise flags for your customer’s incoming QC inspectors. If the flux residue chars and forms spots on the solder joints, it may look like a true defect like a solder joint void or “blow hole”. If the flux residue is from a rework process, it acts as a fault tag in the rework area, calling attention to the work even if there shouldn’t be a concern. Improve Reliability of PCB - Reliability requirements are generally driven by the nature of the final product. For a disposable product like a computer keyboard, nobody loses their life if it stops working. In that case, an EMS supplier may use no-clean flux and forgo the cleaning process. On the other end of the scale, requirements for pacemaker electronics, where board failure could directly lead to death, are going to be much stricter. In that example, cleaning will be required after assembly and any subsequent rework, and the process will be thoroughly tested for effectiveness and repeatability. Long-life durable goods may fall somewhere in-between, with cleaning a requirement, but without the rigid testing and controls. Prevent Corrosion on Components and PCB - Flux residues left on electronic circuit boards are acidic. If they aren’t removed with a cleaning process, the residues can draw in ambient moisture from the air and lead to corrosion of component leads, and PCB contacts. Avoid Adhesion Problems with Conformal Coating - Most people understand that when painting something, the surface must be prepared so it is absolutely clean. Otherwise, the paint will quickly lift off the surface and peel off. The same logic applies to conformal coating, even when the contamination is from no-clean flux. “No-clean” refers to the amount of ionic material left after soldering. It has nothing to do with whether or not coating can stick to it. When there are flux residues left on the PCB before the coating process, it is common to see the coating lift or delaminate from the surface of the board. This is evident when the pockets are isolated around solder joints rather than the overall surface (the exception being the bottom of a wave soldered PCB). To make matters worse, coatings are generally semi-permeable, so breathe to a certain extent. Moisture can enter and soak into the flux residue, and potentially lead to corrosion. Prevent Dendritic Growth from Ionic Contamination - Polar or Ionic particles left from flux residue and other sources, when exposed to moisture from the ambient air and when current is applied, can link into a chain or branch called a dendrite. These dendrites are conductive, so form an unintended trace that cause current leakage or, over a longer period of time, even a short circuit. This is not as much of a concern for no-clean flux. No-clean flux contains minimal ionic material that is fully consumed when the flux is activated, or in other words, brought to soldering temperature. If all of the flux isn’t activated, like when you apply a lot of flux but only solder a small area, you still need to clean the PCB.

Articles

HOW-TO: Remove Excess Solder from SMT Land or BGA with Wick & Blade Tip

HOW-TO: Remove Excess Solder from SMT Land or BGA with Wick & Blade Tip

This guide is based on the IPC 7711 4.4.1 standard. Purchase the full standard from the IPC organization. The graphics and text have been created to provide easy-to-use instructions. This is a process to remove solder from a row of SMT lands using a blade tip. IPC7711 number 4.1.3 describes a proce...
Read this Post
HOW-TO: Remove Excess Solder from SMT Land with Wick

HOW-TO: Remove Excess Solder from SMT Land with Wick

This process is used to prepare a surface mount land for a new component after a component has been removed. Desoldering Braid, also called wick, is used in this process. This guide is based on the IPC 7711 4.1.3 standard and referenced in IPC 7711 5.7.3, 5.7.4, 5.7.5, and 5.7.6. The graphics and ...
Read this Post
Desoldering Wick Application Guide

Desoldering Wick Application Guide

Solder wick, desoldering braid, or just “wick” are all names for a copper braid that is used to absorb solder. It is generally coated with flux, so when heated, solder is melted, drawn up, and retained using a combination of wetting and capillary action. Solder wick allows you to remove solder in is...
Read this Post
Ultimate Guide to Benchtop PCB Rework & Repair

Ultimate Guide to Benchtop PCB Rework & Repair

The reality is that no soldering operation produces perfect assemblies every time. Even the highest quality components fail from time-to-time. That’s why understanding the best rework and repair methods and materials is so important for those who manufacture, maintain, or repair printed circuit boar...
Read this Post
12 Easy Tips to Improve Your PCB Desoldering Today

12 Easy Tips to Improve Your PCB Desoldering Today

The challenge is removing excess solder quickly without damaging the circuit board. That’s why, in this post, we’ll present to you our desoldering best practices, how to use desoldering braid, and top tips that we have encountered during our long history in the electronics industry.
Read this Post
You did not finish submitting your information to request a sample