Desoldering Wicks & Braids
Desoldering wicks and braids are lengths of finely braided copper wire used to lift and remove old solder. They are often used on printed circuit boards (PCB) for repair and replacement. Braids are usually made of 42-18 AWG (American Wire Gauge) copper wire and are either coated with or without flux. The braid is heated and applied to the section to be desoldered. The flux raises the solder that is then wicked into the braid and then the braid is removed. Once the braid is cool, the used section can be discarded.
