Tricks for cleaning solder from pots for breadboarding??

[StephenGiles]

I have 3 pots which are needed for my breadboard, all of which have a quantity of solder on the pins. A solder sucker will not completely remove all the solder, so that the pots will not fit in the breadboard holes. Any tricks for removing the rest of the solder??

[linny1982]

just solder some offcut leads to them. that way they'll fit in easy and wont stuff your board

[yeeshkul]

I do this
1. solder sucker to get the major part of the solder off
2. soldering iron to pull the rest of the solder down
3. small file / sand paper to finish the job

[azrael]

Desoldering braid + paste flux work really well. Coat the braid in a bit of paste flux...Place on joint and heat! The solder will jump to the braid. Clean off the paste flux afterwords, and you're golden.

[Mark Hammer]

Desoldering braid + paste flux work really well. Coat the braid in a bit of paste flux...Place on joint and heat! The solder will jump to the braid. Clean off the paste flux afterwords, and you're golden.

+1

Conceivably, it's a matter of desolder braid becoming tarnished/oxidized the moment you open the package, but I find that my desolder braid tends to "fight" its job.  I dip a length of it in liquid flux and clean off the excess, or else just dab a cotton-tipped applicator in the flux and smear some on the braid.  At which point, the braid says "Well, since you asked you nicely and all...".  From there, it works extremely well.  Especially in places where you simply can't get the flush fit you need to let a solder-sucker do its job properly.....like pot lugs.

[petemoore]

 Quick high heating and a good 'snap'..slight-angle-blap the pot back down on a piece of paper on a solid surface, use masking tape to cover the wiper slot.
  The centrifigual force method works very well [pretty easy to master 'all solderforce toward the outside' type motion to keep the pot innards from being splattered] and doesn't require paper...just an area that doesn't mind being spattered with 60/40. Like tossing a ball, it's all in the wrist movement.

[StephenGiles]

Thanks for all answers, I don't know what happened to my post yesterday???

Incidentally, I have the Space Drum envelope generator working nicely from my guitar now

[Cliff Schecht]

Desoldering braid + paste flux work really well. Coat the braid in a bit of paste flux...Place on joint and heat! The solder will jump to the braid. Clean off the paste flux afterwords, and you're golden.

+1

Conceivably, it's a matter of desolder braid becoming tarnished/oxidized the moment you open the package, but I find that my desolder braid tends to "fight" its job.  I dip a length of it in liquid flux and clean off the excess, or else just dab a cotton-tipped applicator in the flux and smear some on the braid.  At which point, the braid says "Well, since you asked you nicely and all...".  From there, it works extremely well.  Especially in places where you simply can't get the flush fit you need to let a solder-sucker do its job properly.....like pot lugs.

Braid and flux are your friends Mark. If your braid is going south the second you open it, quit buying the cheap stuff and go get some Chemtronics Soder Wick .