What do you do if the structural through-holes already have solder in them, that wick doesn’t seem to get? I’ve been trying to put a new USB C port onto my switch for quite a while now. (Now that I think about it, I can probably just shorten the prongs on the port and add solder after for structural strength).
replyA desoldering pump (manual model, $10 or so for a decent one) is very suitable for removing solder from through-holes, if that is the main issue.
replydeleted
replyHow would tinning those tiny pads not create a massive bridge between them? Does the bridge somehow go away in the reflow phase? (Not familiar with reflow at all)
replyTo add to the sister comments, you can quite easily remove such bridges by adding flux and then touching each individual pad with a fine tipped soldering iron. It sometimes takes a few tries, but eventually the solder that’s touching the solder mask will either be wicked onto the iron or move onto one of the neighboring pads. (The trick is just to touch the pads with the iron, and not to try to attack the solder bridge itself.)
replyYes, the surface tension of melted solder pulls the solder to just the pad areas (assuming you don’t have far too much)
replyUsing with a little flux while tinning usually prevents the pads from bridging
reply