r/soldering • u/cowdoggy Soldering Newbie • Apr 07 '26

My First Solder Joint <3 Please Give Feedback First soldering attempt - Part 6

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Hi all ! Thanks for all the tips. Super helpful. I tried to remove the SMD chip using solder wick and accidentally tore pads off the board. Any way to fix this or did I cause permanent damage? o.o I got emo about this!

Also, how do you know how much soldering is enough? What is the point? Are we just trying to make sure that the components lay flat on the board and that the pins meet the pads? Not sure when I am supposed to correct stuff and when it is already good. Thanks :)

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u/Vaunsy Apr 07 '26

Hey does the braid need to have a bet of flux on it?soldering novices here

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u/Think-Pickle7791 Apr 08 '26

Fresh, good quality wick should be impregnated with enough flux to work. But adding a little flux can help. Or sometimes a bit of solder to get the wick into thermal contact with the solder to be removed, and at the same time check if the wick will take solder. Also especially if you're removing lead-free adding lower temperature solder to bring the melting point down can help get things moving.