XURON WickGun Desoldering Braid Dispenser - ITTSB.EU Mini Review

[Kiriakos GR]

Intro

Since 15 June 2010, I am considering my self as XURON customer, the purchase of two XURON 9200 Micro-Shear® Flush Cutter made me extremely happy.
At that time I also purchased and one KNIPEX Flush Cutter which was considered as top solution in the European market.
By having both products in my hand, the American XURON 9200 made to me the strongest impression, it jaws opening distance is not limited as the KNIPEX does to the diameter of one RG58 cable.
The Huron product made the difference also in another two aspects, the entire tool had double thickness, and the master join (link) is not welded and therefore serviceable for fine adjustment if needed.

In March 2014 almost accidentally discovered XURON account on Tweeter, and by a message I did expressed my feelings of appreciation and satisfaction to them.
Their next Tweet was about their WickGun braid dispenser, and actually was their video about it.
I did made known to XURON my wish for testing their product so to offer them back some feedback.
XURON accepted my invitation and at 20 of March their WickGun braid dispenser with other three spare desoldering braid cassettes arrived to me. 

Today that is three months later, after using their product several times, I feel ready to share my opinion in public.


XURON features list   (documented by XURON)
a) Using a WickGun™ braid dispenser is 3-5 times faster than conventional braid use.
Dispense, position and cut braid with one tool (in one hand).

b) No wasted braid.
Braid can be retracted and cut exactly at the point where solder ends.
No waste associated with heat transfer (burned fingers).

c) No braid contamination.
Solderability is enhanced because braid is not contaminated with finger oil or other foreign matter.




1) ITTSB comments about using the WickGun

What I was not able to understand even after watching the HURON video for their WickGun, was the degree of control that some one would have by using it in action.
I belong to the right handed people and therefore I am holding the soldering iron by the right hand.
And so no matter how well designed this WickGun is, my left hand is always lesser accurate for movements which require fine control.

The regular desoldering braid packaging (roll) has small dimensions, and this helps so to hold it with your fingers.
The desoldering braid (or Wick) comes out from any direction as it unrolls but even so it packaging it is designed that way which causes partial jamming and keeps it in place.
The proper use of this item is to always hold it by it plastic body, and to pull and cut as much is needed by a flush cutter.
The proper use of regular desoldering braid does not cause burned fingers, but it is not hassle free for some one who has just two hands.
You need to stop, prepare the desoldering braid, and move on.
 

The WickGun dispenser is actually a totally different product suggestion about using desoldering braid.
Because of it exterior design which looks like a gun, the length of it feeder it does forcing the user to move his hand four centimeters away from the PCB that he is about to work with.
Additionally these needed two centimeters of exposed desoldering braid makes this distance even longer to about six centimeters.

The WickGun dispenser internally has only one point of control, and this is about the desoldering braid feeder, and it does that by an internal rubber roller.
This mechanism ultimately serves about installing desoldering braid spares, or removes a desoldering braid cassette for installing another one with the proper thickness that is required by the specific job.

Therefore the first impression is that something is missing, as there is nothing to keep the desoldering braid firmly at the end of the WickGun dispenser.
Here comes in to play the flush cutter which HURON added to this WickGun dispenser.
I was had to understand just by my self that by soft pressing over this gun style trigger, I would be able to cause the necessary jamming so the desoldering braid to be stable enough for an accurate placement over the exact point that desoldering must be performed.

By realizing this double functionality of HURON flush cutter, this tool started to offer much more productivity in my hands.
Now I am able to cause jamming or cut the desoldering braid when needed.

Today, after gaining some experience by using this WickGun dispenser, I can admit that when I need desoldering braid, I do prefer to use this HURON product than my other regular wick roll.



2) ITTSB comments over the design of WickGun

In order to remove and insert another WickGun cassette you will need about 30 seconds up to one complete minute for this task, and some extra patience about the correct placement of the desoldering braid so to not be twisted in any way, starting from the cassette and all the way up to the feeder end point.
 
I do have two complains regarding this XURON WickGun dispenser, but none of them are related with it actual functionality.

The first complain is about the color of this WickGun dispenser, it is black and that works as camouflage when I am seeking to find it over my workbench. 
The selection of bright colors as white or sea blue is much more preferable for such a tool.

The second complain is that by having more than one desoldering braid cassette in your disposal, the need for a dedicated storage solution it get born just by it self.
After some thought about this puzzle, I did came by a solution which worked for me.
By adding self adhesive magnetic sheet pads (refrigerator magnets) at the back of its cassette, by this trick they are now able to stay attached over my metallic tools rack, and be next to WickGun dispenser.
Pictures about my idea are available in the post No2.


3) In conclusion.

This XURON WickGun dispenser is more innovative idea than my magnetic pads over the back of its cassette.
The use of this WickGun dispenser brings in the beginning an awkward feeling, but after some training with it, the learning curve it does pay out.
The major benefit that comes from this tool is that it does speed up any desoldering task.
The increased productivity will benefit single users and especially large electronics repair facilities.
Desoldering is not only about removing burned / damaged components, is also about manually correcting things if something goes wrong in the production stage.

Personally due the nature of my profession today, I do not work regularly with soldering or desoldering over PCB.
But I do have adequate training in soldering /desoldering because in my youth for about 8 years I was repairing only electronics, by been hired in a small electronics repair facility in my city.
Very recently I did upgrade all my soldering tools with modern high performance ones and ESD safe.
The specific WickGun dispenser is also ESD safe, and therefore compatible with the latest requirements of the soldering industry.

My only second thought about this almost inexpensive tool, is regarding the deterioration in hardness of the cutting blades in that cutter.
When these blades are used for jamming the desoldering braid, one significant amount of heat it is transferred back to them from the soldering iron and the temperature could be as high as 320C or more.
From the other hand XURON is an industry specialized in forming and hardening metals, the blades over the WickGun are amazingly sharp and flush cutting it is happening almost fatigueless.
From the other hand my positive experience with XURON 9200 Micro-Shear® Flush Cutter over the years, it makes me say today that XURON knows their job better than any one.
Therefore my second thought it could be just a false alarm.

I like to thanks XURON Corporation and Abby Robey for offering me the chance to test their product, and I hope my feedback to assist in further product design improvements. 

http://xuron.com/uploads/Wick_gun_Insert.pdf

http://xuron.com

[Kiriakos GR]

Magnetic sheet pads ( Greek patent)  work of art by Kiriakos