When all I have available is a hot soldering iron I have had good luck removing solder from plated through holes by heating the solder and then lightly banging the PCB on the bench to "accelerate" the molten solder from the hole. Of course, the PCB has to be able to withstand the shock and that's a call you have to make. It works best with small PCBs.
Solder wick works best if you add a bit of flux to the wick (or to the solder on the pad) prior to wicking the molten solder from the PCB. It helps the solder migrate into the wick. If you do not have solder wick available, you can use the copper shield braid from coax! Solder wick is denser and generally superior to coax braid but the braid works in a pinch. There are pneumatic devices of all kinds that will pull molten solder from PCBs but their tips often clog and slow the process. The spring-loaded versions "jump" when you pull the trigger and often sprinkle the PCB with tiny balls of solder. The tiny spheres are the cooled result of previous solder extractions. You have to empty the device frequently to limit the mess it causes. It has been my experience that solder wick is the most convenient for small solder joints. When more heat is needed then a spring-loaded pneumatic device is preferred followed by a solder wick (and flux) cleanup. And have liquid of past flux available to assist solder flow. Cleaning the finished area with isopropyl alcohol and a small brush is a good way to remove leftover flux. I found a handy plastic bottle with a flip top and small dish area that fills with alcohol when you press the dish several times to pump alcohol from the bottle into the dish. I found it at DigiKey. It is made by "Techni-Tool". I am not affiliated with either of these companies. Rick KC0OV K3 125
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