Clogged desoldering station

[Alex Eisenhut]

I see a 555 hack coming...

You see correctly. I've been giving dirty looks to my Hakko 707 and it's probably gonna get some sort of modification.

[ciccio]

It is standard procedure, and essential, to let the pump 'run on' for a second or two to clear the tip after the tool is removed from the solder joint. I find it difficult to remember to do this, and my Pace MBT WILL clog reliably if I forget for a few joints. I have never seen a desolder system with a pump run-on timer, and intend to fit one the next time I have an idle hour.
BT

In effect, my 15 years old JBC desoldering station has this: a timer that power the pump for about one second after you relase the trigger buttom
But it has a lot of other ptoblems, so I bought a ZD-985 (for less thr cost of the spares my JBC requires, and I'm happy with it..

[Langdon]

Copper wire is the way to go.
Get some pliers(your favourite pair, probably needle-nose) and grab it and push it gently down trhe hole to mel all the solder and unclog it.
Make sure you tin the tip with the wire inside periodically for good heat transmission.

Then just run the pump a bit to get it all out.

It is better to unclog it before it clogs completely.

Just give it a good ol' wire treatment every once in a while.

[armandine2]

I have the drills and prongs but looking after your Hakko FR-301 is more involved than I imagined 

[edavid]

Copper wire is the way to go.

No!  Use stainless steel wire that solder won't stick to.

You can buy this handy set from Metcal: https://store.metcal.com/en-us/shop/soldering-desoldering/soldering-desoldering-accessories/AC-TC

[janoc]

Folks, that is a 7 years old thread you are reviving. The poster you are replying to possibly doesn't even have that device anymore.

[donlisms]

And yet... millions of people, all around the world, are still clogging their desoldering guns, and looking to this very forum for answers!

(Besides... stainless steel has an order of magnitude less thermal conductance than copper, so... maybe not such a good approach.  Solder sticks to copper in millions of circumstances, all around the world, every day, and people consider that a "good thing.")

[Paceguy]

My Pace desoldering handpiece also clogs from time to time. I heat it up and use tip cleaning tool and un-clog it.

[Wallace Gasiewicz]

I started using Anti Seize compound on the inner tube of my solder suckers (Pace) and also on some tips that get stuck.  It works very well. the  stuff I bought at an auto supply is essentially aluminum and the solvent burns off quickly leaving a thin Al coating which helps a lot.  I also think there is a copper based paste. This sort of thing has been recommended by some  solder station manufacturers in the past.  Anti Seize compound is used on hot engine parts and also on jet engines etc... 
You just apply some of the paste to the inside of the tube with a wooden stick.I also have a clean out tool that looks like a thin screwdriver and a custom made round steel rod  that fits into the tube

Solder Suckers require maintenance, unfortunately.