Welders file

[Grizz]

I don't know it this is a new tip but I was trying to clean out the holes where I removed some resistors and I couldn't get them open enough to put in new ones, when it hit me I have these little files I use for cleaning the tip on my mig welder...they work great.

You can buy them at Northern tool, Home Depot, Harbor Frieght and of course welding supply stores.

Grizz

[ayayay!]

I've been looking for those!  I'll have to grab them the next time I'm at HF.  Thanks! 

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

I use a stainless steel dental pick.
Solder won't stick to them, so you just melt the solder & poke the pick in & let it cool, then pull the pick out.
Certainly, you could do damage with a file, if it was a plated-through hole.

others recommend matchsticks (!) but, I'm happy with my dental picks. Some of the surplus places have cheap sets of dental picks.

[5thumbs]

Torch/welder tip cleaners are useful for slotting guitar nuts as well.  If you don't work on enough nuts to justify purchasing a proper set of nut files, they'll do the job pretty well.

[Grizz]

The dental pick sounds easier. I'll have to pick one up.

[TELEFUNKON]

A vintage pencil works great, too: the solder won`t stick to the graphite.

[ayayay!]

Oops I read the beginning of this thread incorrectly.  I thought he was talking about boring out holes that are too small for some components, say like a 1n400x with a thicker lead on it.  Those would work great for that.  I'm using a file right now that works well, but it's too fat.

The dental pick sounds a little better for removing stubborn solder.