[Boatanchors] (de) soldering question

[Norman J McSweyn]

Hi Gang! 
Spent a little time this evening in the guts of my sp-600. I had a hard time un soldering wires. It seemed that the solder would not wick up into the braid. Even if I got the connection molten it would not wick. I used the "wiggle with a pair of pliers while prodding with a soldering iron" method to remove the wires I needed. After I removed the subassembly I was trying to get at, I again tried to wick away the old solder from the connections. It seemed like the solder would adhere to the braid, without wicking. 
What gives?
tu 
Norm