What are you using to remove flux and gunk?

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Mark
Posts: 3271
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2005 8:10 am
Location: Sydney Australia

What are you using to remove flux and gunk?

Post by Mark »

I can't speak for other places in the world but in Australia, isopropyl alcohol is harder to find than unicorn urine.

I have a little alcohol left but not enough to put some old Fender plastic octal sockets in to remove flux and gunk. I have brushed them clean but there is still stuff inside them.

I can clean a chassis with wax and grease remover, but not so sure about sockets.

What have you guys been using?

P.S. Bleach and water can be used for household cleaning. Bleach is nasty stuff, it'll probably kill viruses from other planets.
Yours Sincerely

Mark Abbott
sluckey
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Location: Mobile, AL
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Re: What are you using to remove flux and gunk?

Post by sluckey »

I use mineral spirits and denatured alcohol. Get 'em in the paint department at your favorite hardware store.
Mark
Posts: 3271
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2005 8:10 am
Location: Sydney Australia

Re: What are you using to remove flux and gunk?

Post by Mark »

Thanks for your reply Sluckey. We call mineral spirits, white spirits and denatured alcohol is called methylated spirits and it's all gone. It's ridiculous.

Acetone is still freely available.
Yours Sincerely

Mark Abbott
ngw
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2012 2:54 am
Location: Tamborine Mountain, Australia

Re: What are you using to remove flux and gunk?

Post by ngw »

Mark,
I'd be wary of using acetone if there is any plastic involved; it attacks some plastics.
Good for cleaning metal though.

I buy isopropyl alcohol from element14, who I also buy a lot of my components from.
They are in Chester hill, so should be easy for you, being in Sydney.
They have a very good delivery service and I usually get stuff the next day to my place in The Gold Coast.

Here's a link to the Bottle that I usually buy
https://au.element14.com/multicomp/mc00 ... %20alcohol

Cheers, Noel
Mark
Posts: 3271
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2005 8:10 am
Location: Sydney Australia

Re: What are you using to remove flux and gunk?

Post by Mark »

Thanks Noel, I'll try them.

I gave Element 14 a try, and they have no stock, their website says they anticipate getting stock on the 13th of July, 2020.

The vultures have gotten all Element 14's stock.
Yours Sincerely

Mark Abbott
Koolaide
Posts: 88
Joined: Sat Feb 22, 2014 3:23 am

Re: What are you using to remove flux and gunk?

Post by Koolaide »

Mark,

Have you tried alcohol as in liquor? As others note acetone is a no go, it will attack the plastic parts.
I have a bottle of Everclear in the shop for thinning shellac. It(Everclear) would be the best as it is 99% pure.(purest drinking spirit you can get legally in the US.)
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