Do you use flux?

[dragonbat13]

I've been coming across the flux topic and some statements that it should be used on EVERY joint.

I don't use it. I use Kester 44 and my Weller station set at around 65 degrees and my solder joints come out shiny, and I can watch the solder "cool" into a solid in a nice uniform fashion. I hope I worded that where it can be understood. My joints are never used as "glue" to hold components. They are always secured before any solder is applied for the majority of the time.

I'm concerned about long term issues.

It seems to be working great for me. Should I consider flux?

[xtian]

I only use liquid or paste flux when components or wire have oxidized and are solder phobic. My solder is Kester 63/37 (eutectic) "no-clean", 0.8mm. I'm mid-way thru my third pound in 13 years. Love it.

[pdf64]

I often use flux when tinning wires. I find it helps the solder to wick along the strands without using too much solder, thereby keeping the tinned wire end from becoming very stiff, but keeping all the strands bound together.
Kinda like that topcoat wire.

[dragonbat13]

I only use liquid or paste flux when components or wire have oxidized and are solder phobic. My solder is Kester 63/37 (eutectic) "no-clean", 0.8mm. I'm mid-way thru my third pound in 13 years. Love it.

That's what I use. Best solder ever.

[jabguit]

my Weller station set at around 65 degrees

Really?? I can't get jello to melt at that temp!


cheers,

[Phil_S]

my Weller station set at around 65 degrees

Really?? I can't get jello to melt at that temp!

LOL! Good chart of solder melting point: https://www.technic.com/sites/default/f ... rature.pdf

[dragonbat13]

Lol.

I guess my older analog station is marked at percentage or something. It's around 65 on the dial!

I never really thought much of it, but now it's quite obvious.

It's a Weller WES51

[sluckey]

Hmm, what is written beneath the knob?

wes51.png

[dragonbat13]

So I hit it at 650. Hope that's not too hot cause it's working well and Im not changing.

[dragonbat13]

It doesn't seem to damage the solder and I don't have to hold the iron on the joint for very long.

I guess I can slowly reduce my temps.

[sluckey]

I mostly use a 700° 1/16" wide tip for most of my amp stuff. I use a 600° tip for solid state pcb work.

[R.G.]

Every well made electronics solder joint uses flux. Many to most solders sold for electronic soldering have a core of flux inside the solder. Kester 44 is a flux cored solder, and is in fact the prototype for what these things should be.

However, sometimes the amount of flux inside the solder is not enough, depending on how difficult the joint is and how much is to be covered. For those joints , a bit of additional flux from a bottle or tin works wonders; and it can mean the difference between an easy joint and a bad one. Soldering to big wires, big lumps of several wires, connector lugs, and so on are much easier with additional flux. Its a life-saver on soldering to chassis or ground planes.

I exclusively used flux cored solder for a couple of decades. But when I picked up a bottle of liquid flux, it was a huge help for some cases. Now I get out the bottle and a few wooden toothpicks for every soldering session, just in case. I highly recommend keeping a bottle of the liquid stuff, just in case.

[dragonbat13]

I looked on the Kester 44 roll, but didn't see any mention of flux core. I didn't look into it any further though.

So I guess I do use flux.

The biggest change in my soldering was when I went from a Weller 35 watt iron to the station mentioned above, and going to the quality solder (Kester 44) from the radio shack stuff I was using. Night and day.

I have used the paste, vasoline type flux in the past and it does work well. I guess I just haven't come across the need to use it lately.

I forget what it is called, but it was a researched purchase and works very well when needed.

[sluckey]

If you use a sharp razor blade and cleanly slice through the solder you will see that it is a hollow tube with a rosin center.

[LOUDthud]

If you dig into specs of solder, you'll find types listed as RA or RMA. This is an abbreviation for Rosin, Activated and Rosin Mildly Activated. These type solders are intended to electronic use. If you find a flux that says it's Water Soluble, it's an acid based flux intended to be used in a flow solder application and washed off in a dish washer. Don't use unless you can clean it off completely.