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Subject: What's left Behind?-Was-Radio Shack Solder Paste-Re: Plumber's Paste

From: "kilocycles" <kilocycles@...>
Date: 2006-05-18

Stefan,
OK, I'll give it a try. I'll be putting it on pretty thin, anyway.
I'll do it on a few boards with the Radio shack paste and the Oatey
Instant Solder, mark them, and check the boards for corrosion
periodically over a couple of years.

I noticed at Home Depot they had some copper pipe fittings...elbows,
etc...that were pre-tinned inside. I imagine to apply that they used
some paste compound of solder and flux, and heated them in an oven.
Certainly not by employing old retired plumbers wearing gloves and
using a propane torch :)

Regards,
Ted

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Stefan Trethan"
<stefan_trethan@...> wrote:
>
> On Thu, 18 May 2006 01:18:49 +0200, kilocycles <kilocycles@...>
> wrote:
>
> >
> > I guess my question is, what's left behind after isopropanol cleanup
> > in the use of these pastes (Radio Shack or Oatey plumbing paste), and
> > is it mixed in with the solder layer such that corrosion will occur
> > after soldering the components with 63-37 tin-lead rosin-based solder?
> > Regards,
> > Ted
>
>
> If you wash the board well it will be fine.
> These plumbing fluxes are usually all water-soluble so they are washed
> away quickly inside the pipes, and are easy to clean outside the pipes
> with a moist rag.
> I would wash the board in the sink with water and detergent rather
than
> IPA, ought to be more effective.
>
> Since the metallic tinning should not contain any gaps or pockets
where
> flux may remain there should be no flux that is trapped, and it isn't
> mixed in with the solder either.
>
>
> ST
>