Homebrew_PCBs

Hi,
Plumbing is acid core and electronics is rosin core. Even if you
flush the board the traces might still be eaten away over time. My
friend work at Heathkit. Even thought the kits came with solder and a
warning people would manage to use acid core. After a month or so the
radio-TV etc would start doing crazy things.

John




--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "ghidera2000"
<ghidera2000@y...> wrote:

> Just made another double sided board with 10 mil traces. Quite a

few

> traces run between dip pins.
>
> Anyway, I solder it all up, stick my DC ammeter on and power it up.
> 150mA on a board that should take 6mA. I went looking for shorts
> with my trusty razor knife - couldn't see any but I did some
> scraping in really close spots anyway.
>
> Still 50mA... Spend two hours desoldering, inspecting and re-
> soldering, check and still 30mA. What the heck is going on I say

to

> myself!
>
> After another hour of farting around, I came to the conclusion that
> my flux is conductive! Using a rosin flux remover pen and some

paper

> (to soak the sludge up) I cleaned out the tightest spots and down

go

> the mAs to 10. Ran out of my spray on cleaner and its sunday of
> course, no electronics suppliers open around here.
>
> Looking at my flux container, I relized I'd grabbed my plumbing

flux

> instead - Oatay #5. I never realized that plumbing flux was so much
> different from electronics flux. Lesson learned!