Homebrew PCBs

Hi,

How are people removing flux?

I'm using 98+% IPA and still have greasy residue left.  I've started 
using compressed air after scrubbing with IPA and an acid brush and 
am getting better results, but still a little residue left.

I've tried commercial flux removers.  In addition to making a bigger 
mess, they sometimes leave a white residue on the solder.

Rubbing alcohol (70% IPA) gives horrible results.  It doesn't 
evaporate fast enough and it ends up just moving the flux around...

My initial source of compressed air was one of those cans used for 
cleaning keyboards and the like.  That was looking to be an 
expensive consumable, so I started using a 10 gallon tank I use to 
inflate tires.  Lasts quite awhile and refillable, but it takes up a 
lot of space near my bench.  Maybe I'll try one of those refillable 
aerosol cans from Harbor Freight...

Regards,
Dennis

----- Original Message ----- 

From: "dl5012" <dl5012@...>
To: <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2006 7:32 PM
Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] How are people removing flux?


> Hi,
>
> How are people removing flux?
>
> I'm using 98+% IPA and still have greasy residue left.  I've started
> using compressed air after scrubbing with IPA and an acid brush and
> am getting better results, but still a little residue left.
>
> I've tried commercial flux removers.  In addition to making a bigger
> mess, they sometimes leave a white residue on the solder.
>
> Rubbing alcohol (70% IPA) gives horrible results.  It doesn't
> evaporate fast enough and it ends up just moving the flux around...
>
> My initial source of compressed air was one of those cans used for
> cleaning keyboards and the like.  That was looking to be an
> expensive consumable, so I started using a 10 gallon tank I use to
> inflate tires.  Lasts quite awhile and refillable, but it takes up a
> lot of space near my bench.  Maybe I'll try one of those refillable
> aerosol cans from Harbor Freight...

IPA works fine for me. It's a good idea to remove the flux ASAP as it gets 
much harder to remove it when it has been left for a while. I use a small 
amount in a (clean) yoghurt pot, with an old toothbrush.

Leon 

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hi,
   
  i use denatured alcohol, sometimes lacquer thinners too.

dl5012 <dl5012@...> wrote:
  Hi,

How are people removing flux?

I'm using 98+% IPA and still have greasy residue left.  I've started 
using compressed air after scrubbing with IPA and an acid brush and 
am getting better results, but still a little residue left.

I've tried commercial flux removers.  In addition to making a bigger 
mess, they sometimes leave a white residue on the solder.

Rubbing alcohol (70% IPA) gives horrible results.  It doesn't 
evaporate fast enough and it ends up just moving the flux around...

My initial source of compressed air was one of those cans used for 
cleaning keyboards and the like.  That was looking to be an 
expensive consumable, so I started using a 10 gallon tank I use to 
inflate tires.  Lasts quite awhile and refillable, but it takes up a 
lot of space near my bench.  Maybe I'll try one of those refillable 
aerosol cans from Harbor Freight...

Regards,
Dennis





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If someone's just absolutely needing a nearly perfectly clean board, 
there is another way.  Get some fluxless solder and a good water 
soluable flux as used for wave soldering.  Makes clean up a breeze, we 
just ran everything through an old dishwasher..  Still have a bottle on 
hand too, there are times where the extra flux comes in handy, and for 
being water clean the stuff I have is great..  I've seen at least a few 
very bad water clean fluxes too, so might want to do a little reading on 
ease of use before deciding on what to get, don't remember the name of 
this stuff off hand, it's been a long time in an unmarked bottle..

  A little more trouble to solder with etc, but if you really need to 
make more than a few very clean boards then the ease of cleaning could 
more than make up for it..

Alan

dl5012 wrote:
> Hi,
> How are people removing flux?...

I usually don't bother. When i do, i use water soluble "Safewash 2000"
which works excellent and makes the solder really shiny.