Soldering Flux

[mcp6453[_2_]]

I know that acid flux is not to be used for electronic circuits, but what is the problem with using it as a copper
cleaner if the copper is THOROUGHLY cleaned before soldering with rosin core solder?

[Don Pearce[_3_]]

On Sun, 15 Feb 2015 14:48:01 -0500, mcp6453 > wrote:

>I know that acid flux is not to be used for electronic circuits, but what is the problem with using it as a copper
>cleaner if the copper is THOROUGHLY cleaned before soldering with rosin core solder?

No problem.

d

[Mike Rivers[_2_]]

On 2/15/2015 8:48 PM, mcp6453 wrote:
> I know that acid flux is not to be used for electronic circuits, but what is the problem with using it as a copper
> cleaner if the copper is THOROUGHLY cleaned before soldering with rosin core solder?

Copper what? And how certain that you'll clean it thoroughly? Where I
can, I use a Scotchbrite pad. I have some non-corrosive liquid flux that
(ingredients unknown) I've used for tinning unplated wire that's turned
black from contact with rubber insulation. It seems to work fine and
I've not seen any trace of corrosion from joints I've soldered with it
30 years or more ago. At the rate that I use it, just a tiny amount each
use, the 4 ounce bottle should last me another 300 years.


--
For a good time, visit http://mikeriversaudio.wordpress.com

[mcp6453[_2_]]

On 2/15/2015 3:51 PM, Mike Rivers wrote:
> On 2/15/2015 8:48 PM, mcp6453 wrote:
>> I know that acid flux is not to be used for electronic circuits, but what is the problem with using it as a copper
>> cleaner if the copper is THOROUGHLY cleaned before soldering with rosin core solder?
>
> Copper what?

PCB, wire, pennies...

> And how certain that you'll clean it thoroughly?

Very

> Where I can, I use a Scotchbrite pad. I have some
> non-corrosive liquid flux that (ingredients unknown)
> I've used for tinning unplated wire that's turned black from
> contact with rubber insulation. It seems to work fine and
> I've not seen any trace of corrosion from joints I've soldered
> with it 30 years or more ago. At the rate that I use it, just
> a tiny amount each use, the 4 ounce bottle should last me
> another 300 years.

I use other methods when possible, too, but there are some cases where this nasty stuff does a great job in cleaning the
copper whatever. The bottle I had would have lasted me 300 years, too, but I can't find it. I just bought another bottle
of the Oatey stuff that's not as nasty, but I only want it as a cleaner, not as a flux.

Out of curiosity, why is the acid stuff usable on copper pipes but not on copper electronic things?

[Mike Rivers[_2_]]

On 2/15/2015 10:00 PM, mcp6453 wrote:
> Out of curiosity, why is the acid stuff usable on copper pipes but not on copper electronic things?

I suppose because a little corrosion isn't as harmful on a large piece
of pipe as it is on a little circuit board, where it's likely to
contaminate other parts than just what you're soldering at the moment.

When I play plumber, I use a borax paste flux because it stays put and
doesn't drip. Do they still make Nokorode paste flux? I used to use that
to tin my soldering gun tips and for soldering heavy wire when working
on antennas outdoors.

--
For a good time, visit http://mikeriversaudio.wordpress.com

[Scott Dorsey]

In article >,
mcp6453 > wrote:
>I know that acid flux is not to be used for electronic circuits, but what is the problem with using it as a copper
>cleaner if the copper is THOROUGHLY cleaned before soldering with rosin core solder?

Two problems: first it's hard to thoroughly clean it if there are any little
nooks and crannies, and secondly it's not really all that good for cleaning
copper unless you get it up to temperature.

Unless you have really severely oxidized flat sections, I'd say just use
vast amounts of rosin flux... and if you do have severely oxidized flat
sections I'd be more apt to use steel wool.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Ron C[_2_]]

On 2/15/2015 4:14 PM, Mike Rivers wrote:
> On 2/15/2015 10:00 PM, mcp6453 wrote:
>> Out of curiosity, why is the acid stuff usable on copper pipes but not
>> on copper electronic things?
>
> I suppose because a little corrosion isn't as harmful on a large piece
> of pipe as it is on a little circuit board, where it's likely to
> contaminate other parts than just what you're soldering at the moment.
>
> When I play plumber, I use a borax paste flux because it stays put and
> doesn't drip. Do they still make Nokorode paste flux? I used to use that
> to tin my soldering gun tips and for soldering heavy wire when working
> on antennas outdoors.
>
I believe the acid flux corrosion by products tend to be conductive.
I also seem to recall some of the stuff being hygroscopic, in time
creating a conductive ooze.

==
Later...
Ron Capik
--

[Gray_Wolf]

On Sun, 15 Feb 2015 22:14:35 +0100, Mike Rivers >
wrote:

>On 2/15/2015 10:00 PM, mcp6453 wrote:
>> Out of curiosity, why is the acid stuff usable on copper pipes but not on copper electronic things?
>
>I suppose because a little corrosion isn't as harmful on a large piece
>of pipe as it is on a little circuit board, where it's likely to
>contaminate other parts than just what you're soldering at the moment.

Just the vapor/spatter from acid flux can cause you some serious
current leakage problems. Found this out, as a kid, while soldering a
broken mounting lug on the tuning capacitor of a tube radio. In a high
impedance circuit this stuff acts as a dead short. I worked on a solid
state guitar amp that a coca-cola had spilled and gotten the power amp
PCB wet. The results were about the same. Some Windex, a good
distilled water rinse and blow dry got things back to normal. I can't
remember if there was any component failure or not.

[jason]

On Sun, 15 Feb 2015 17:44:32 -0500 "Ron C" > wrote in
article >

> >
> I believe the acid flux corrosion by products tend to be conductive.
> I also seem to recall some of the stuff being hygroscopic, in time
> creating a conductive ooze.
>
> ==
> Later...
> Ron Capik

+1

[JackA]

On Sunday, February 15, 2015 at 2:48:03 PM UTC-5, mcp6453 wrote:
> I know that acid flux is not to be used for electronic circuits, but what is the problem with using it as a copper
> cleaner if the copper is THOROUGHLY cleaned before soldering with rosin core solder?

I always understood acid core (solder - not paste) is best for soldering steel.
I'd keep it away from PC boards.

Jack

[geoff]

On 16/02/2015 9:51 a.m., Mike Rivers wrote:
> On 2/15/2015 8:48 PM, mcp6453 wrote:
>> I know that acid flux is not to be used for electronic circuits, but
>> what is the problem with using it as a copper
>> cleaner if the copper is THOROUGHLY cleaned before soldering with
>> rosin core solder?
>
> Copper what? And how certain that you'll clean it thoroughly? Where I
> can, I use a Scotchbrite pad. I have some non-corrosive liquid flux that
> (ingredients unknown) I've used for tinning unplated wire that's turned
> black from contact with rubber insulation. It seems to work fine and
> I've not seen any trace of corrosion from joints I've soldered with it
> 30 years or more ago. At the rate that I use it, just a tiny amount each
> use, the 4 ounce bottle should last me another 300 years.
>
>


Scotchbrite does it for me.


geoff

[geoff]

On 16/02/2015 10:00 a.m., mcp6453 wrote:

> Out of curiosity, why is the acid stuff usable on copper pipes but
> not on copper electronic things?
>



Because 0.2mm off a piece of pipe 2mm thick is insignificant, whereas
0.2mm off copper 0.5mm thick is significant.

*** Figures used here are figurative guesses for the principle, not real
measurements !

geoff