A Bit Flummoxed About My Frickin' Flux!

[toxcrusadr]

Years ago I bought a soldering kit at Rat Shack with iron, solder and a tube of paste flux. Been using it for years. The other day I looked at the flux and it says, "Acid Paste Flux" on it. Now I thought acid flux was for plumbing solder, and you needed rosin flux for electronics. How many antique radios and audio units have I used this stuff on?

Worse, I tried to order some rosin flux and can't find it. Parts Express doesn't seem to have any flux even though they sell solder. Mouser has a million products, but you can't find 2 oz. of rosin based electronic flux. You can buy a 5-gallon bucket though, or a 250 gal. tote. :thmbsp: Barrel-o-Flux anyone?

 

[avionic]

toxic
I just picked up some of this... http://stores.ebay.com/Livingoffthegrid_Soldering-Flux_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ9479420QQftidZ2QQtZkm Its the real deal in a small affordable quantity..What we used in the service..Suitable enough for Uncle Sams F-15 fighters, more than adequate for audio...

 

[Mchaz]

http://www.mcminone.com/product.asp?product_id=21-1820&catalog_name=MCMProducts

I purchased the same tub of flux a while back. Good 'ole rosin paste. It gets really nasty to deal with when the tub gets too warm though. :yuck:

 

[Switchblade]

This is what I use now. It's the best Jerry, the best.
http://www.ccis.com/home/hn/index_files/Page2.htm

 

[kyle]

Why not use rosin core solder like most do. It flows well and has little clean up. Throw the acid based flux and RS solder out in a safe manner.

 

[blue_lateral]

Yes, avoid the acid entirely. Usually the flux in rosin core solder is plenty. Rosin paste flux can be handy stuff to have occasionally, and Radio Shack does have it:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...&sr=1&origkw=rosin&kw=rosin&parentPage=search

John

 

[Switchblade]

Why throw it out? Acid core/flux is good for lots of soldering jobs, although not electrical stuff. Get the stuff I posted (the gel is excellent) and you can solder anything without a problem.

 

[toxcrusadr]

Yeah I will deffly keep the acid stuff for other things.

I find that sometimes I just need some flux, what's in the solder core doesn't always cut it when you're soldering over old corroded connections.

Thanks for all the links, everyone. This is the official freakin flux link thread!

 

[EchoWars]

A few months ago I needed paste flux. I was also startled to see that it was damn hard to find.

Found some somewhere, and ordered three 'tins' of it.

 

[soundmotor]

You can likely thank ROHS for this. I am going to buy a few rolls of traditional solder before it dries up completely. In a few years it will be tough to find.

 

[toxcrusadr]

I had to look that up Soundmotor, but I noticed Mouser's products had ROHS ratings and was already wondering what it meant. Restriction of Hazardous Substances? But rosin isn't particularly toxic. Heck I rosin up my bow before I take on the debbil in a fiddlin' match...

Solder, yep, it won't disappear but it will get expensive and hard to find.

 

[Elfasto]

Okay I bought some of the non-acid non-toxic flux from home depot about a year or so back for a plumbing job.

It's crap. Don't bother.

 

[soundmotor]

But rosin isn't particularly toxic.

It is best not to inhale it.

Everywhere I've worked that had solder stations, they were accompanied by an exhaust system.

rosin core MSDS