How To Clean Flux After Soldering

They come in aerosol cans like hair spray or shaving cream.

How to clean flux after soldering. Cleaning the glass and solder with a flux remover and warm soapy water is a great start. It is a simple plastic cleaning and paintbrush. Usually no-clean flux cleans up nicely with isopropyl alcohol or distilled water.

But be careful Acetone is Flammable and is definately also not good to Breathe. The after is to remove the flux which is mildly acidic and over time will attack the solder joint. Even though its a lampshade tutorial the techniques applie to any multiple sided project.

For Soldering on our production lines we using Kester Solder SN 63 Pb 37 with Flux 245 No clean in addition we using Kester Flux 959 977 2331-ZX. Most of the acid core solder I have is not for potable water because it contains lead and acid. This keeps your work surface clean and clear to make.

If I leave it for a week after soldering so the flux thickens then I just have to leave it submerged for longer and maybe lightly brush it a bit before removing it from the bath. Applying some alcohol or acetone onto the brush do not use too much pressure as this may cause the solder point to break. The preference is 150º de-ionized water however if youre doing hobby work at home regular hot water will be fine.

With the more aggressive flux types if not removed they will etch the copper over time making a weak point so wiping them off is a good idea. If there is a significant amount of flux left on the piece or dirty solder consider using a soft brush to help with scrubbing. Acetone solution is used to soak PCB boards for about 10 minutes.

You can find the instruction for working with multiple sided projects on my Lampshade tutorial. That will allow you do do a final clean up to remove any oxides which have formed overnight and ensure a complete soldered. After soldering a joint let it cool for a few seconds.