[Elecraft] No questions are dumb questions

[DolfinDon@aol.com]

In a message dated 1/13/2002 2:06:00 PM Central Standard Time, 
thom2@worldnet.att.net writes:


  Can you tell me how you apply the
flux?  I have a can of paste

===============================================

Hi Tom

!!! First be very careful here. I don't see any need for extra flux 99% of 
the time. If you must use some make sure the flux you are going to use is 
rosin base. You can totally ruin your K1/2 and void the warranty of your 
radio if you use the wrong stuff!!!! Any thing you can buy a hardware store 
is the wrong stuff. Anything that is a paste is likely the wrong stuff. The 
paste that is labeled NO-CORRODE is for pipe. It will not corrode water pipe 
but will destroy your radio. The flux I have used in the past was an amber 
liquid and smelled like alcohol. In fact it was rosin dissolved in alcohol 
made by Kester for use in wave soldering machines. I think it was Kester #186 
comes in 1 gallon jugs.

I usually do not need to use extra flux (more than in the core of the 
solder). If I find I do need to add a little extra I just dip the solder into 
the flux. One place extra flux helps is with solder wick. Just pull the wick 
through a pair of needle nose pliers to flatten it and dip into the flux. It 
will work twice as good as dry. You can use coax braid for solder wick if you 
dip it in flux first and its a lot cheaper if you can find some surplus braid 
or coax and the flux in a small quantity. Back in the mid 60's I worked on 
some equipment for the Saturn V rocket and we used the rubber covered test 
lead wire for solder wick. We would buy 1000 foot rolls of the stuff. you 
would grab the side of the rubber insulation with your cutters and pull off 
about 3 inches of the insulation and dip in the flux. It made a very good 
solder wick. I have a Hakko desoldering station now so I don't use the wick 
any more. I don't have any of the flux anymore (it goes bad after a while) 
its really not needed.

The bottom line is you don't need extra flux if you have a good brand of flux 
core solder like multicore or Kester rosin for beginners or perhaps the 
noclean for more experienced builders (see Gary's post)


Don Brown
KD5NDB

K2 #1808, #2174, #2153 sold - number 4 on order
K1 #1000, #542 for sale