Sal Ammoniac (WAS: [Elecraft] Hakko 808 tips)

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

RonE asked:
How about Kester's NO CLEAN ?  I used that to build my entire K2 as well as
several other kits and 'projects' .  The only drawback I noticed is that
removing something after it is soldered in place requires a little extra
care and time.  My solder joints still appear fine after a couple of years
anyway.  I hope not to wake up one day to find them all eaten through!   I
didn't do any extra cleaning steps after soldering, that's WHY I bought the
NO CLEAN

----------------------------

If you're talking about Kester 275 'No Clean', you should be fine. But you
bring up an excellent point about trying new products: Check the
manufacturer's data sheet! About the 275, Kester says: 

"The 275 residues are non-conductive, non-corrosive and do not require
removal in most applications. The
flux residues are comparable to a conventional RMA except that the 275
residue is clear and colorless."

The data sheet is available on-line at: http://tinyurl.com/7o35n .

Compare that statement with their 331 "water soluble" flux:

"The 331 flux residue is conductive and may cause corrosion of metal parts
over time." 

I believe that's where some have stumbled - thinking that "water soluble"
would be better than rosin-based fluxes. The world of electronics has
changed. How we solder at our benches is not how most soldering is done
these days. Various machine techniques are used that solder boards more
quickly and reliably, but they do it differently. For example, machine
soldering is often followed by a very effective and complete machine washing
of the board. In that environment, solders can be used that are absolutely
deadly to circuits if used for soldering at the bench without access to
proper cleaning facilities. 

The Kester web site has full info on all of their products at
http://www.kester.com. It's important to note where they expect each product
to be used, especially if one reads the short marketing blurbs instead of
the data sheet. 

Ron AC7AC