[Elecraft] Solvent

[Howard W. Ashcraft]

 For an example of what damage can be done, I am restoring a Tek SC504
oscilloscope where someone used contact cleaner/solvent on the channel 2
attenuator.  This caused corrosion of contacts and debonding between
contacts and carrier.  It is fixable, but I sure wish some tech in the
past hadn't taken the "quick" route of spraying chemicals inside
precision electronics.  I am cleaning it up with alcohol.

Howard W1WF

-----Original Message-----
From: Ron D'Eau Claire [mailto:rondec at easystreet.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2006 9:44 AM
To: 'Elecraft'
Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Solvent

I'm sure others will suggest many options although if you read the
Elecraft manuals you'll find, in bold type: 

"DO NOT use ... solvents of any kind. Use of any of these will void your
warranty." 

If you need to clean your boards you're probably using too much solder.
Try a smaller diameter solder. 

If you look at the photos of assembled boards in any of several Elecraft
assembly manuals including the XV 50, 144, 222 or 432 transverters, the
KX1, the T1 antenna tuner or the WM1, AT1 or AF1 mini-modules, you'll
see boards I built up while writing the assembly procedures for those
kits. Those photos are the boards as they came from the soldering iron. 

If you look closely, you might see a few dark spots of flux here and
there, but they're tiny and insignificant and often in a place where I
installed and removed a part several times as the design was finalized.
To be certain the kit can be built exactly as described, I never use any
tools that are not specifically listed in the manual. That means no
fancy high-powered vacuum desoldering tool to clean up pads; just braid
or the SoldapulltR "sucker" listed under "Tools Required". 

I will admit to taking a small swab with some isopropyl alcohol to an
individual, particularly messy solder pad when I needed to re-shoot a
picture after many component changes, especially when, after many
resoldering, some flux escaped the pad itself and ran onto the PCB, but
that's the extent of any flux removal. I moisten a Q-tipR or similar
swab with alcohol, then place it on the flux and spin the tip to scrub
that spot and loosen the flux. 

Ron AC7AC

-----Original Message-----

Hi Folks,

I'd like to know from the collective wisdom what solvent may be used on
Elecraft PC assemblies to remove some residual flux and flux smears.

It seems to me that a solvent that wouldn't harm boards and components
was isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) in the old days.

What do you Elecraft Builders use!

Thanks,

Bill
NA7Y





*****************************
This communication, including any attachments, is confidential and may be protected by privilege.  If you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited.  If you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify the sender by telephone or email, and permanently delete all copies, electronic or other, you may have.

To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) was not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.

The foregoing applies even if this notice is embedded in a message that is forwarded or attached. 
*****************************