I recently picked up a syringe of Chipquik SMD291 tack flux to play around with, I’m just getting into doing smd stuff… and I find myself using it for just about everything because it’s so easy to use, works a treat, and is fairly easy to clean up. What flux do you like to use? Do you have different ones for different uses, or do you tend to just use one for everything?
I can tell you what NOT to use. I have Kester 186 No Clean Liquid Rosin Flux (it’s amber/light brown colored), and while it works quite effectively for soldering and desoldering, it is a sticky mess that is about as far from what you and I would consider “no clean” to be a joke. Immersion in IPA works best to get it off, but the whole bath quickly turns from a cleaning bath to a “let’s coat it in an atomically thin layer of rosin” bath. Now I put 99% IPA in a spray bottle and mist till dripping/blot with clean rag/repeat until clean. It would be far more convenient to get the clear no-clean Kester, but I can’t bring myself to ditch the Kester 186.
I had a bottle of that stuff too, worked great but it was so awful to clean up I ended up tossing it… atomically thin coat of rosin is spot on what I always ended up with. Evil brown devil juice.
Ive seen Voultar recommending the MG Chemicals no clean flux. I have to wonder if that stuffs any better? Looks like its mostly alcohol though.
I’ve been meaning to try that clear stuff. Honestly, avoid the rosin no clean at all costs. If you really need the rosin, in my opinion you’d be better off with the old school flux jelly. Easier to clean off. I wish I was kidding.