Solvent
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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 _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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Bill:
I use denatured alcohol and a commercial spray-on flux remover. Both seem to work about equally well for me. Denatured alcohol can be found at any hardware store, of course, and is cheaper than the flux remover. I apply alcohol with a small brush. In some cases, a cotton swab is useful, but you tend to get cotton fibers snagged on component leads, so if you can find them foam swabs are better. The problem with isopropyl alcohol that you purchase at the drug store is that some contain extra ingredients that can leave a residue on your PCB. The electronics supply house I frequent sells "electronic grade" isopropyl for board cleaning. I have not found any problems with damage to plastic components, but obviously a test should be made if you have any doubt. And, of course, keep it away from the LCD and diffuser. (don't ask me how I know about that.) Jack K8ZOA www.cliftonlaboratories.com home of the Z90 digital panadapter William M. Spaulding, SR wrote: > 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 > _______________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Post to: [hidden email] > You must be a subscriber to post to the list. > Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm > Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com > > _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by William M. Spaulding, SR
There are/were many flux removal chemicals available,
but in today's over-protective society they're hard to find. I treasure my stock of triclorethelyne (SP?). (:-)) "Rubbing alcohol" and a small stiff brush work well. I place a paper towel on the board, between the brush and the board, to soak up the freed resin and prevent it from running all over the board. An ideal brush is known as an "acid brush" and is available at welding supply stores. It has a rolled sheet metal handle and stiff bristles that can be cut to shorter lengths to make the brush stiffer. A fist-full of 'em is cheap. In other stores they may be sold as "glue brushes". 73! Ken Kopp - K0PP [hidden email] or [hidden email] _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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If you go to the drug store and look closely you can find 91% isopropyl
alcohol. The remaining 9% is water which won't hurt anything. Works fine esp with acid brush previously mentioned. 73 jim ab3cv _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by William M. Spaulding, SR
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 _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by Jim AB3CV
At least around here, 99% isopropyl is readily available, and is only
slightly more expensive. 73, doug From: "Jim Miller" <[hidden email]> Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2006 12:30:24 -0500 If you go to the drug store and look closely you can find 91% isopropyl alcohol. The remaining 9% is water which won't hurt anything. Works fine esp with acid brush previously mentioned. 73 jim ab3cv _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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I wouldn't clean the boards.
I didn't on mine. If you do, with alcohol, be sure not to use Completely Denatured Alcohol. It is a serious poison and can be absorbed via your skin. It contains brucine, very nasty stuff. Be careful. I'm sure your boards will be fine if you use good solder and solder carefully. pete, kn6bi -----Original Message----- From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]]On Behalf Of Doug Faunt N6TQS +1-510-655-8604 Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2006 10:08 AM To: [hidden email] Cc: [hidden email] Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Solvent At least around here, 99% isopropyl is readily available, and is only slightly more expensive. 73, doug From: "Jim Miller" <[hidden email]> Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2006 12:30:24 -0500 If you go to the drug store and look closely you can find 91% isopropyl alcohol. The remaining 9% is water which won't hurt anything. Works fine esp with acid brush previously mentioned. 73 jim ab3cv _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com __________ NOD32 1919 (20061213) Information __________ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by Ron D'Eau Claire-2
In spite of my posting about paper towel and acid brushes,
I fully agree with Ron's observation that if one uses the proper size and kind of solder there won't be a need to clean your board/s. I haven't needed to clean mine ... 73! Ken Kopp - K0PP [hidden email] or [hidden email] _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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After you clean your boards and void your warranty, take that 91% alcohol,
put about a half-inch in the bottom of a one-gallon glass apple cider jug, swirl it around, and drop in a match. It'll entertain the kids for hours. To do it again you may have to blow into the jug to add some oxygen. Don't breath too much of the fumes, but at the same time the light-headedness makes the effect even more fun to watch. Craig NZ0R _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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How long till my eyebrows grow back?? - Mike ab3ap
Craig Rairdin wrote: > After you clean your boards and void your warranty, take that 91% alcohol, > put about a half-inch in the bottom of a one-gallon glass apple cider jug, > swirl it around, and drop in a match. It'll entertain the kids for hours. > > To do it again you may have to blow into the jug to add some oxygen. Don't > breath too much of the fumes, but at the same time the light-headedness > makes the effect even more fun to watch. > > Craig > NZ0R Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by Craig Rairdin
At 02:06 PM 12/13/2006, Craig Rairdin wrote...
>After you clean your boards and void your warranty, take that 91% >alcohol, >put about a half-inch in the bottom of a one-gallon glass apple cider >jug, >swirl it around, and drop in a match. It'll entertain the kids for >hours. Only if picking glass shards out of skin and eyes is entertainment. _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by Mike Markowski
I should've mentioned that you shouldn't view it through the hole at the
top. :-) The effect ranges from a sharp whoosh of fire out the top to a beautiful, slow, bubbling wall of fire from the top to the bottom of the jug that makes a low "wah" sound -- hence the name "wah bottle" that we attach to this fun toy. I'll answer any other wah bottle questions offline. Craig -----Original Message----- From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Mike Markowski Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2006 1:25 PM To: 'Elecraft Discussion List' Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Solvent How long till my eyebrows grow back?? - Mike ab3ap Craig Rairdin wrote: > After you clean your boards and void your warranty, take that 91% alcohol, > put about a half-inch in the bottom of a one-gallon glass apple cider jug, > swirl it around, and drop in a match. It'll entertain the kids for hours. > > To do it again you may have to blow into the jug to add some oxygen. Don't > breath too much of the fumes, but at the same time the light-headedness > makes the effect even more fun to watch. > > Craig > NZ0R Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by peter gerba
You could always go to a Liquor store and get some Everclear, pure spirits.
However, cleaning of the Elecraft boards is NOT necessary nor desirable. You never know what the plastics in today's parts will do in the presence of solvents. Use of the cut off acid brushes will work, but only as long as the solvent and brush are clean. They quickly load up with excessive flux and rosin, if there was excessive presence of these in the solder joints. Stuart K5KVH _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by William M. Spaulding, SR
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:[hidden email]] 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. ***************************** _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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At 02:12 PM 12/14/2006, Howard W. Ashcraft wrote...
> 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. Tek used special PC board material (polysulfone?) in the attenuators for many of their scopes. Most of the manuals specifically warn about using anything other than isopropyl alcohol for cleaning. From the 485 manual - "Cleaning the switch contacts should only be done using isopropyl alcohol or a solution of 1% Joy detergent and 99% water. Do not use acetone, MEK, MIBK, benzol, toluol, carbon tetrachloride, trichlor, trichlene, methyl alcohol, methylene chloride, sulfuric acid, or Freon TC-TETF-22-TA-12." - they had a sense of humor, no battery acid cleaning allowed! _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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