How to make Solder Paste?

[DirtyLude]

Electronics solder paste? Anything from plumbing should be acid flux based.

Still, you can get regular solder paste from DX for just over $3 shipped. There's not much use to making your own unless you can't get it for some reason or you really want to DIY.
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[AtomSoft]

cool! thanks for the link. How long does items ship from there? Im in the US you think it will be here before christmas?

 

[DirtyLude]

It takes two weeks for me in Canada (10 business days) once it's been shipped. It can take a little while before they ship it as well. Especially right now. I doubt you would get it before Christmas.

I use this paste and it's been really good. I also use the syringes I bought from there and the tips for dispensing. Add some flux to the paste before you put it in the syringe, otherwise it's too thick. I've been using a dab of hot glue on the end to seal the syringe with the paste inside so that it doesn't dry out in the syringe and it's working well. The paste lasts about 6 months for me after opening and unrefrigerated and I order a new jar a few weeks before I need it.

Tips:
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The syringes and tips take a long time to ship, so you may want to order them separately if you want it sometime this century. Especially the syringes, but you should be able to get them from any drug store since all you need is the casing and plunger, not the needle.

 

[AtomSoft]

Thanks! Ill make a order tomorrow. Hopefully i can get it ASAP heh. Whether it be 2-3 weeks. Im ordering 2 or 3 of them. I might use 1 and reseal it in a food vacuum seal bag. Since i have a sealer. Its air tight so im sure would last pretty long. I dont even use it for food heh. I use it to seal things i mail heh

 

[DirtyLude]

The little jar it comes in is already sealed on the top pretty good. I figure if you don't open it it should do pretty well, but apparently paste will break down whether it's airtight or not, just from age. If you refrigerate it, it's supposed to last longer, but I have kids and I'm not putting a bottle of lead paste in the fridge.

 

[AtomSoft]

heh yeah I know what you mean about the kids. I have my own fridge under my PC which i can use tho. Im sure i can put it in there even if i have to get a small metal box with a lock. Like those cash boxes. I think i have one here

 

[RMMM]

They used to have the stencils too. I dont see them anymore though.

I wonder if the paste just separates with age? Could you just whip it back together? OR does something actually break down from the acidic flux? It should just be rosin. Right?

 

[AtomSoft]

they have BGA stencils. As for the paste i have no clue heh

 

[Mosaic]

So far with my DIY stuff...I give it a little whip b4 using it.

BTW, Atom...for larger or more complex brds I noticed that the copper can tarnish b4 the assembly is done, within an hour. I don't have tinit so I tried something that works...unscented petroleum jelly.

Polish the brd and rub on a thin smear of the jelly/vaseline. It stays untarnished pretty good. Soldering seems even better now. With the hot air pencil the stuff just evaporates when soldering.

 

[3v0]

Interesting.

I have been using a very thin coat of clear acrylic spray. Works great for through hole. The thicker the coat the longer it takes to burn off when you solder.

I have not tried it with hot air and expect a lot of it will burn away where I would rather it stay.

 

[SABorn]

I use the solder paste to tin the entire board after etching and before drilling any holes, this keeps the copper protected and works a treat.

Simply paint a coat of solder paste over the board, then heat with heat gun till the paste melts.

The paste i use is chloride flux based and any excess washes off in water, i find a quick scrub with an old tooth brush and all is clean and shiny.

If your solder paste is resin flux based then a scrub over with metho or acetone will clean the excess off.

Years ago i to ground up solder to make a tinning powder, and rather than a file i found a course sheet of emery paper glued to a board worked best, i then mixed it with powered resin and sprinkled it over the board with a salt shaker and heated.

You could add metho and desolve the resin if a paste was required.
Now i just buy the paste.

The high quality smd pastes have a high silver content and is why they degrade with time, the bog standard old lead base paste will keep for ever.

Pete.

 

[AtomSoft]

Nice ideas heh how about fumes tho? Any fumes with the unscented petroleum jelly or acrylic spray?

 

[RMMM]

Im sure the acrylic would fume. Obviously, the lighter the coat, the less the fuming.

From what I remember the petJelly would "move" out of the way. I remember seeing a test about how synthetic oils are attracted to heat and petroleum based oils are repelled by heat. If I had any, I would have given it a try.

Im sure there will be some fumes involved with the petJelly, but you should be using some sort of fume extractor anyhow.

This has piqued my interest. Is petJelly conductive?

 

[AtomSoft]

heh... i dont use anything but a open window for fumes heh. I guess i should make a small box fan type thing to suck the air out into the window heh

 

[RMMM]

heh... i dont use anything but a open window for fumes heh. I guess i should make a small box fan type thing to suck the air out into the window heh

Oh yeah! You should DEFINITELY whip yourself up a fan.

I used a "dryer duct" flex duct tube and a standard 4" computer fan. It worked great.

Now a days they have filtered ones that dont require outdoor ducting.

DEFLECTO A048/9 Semi-Rigid Flexible Aluminum Duct (4 Dia x 8-FT)
Amazon.com: Logisys LT400RED QUAD RED 4-LED LIGHT ULTRA BRIGHT CLEAR 80MM PC CASE COMPUTER FAN: Electronics

There you go, for $8.50us youve got yourself a fume extractor.

 

[AtomSoft]

i have both of those here already! talk about free!!!! heh ... Thanks i guess i should get started on it today. I have a window about 3ft away from my work area so im set!

 

[RMMM]

You are set!

Now you will live long enough to enjoy the projects you make!

 

[AtomSoft]

heh if not too much damage has been done already ... the crazy part is when i was a kid i had lead poisoning... sucks but i have been cleared of having it now... isnt that weird? as long as im alive!

 

[RMMM]

heh if not too much damage has been done already ... the crazy part is when i was a kid i had lead poisoning... sucks but i have been cleared of having it now... isnt that weird? as long as im alive!

You had lead poisoning? We can HARLDY tell!

Just kidding.

But on a serious note,
If you have had lead poisoning in the past, you should be careful with soldering/desoldering fumes. Especially if you still use lead based solders.

People who have been previously poisoned can have a sensitivity to the compound/element throughout life.

Your body knows that it is bad and starts a negative "feedback" when smaller amounts are present.

The standard way for your body to tell you these things are seizures. You DO NOT want to have a seizure while soldering/brazing.

You have no idea where the iron or torch ends up while you are unconscious. .. It could be bad.

 

[AtomSoft]

Yeah... i can imagine. My family had a lawsuit against our landlord but my cousins won the case. for some reason they said my amounts were decreasing so i didnt get a settlement sucks. But i assume that meant i wasnt hurt to much by it... but about 3 cousins of mines were yet they are doing better than me right now its crazy...

I feel great when soldering... i tend to blow the fumes quickly as i see them. Its a lot of work but worth it ... but heh ill have the fan up soon! who knows i might add some lights heh... (i get bored quick)... I never had a seizure in my whole life and i dont plan of it!!!

My aunt (may she rest in peace) had kidney problems and used to catch seizures. Your supposed to lay them down and turn there head to the side...
I used to find it so scary!!! to see that happen... i dont want that !

I might even add a fan to the other side of my table to blow the fumes to the suction fan this way its a PUSH and PULL thing going on...