Flux Bottles

[raptor1956]

I have a flux bottle with a small needle and the needle clogs up and becomes unusable.  What kits are people using and happy with?  Perhaps a bit bigger needle would be better.

I'm using RA flux and the bottle I'm using is:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DTM6B6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Brian

[ajb]

I picked up this bottle at the local hobby store a little while ago, as you can hopefully see in the photo there's a pin in the lid that slides into the needle when you close it so it always clears the passage.  It does make it a little fiddly to close, but it works quite well.  I also generally use a low-solids flux that doesn't tend to crust up as much as rosin does, I suspect that helps. 

Unfortunately there's no branding on the bottle and I can't seem to find it on the stores website.  I'll try to remember to pop in the store next time I'm down that way and check, I wouldn't mind grabbing another for work anyway.  I just walked right by that store this afternoon, too!

[Habropoda]

Those needle bottles never worked well for me with sticky flux.  Try nail polish bottles from ebay or Amazon.  They are made for that level of goopiness.  If you are doing smd you can always trim the brush a bit.

The needle bottles do work nicely with alcohol.

[raptor1956]

Those needle bottles never worked well for me with sticky flux.  Try nail polish bottles from ebay or Amazon.  They are made for that level of goopiness.  If you are doing smd you can always trim the brush a bit.

The needle bottles do work nicely with alcohol.

Did some searching for nail polish bottles and they seem to use the little brush -- I guess that could work but have never used brushes for dispensing flux. 


Brian

[MickM]

http://www.harborfreight.com/pack-of-3-8-oz-storage-bottles-with-twist-caps-66170.html

[Habropoda]

Those needle bottles never worked well for me with sticky flux.  Try nail polish bottles from ebay or Amazon.  They are made for that level of goopiness.  If you are doing smd you can always trim the brush a bit.

The needle bottles do work nicely with alcohol.

Did some searching for nail polish bottles and they seem to use the little brush -- I guess that could work but have never used brushes for dispensing flux. 

Brian

The polish bottles are normally used for accurately applying lacquer or paint to nails without making a mess.  It works great for flux.  As noted you can always trim the brush if you need it even more precise.

Plus they don't fall over easily.  Even the breeze from my fume fan blows over the needle bottles.  A day later I would fine a super sticky spot on the bench.

[calexanian]

+1 for nail polish brush. RA flux has too much body for needle applicators. Next time get a flux pen dispenser. I have a bottle of Dr. Marty's no clean clear flux and when that runs out I will be very sad. It works so well but they appear to have gone out of business. Otherwise I use Kester flux pens or for RA flux boards a big old tub of goopy Kester 44 rosin.

Here are the no clean flux pens I use. Not cheap but if you keep the cap on they last a really long time.
https://www.amazon.com/Kester-951-Soldering-Low-Solids-No-Clean/dp/B004X4KOWS

and from Chemtronics
https://www.amazon.com/Chemtronics-CircuitWorks-CW8100-Clean-Dispensing/dp/B000LBA7PG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1486013825&sr=8-2&keywords=no+clean+flux+pens

[DaJMasta]

The needle oilers are nice for the lower viscosity stuff, but what about a syringe for paste flux?



I've got the extreme budget approach in use... a paste flux tub with a bit of twisted over wire to remove and apply a glob...

[GreyWoolfe]

I have a flux bottle with a small needle and the needle clogs up and becomes unusable.  What kits are people using and happy with?  Perhaps a bit bigger needle would be better.

I'm using RA flux and the bottle I'm using is:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DTM6B6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Brian

That's expensive.  I use http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-SOFT-PLASTIC-50ml-STEEL-NEEDLE-TIP-BOTTLE-LIQUID-GUN-OIL-GLUE-CRAFTS-SOLDERING-/201348402545?hash=item2ee14ccd71:g:O6EAAOSwHjNWBgjv with MG Chemicals 835 flux.

[raptor1956]

Those needle bottles never worked well for me with sticky flux.  Try nail polish bottles from ebay or Amazon.  They are made for that level of goopiness.  If you are doing smd you can always trim the brush a bit.

The needle bottles do work nicely with alcohol.

Did some searching for nail polish bottles and they seem to use the little brush -- I guess that could work but have never used brushes for dispensing flux. 

Brian

The polish bottles are normally used for accurately applying lacquer or paint to nails without making a mess.  It works great for flux.  As noted you can always trim the brush if you need it even more precise.

Plus they don't fall over easily.  Even the breeze from my fume fan blows over the needle bottles.  A day later I would fine a super sticky spot on the bench.

Hey, you convinced me -- have a set on order. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015G2ZVHS/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&th=1


Brian

[raptor1956]

+1 for nail polish brush. RA flux has too much body for needle applicators. Next time get a flux pen dispenser. I have a bottle of Dr. Marty's no clean clear flux and when that runs out I will be very sad. It works so well but they appear to have gone out of business. Otherwise I use Kester flux pens or for RA flux boards a big old tub of goopy Kester 44 rosin.

Here are the no clean flux pens I use. Not cheap but if you keep the cap on they last a really long time.
https://www.amazon.com/Kester-951-Soldering-Low-Solids-No-Clean/dp/B004X4KOWS

and from Chemtronics
https://www.amazon.com/Chemtronics-CircuitWorks-CW8100-Clean-Dispensing/dp/B000LBA7PG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1486013825&sr=8-2&keywords=no+clean+flux+pens

I do have a flux pen but generally prefer to use the bottle dispenser.  But, the needles tend to clog up so switching to the nail polish bottles seems the right way to go.  If I'm working on a PCB then the flux pen comes in handy, but soldering some wires together the pen is not so useful.


Brian

[Vtile]

I use now a 2x pipette dropper bottle and a crown cork and a small artist brush.

The first bottle have a thick Rosin Flux (homebrew) and the second bottle have IPA in it. When working with PCBs and wires I drop one or two drops of rosin to crown cork and apply it to components with the artist brush. If and when the rosin dries to cork I add a one drop of IPA to it.

Sometimes I just use the pipette directly to the work surface.

[nanofrog]

You might want to consider a Bonkote BON-102 refillable brush pen. Be careful though, as there are a lot of counterfeits, particularly through eBay. They're also traditionally sold in 5 packs, so they're not cheap. But some vendors will sell singles (expect to pay ~$15 - 20 for one).

They work beautifully (pin point accuracy or lay it on if you prefer); just clean the brush head with some alcohol every once in a while.

[KL27x]

For occasional use, nail bottle is good.

If you're needing a lot:

https://www.amazon.com/10ml-Syringe-Only-Luer-Lock/dp/B01DARHDV8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486114315&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=syringe+10mL&psc=1

+

https://www.amazon.com/Dispensing-Needle-Plastic-Tapered-0-048id/dp/B001QQDETQ/ref=pd_sim_328_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B001QQDETQ&pd_rd_r=13F8RF5SSXCTACV6G9QP&pd_rd_w=1ZC7f&pd_rd_wg=95H6o&psc=1&refRID=13F8RF5SSXCTACV6G9QP

+

https://www.amazon.com/Ply-Cotton-Poly-Blend-Twine/dp/B012E46XPA/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1486114429&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=twine+cotton&psc=1

Cut the needle back to adjust the size of the hole to where you want it. Cut a piece of string(s) thick enough to fill the hole. Tie a knot in it, and run it through the hole. Melt the tip with your hot air station and squish it to lock the string in. Cut the string flush with the end of the tip.

I have been using the same tip for a year, now. It puts the flux where you want. I don't cap it, but I do store it tip down in a stand. It doesn't drip. It doesn't clog. It doesn't leak. I have never had to dip the tip in alcohol. Never had to remix dried out flux. And if the tip did clog, I'd just make a new dozen of them to use as consumables. Easy enough to refill. Just keep the pliers handy, cuz the tip will take some torque to remove, to swap to a plain needle.

The syringes can be refilled more than a few times. I suppose you could wash them out in solvent when they get gummy. I eventually toss 'em. If I'm doing a lot of soldering, I might prefill a bunch of them at once and dispose as they get used. In that case, some of these, too.

https://www.amazon.com/Bstean-Luer-Lock-Dispensing-Needle/dp/B01GC0TBV0/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1486115138&sr=1-1&keywords=syringe+cap

My flux pens are in the trash. My refillable flux pen was a non-starter. The tip doesn't last that long. My flux bottles, trash.

I never tried the bonkote. That might be alright.