What flux type for hand soldering?

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21

I always advise people to get good tools as bad tools only give you poor to 'ok' results. Get the best iron you can afford... one that uses Iron plated tips... like a Hakko or Weller.

Cleaning a tip involves a damp sponge or Brass Wool. If you have a stubborn buildup on your tip (for some reason brass wool and sponge didn't work for you) get a block of Sal Ammoniac. Its an olde name for Aluminum Chloride which does a super job of tip cleaning if you add some solder while rubbing the block with your tip.

With a good iron, the correct tip, and a little extra flux, you can do 'hand' SMD soldering and get great results.

22

MarkT:
BTW Rosin is not in the slightest corrosive or bad for soldering bits - you have either a plain
copper bit (useless), or you've used abrasive on a tip to clean it and worn through the very thin
iron-plating on the surface (rendering the bit useless - solder dissolves copper quickly, but
not iron at all).

On one of these threads a while back someone noted that regular tap water (in the sponge) is no good for soldering tips, due to the dissolved minerals, and to use distilled water instead. I did not know that.