This is a placeholder topic for “CircuitWorks No-Clean Flux Dispensing Pen” comments.
CircuitWorks Flux Dispensing Pens are designed specifically to apply each type of flux with precision control. The No Clean Flux Dispensing Pen precisely applies…
Read moreI do like the idea of a pen rather than a syringe for applying flux … however it really is quite expensive compared to SKU CE04594 100ml bottle of liquid rosin flux.
Would it be feasible to refill this pen ? And if so, would CE04594 be suitable ? I note that the standars listed in description of both products don’t match up.
Hi Donald,
I don’t think these pens are refillable unfortunately. Two different manufacturers make these which partially explains the cost difference, they are likely using different formulas for their flux, the standards being different helps this claim. MG Chemicals I believe manufactures theirs.
The pen is just a bit handier, it would definitely help prevent any accidental spills compared to a syringe.
Hi Donald,
This pen isn’t refillable but lasts aaaaages, I can also vouch for the quality of the flux.
There are pens that you can load with flux and apply them like this, but the refilling process can get messy
Hi All
Just a bit curious here.
For “normal” soldering jobs encountered it this business for many many years I have found the cores (5) in various diameters of 60/40 solder “wire” quite adequate. Any additional flux would just make a mess.
Don’t get me wrong, I have used and seen used liquid rosin flux especially where larger volumes of copper or brass have been involved and a gas flame used as the heating medium. One case comes to mind in TV transmitting antenna systems where copper pipe up to some 4.5" in diameter is soldered into large brass castings in the construction of power splitters. Another is making your own solder wick. Warm a container of rosin in a tub of hot water and soak some copper braid in it for a couple of hours. Result, ready to order solder wick, make whatever size you want.
Another use is to tin wire using a solder pot method. This would be more a commercial operation where a large number of wires have to have the ends tinned either manually or by some automated process
This liquid might be used with solder paste which I think is used for surface mount components. I have never used it so am unaware of flux requirements.
I apologise if this query seems a bit stupid but I am just interested in just what the average hobbyist would do with 100ml of liquid, that is a fair quantity.
Cheers Bob
EDIT. I think this is in the wrong post. Have copied it to the post Re liquid rosin flux 100ml
As I get older I see more clearly that people subconsciously assume that everyone else has the same expertise and skill level as themself.
I do not consider myself as an “average” hobbyist doing “normal” soldering … but you have revealed that you are at the other end of the scale.
Coming from a software background my soldering skill is, well, shite. At age 64 I seriously doubt my hands will get steadier or my eyesight get sharper no matter how much I practice soldering. And soldering is just a necessary step to getting sensors to work with microprocessors, not an end in itself. I can do with all the help I can get … even contemplating advertising for someone to do simple soldering (mostly adding header pins to breakout boards) in the Wollongong area.
Many of the soldering tutorials I have watched recommend extra rosin flux - especially for fixup work and desoldering. I hope not to use a lot of flux, but the price difference is pretty staggering - 12ml in a pen for A$19.60 vs 100ml bottle for A$22.75 - it will be cheaper to buy a bottle than another 2 pens. That was all … just a pensioner trying to think ahead and save a dollar where I can.
Hi Donald.
Yes I can see where you are coming from there. I am just the opposite, I managed to stay away from most things digital for a number of years and I probably now know enough to be dangerous, as the saying goes.
Know the feeling well. I am 89 this month (3rd driving test coming up) and so far have managed to get both hands shaking in unison which is mandatory at this age. I really am not to the shaking stage yet, touch wood.
Be a bit careful here. While there is some good material via Tube there is also some absolute garbage. Have a read of the other post regarding the liquid which is a few posts below. There is a Utube here which is one of the better ones. There are a couple of points I commented on particularly re the cutting of component leads and use of single core solder. but otherwise not too bad at all.
That is a pity, I was in the Wollongong area last Saturday and would have been happy to spend an hour or so on face to face help. I have a Brother in Windang who I visit occasionally which is likely to be a bit more often as he is quite unwell so if you care to message me with private details I will see what I can do next visit.
You say your biggest problem is header pins. They require a bit more attention as there is quite a large heat sinking mass here to dissipate heat which only gets worse if you plug them into a breadboard assist with alignment. The trick with soldering any component into a board pad is to get an equal amount of heat to the component lead and the pad. With header pins being comparatively large the trick is to get a bit more of the iron contacting the pin than the pad. That way the pin sees that bit of extra iron surface. Then apply the solder to the iron, pin and pad at the same time. Do this quickly with minimal mucking about and you should finish with a nice fillet of shiny solder with no excess. But as you realise you can’t replace practice.
Don’t feel too bad about all this though. A few years ago a work mate of mine (who thought he could solder as well as anyone) was sent to USA for 6 weeks to learn how it was really done. In all fairness he did come back fully qualified to instruct others (including myself) in some of the art of High Reliability soldering.
Cheers Bob
Now, there you go again Robert. When soldering header pins on say an ESP32-S3 (amazingly only $10.40 if I screw it up) my challenge is that they are so small and close together for my ham-fisted soldering. I seriously am afraid of bridging every second pin. I have tested for bridged pins and managed to avoid that … but I guess I’ll find out about other faults tomorrow and over the next few weeks as I try to add devices to it.
Hi Donald
Just where am I going again. I am just trying to help here.
Header pins are 0.1" apart which is a pretty standard spacing and you won’t get anything much further apart.
Cheers Bob
Sorry, I wasn’t meaning to offend. I do know you are being helpful.
Yes, header pins are the standard spacing …
it’s just that difference in point of view again …
… to you, 0.1" seems like a large distance (presumably because you are use to working with much smaller)
… to me (because I am not used to that size), two rows of 22 header pins make my heart race because they seem to me to be so close together and I am sure I will destroy something.
So much for trying to add some humour to the conversation. I had better quit while i’m behind 
Hi Donald
Apology accepted and keep up with the humour.
Lets put a bit of perspective on this.
In the earlier days of my involvement with this industry 0.1" was pretty much the ONLY spacing and printed boards for general use were very much in their infancy. Any form of IC was some sort of hybrid offering and usually made up of discrete components and potted on a piece of board with some legs. Mostly about the size of a matchbox. The company I worked for produces some digital gear and I remember the microprocessor was a couple of boards about 250 X 250mm absolutely crammed with ICs. These days the same thing can be far more powerful on 1 IC with a few legs. Progress on steroids.
Yes in later years things became remarkably smaller and compact. BUT like you as the years progressed my eyesight suffered a bit although not too badly compared with other people I know. These days you seem to need a magnifying glass to even make out the pad spacing and to me anyway this sort of thing is unrepairable and I would not attempt it in most cases. So for me the throw away era is well and truly here.
Enough reminiscing.
So lets get down to this soldering business and clean that up.
What sort of soldering iron are you using and what size and shape of tip.
What sort of solder and what size. I would suggest for the novice 60/40 alloy tin lead (the amount of lead in what you are going to use won’t hurt you) as this requires a bit less heat and is easier to use than lead free solder. Size?. I think for what you are doing (mainly header pins) 0.71mm diameter would be a good all round choice. Flux? Rosin (or Resin) cored and should have 5 cores for a more even distribution. DO NOT use single core as the flux will all run out at the first application of the iron and will be pretty ineffective after that.
One thing I did not mention above in my previous post. Because these pins have a larger relative mass compared to component legs pause for a few seconds between soldering pins to give the iron a chance to recover. If you carr on too quickly with a small tip there is a good chance the top will cool too much and you will get a bad or dry solder joint. This depends somewhat to the iron and tip size in use.
Cheers and keep at it. It really is not that difficult.
Bob
We are probably drifting away from the original topic here so if you wish to start another with a different heading please do so.
The personal messaging system seems to have disappeared on my computer anyway so I will try to look into that.
I can second everything @Robert93820 has said.
While lead-free solder is absolutely the healthier option, leaded solder is way easier to work with and as long as you are working in a well-ventilated space, you shouldn’t need to be too worried.
As a niche alternative, I would look into hammer headers. These are friction-fit header pins that do take a bit of force to attach but don’t require any soldering.
We sell a fair few of these specifically for Raspberry Pi applications as this tends to be a go-to beginner project board but you can find them in a variety of lengths for different use cases.
Hope this helps! 
Hi Donald,
You’ve got this!
Back to your original question, you can also use a q-tip for applying this kind of flux.
I just got this pen on the store, but it requires gel or paste flux: Refillable Flux Pen | Buy in Australia | MEK-H010017 | Core Electronics
EDIT: below wasn’t the best idea… this jar of flux is now on the website as well! Perfect for the pen (quite a bit more expensive, but will last aaaages)
MG Chemicals No-Clean Soldering Flux Paste (50ml Jar) | Buy in Australia | MEK-MG8341-50ML | Core Electronics
(I found online that if you leave the liquid flux out in the air, the solvent evaporates and turns to a gel - unsure how true this is though)
If you decide on popping up an ad or looking for others to solder, I’m sure there are many keen Makers/Engineers at the uni and they might even have a Makerspace!
Liam
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