Solder/Flux Paste Question

[carnyharhar]

Surprised I can't find the answer to this question anywhere:

anyway I was modding my ps2...i can't tell you how much this paste helped...anyway....back to my concern:

when i touch the wire, I hear a sizzle, yadda yadda and it hardens, very good connection, strong bond, but the paste seemed to make a sort of layer on the board, liquid and clear, but hard.

Is this normal? is this okay? someone please clarify thank in advance

[villasg]

Use a FLUX - OFF spray like CRAMOLIN (ART - NO 1071412 )

[prisoner1138]

flux dissolver is your friend

altho to tell you the truth, i dont use it because i use so little flux to begin with

[CN-Twat]

Alcohol and Q-Tip works also.

[carnyharhar]

thanks for your replys

i had one hell of a time desoldering everything....screwed up the install, butg after about a gallon of alcohol with q-tip i got it all off and it works again

gonna find a pro to do it....take my advice for wisdom anyone who reads

[prisoner1138]

well if you managed to screw it up, then you probably know how to solder if you bothered to do it in the first place. so you really shouldnt need to have someone do it for you provided you were doing it with 30 guage wire. from the sound of it, if you had that much flux paste to clean up, you probably used way too much which could cause solder to flow to place you dont want it. it really only takes enough to barely coat what you're trying to solder. and if you tinned your wires first, that cuts the difficult down to about half as it barely takes in solder to get the job done.

[ShadowKnyght]

very scary - just a quick note to those who do not know this already - flux is very corrosive!

it will eat into your tracks and PCB if left there for a few months - thus reducing the life of the station - this is why I do not use the stuff!

If you do insist on using it, make sure you clean up afterwards else your customers will start having problems with their stations a few months down the tracks depending on how much you have used.