ZJ-18 soldering flux paste - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2014, 05:45:19 am
content: Soldering flux - I see a lot of eBay list soldering flux paste are the ZJ-18 "Advanced Quality" kind.Any idea what it is made of? If you have experience with it, do/did you like it?ThanksRick

author: Robgo
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 16, 2014, 06:36:41 am
content: I have the same question.Anyone knows?

author: echen1024
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 19, 2014, 03:06:40 am
content: Buy some and try... not expensive

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 19, 2014, 03:45:39 am
content: Quote from: echen1024 on January 19, 2014, 03:06:40 amI have been told: "Smart people learn from their mistakes; really smart people learn from other's mistakes."Not that I am very smart, but I aspire to be one...

author: echen1024
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 19, 2014, 03:51:28 am
content: Quote from: Rick Law on January 19, 2014, 03:45:39 amThat was pretty good. I have learned to not take chances with cheap Asian stuff after all the complaints in the forum. Does that make me smart?

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 19, 2014, 04:21:03 am
content: Quote from: echen1024 on January 19, 2014, 03:51:28 amYes it does, but bare in mind smartness has no upper bound.Truth is, I can see if it does the immediate job like helping the bonding; but I cannot judge the long term effect in short term, nor do I have the experience that many here has and therefore able to spot issues I cannot spot.I actually tried plumber's flux out of curiosity and it worked rather well. If I had not learn that most plumber's solder are acid-based thus not suitable for electronics, I would mere concluded from how well it aid soldering on PCB that it works well with electronics.I was hoping someone with real experience would rant about these stuff, so from now on, I can forget about them. There seems to be not much "existing sharable experience," I suppose I would get some just to play around.

author: cwalex
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 19, 2014, 04:36:56 am
content: Quote from: Rick Law on January 16, 2014, 05:45:19 amI have some of that stuff. I wouldn't waste your money on it. There is a lot of amtech knockoff flux on ebay that works better in my experience. Like this for examplehttp://www.ebay.com.au/itm/10ml-Amtech-RMA-223-BGA-PCB-Flux-paste-ROHS-USA-made-/400494034937?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d3f4dfff9&_uhb=1

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 19, 2014, 05:46:20 am
content: I expect these paste fluxes in the plastic tubs are probably all the same.I have used it and sold it, works fine, no complaints, good if you have a lot of fluxing to be done. Note that it probably will weigh a lot less than it says on the label.The "Amtech" gel fluxes that come in a 10cc syringe, are perhaps a bit better, but more awkward to use being in a syringe. They are of course all knock-offs, complete with terrible mis-spellings on the Engrish labels.Simple answer is, you can never have too much flux on hand, or too many types, so buy some of each!