dollar store flux dispenser - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: dentaku
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2016, 02:33:22 am
content: I needed something to dispense this thin gel flux so I found a $1.00 ball inflation kit and a $2.00 syringe and they fit together perfectly.I glued them and used some heatshrink just in case but it was airtight just with friction. The rubber plug also had exactly the correct sized hole in it and that just came from my bin of random stuff.I love making things out of dollar store parts.

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2016, 02:42:23 am
content: You can actually buy syringes with industrial (blunt) needles in bulk real cheap with a wide rage of needle diameters.

author: dentaku
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2016, 02:46:00 am
content: Yup, I saw some online but it's sometimes fun to go into town and search for cheap stuff to re-purpose ?

author: DTJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2016, 03:16:10 am
content: Pharmacy stores & veterinarians will sell you a syringe & hypodermic for <$1.The small 1mL (insulin) syringes give good control over the dispensing rate for flux for fine pitch stuff. The small insulin needles are too fine for solder paste however. You need the bigger bore hypodermics for paste.

author: Alex Eisenhut
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2016, 03:50:08 am
content: Won't it just get clogged with drying flux residue? I use a simple glass vial with eye-dropper. It's big enough to not get clogged easily yet I have good control with the rubber ampoule. Plus I can add alcohol to the vial as the flux ages.

author: KL27x
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2016, 05:45:52 am
content: It sure will, filled with RA. I get about two refills on a syringe. Maybe 3-4 if I am using it up really fast. It'll work to the last drop. It's just the plunger doesn't withdraw anymore. I suppose you could get it out with compressed air.My syringes are 30 cents each... of course I bought 100 of them. Tips, I don't remember. Plastic. Cheap and reusable after soaking them in acetone.

author: dentaku
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2016, 01:10:49 pm
content: Intresting. This is a gel so we'll see if it gunks up after a while.

author: Shock
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2016, 02:19:43 pm
content: "Real engineers" dull flux syringe needles with their own arteries.

author: jh15
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2016, 05:40:58 am
content: I've lots of blunt syringe needles used for my inkjet printer refill hobby. Problem I have is what flux to use when my precious rosin non activated bottles from Kollsman run out.I get my stuff from various vendors on printerknowledge.com

author: dentaku
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2016, 04:08:11 pm
content: The first thing I thought of using was also inkjet refill needles but I found the ball inflator ones first and they are exactly the right size. This gel flux wouldn't work with smaller needles either because it's slightly thick.

author: dentaku
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2016, 04:36:10 pm
content: I just tried it out for the first time and this Caig gel flux is nice. I can squeeze a tiny bit out the needle and spread it on the pads without much difficulty.It doesn't smell and cleans up nicely. My liquidy flux pen was sticky and very difficult to clean.

author: xwarp
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 18, 2016, 11:59:10 am
content: On dispensers with fine gauge needles that clog up, I just run the iron tip along it a couple of strokes and that clears the clog until the next time I have to do it again.

author: KL27x
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 18, 2016, 10:19:11 pm
content: ^I do the same to my tweezers when a part gets stuck to it from flux.I get plenty of mileage using a large* gauge tapered plastic needle with a piece of knotted twine shoved through the end.(I switch to a regular tip for filling it!) If it sits long enough, the tip will clog, but pressing on the plunger (hard enough) will still dispense flux, and the clog will dissolve pretty fast from the fresh flux without needing a soak. I have tried the same trick with a flux bottle, and the flux squeezed out the side of the cap, oops.*Or rather a small gauge needle with the tip cut back.

author: Seekonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 20, 2016, 06:50:12 pm
content: I bought the 99 cent block of rosin off ebay and mixed with alcohol. The block shaves easily with a single edge razor and just dumped the shavings in the bottle. It does take a few days to dissolve so make skinny flakes. Just used a bottle from my wife's eye drops.

author: dentaku
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 20, 2016, 07:49:12 pm
content: Ian at Dangerous Prototypes did a bunch of flux tests a while ago. He even did tried solid rosin block.