DIY flux dispenser bottle - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2012, 12:10:28 am
content: I have been looking for a real small squeeze bottle for liquid flux and most places have 2oz. bottles considered small and that is much bigger than what I want. Today my wife asks me to put some eye drops in her eyes and one of the bottles had an expired date and I get ready to chuck it in the trash and... Whoa this is perfect, a 1/2 oz. squeeze bottle.Bottle that almost missed its real calling in life26GA needle was shortened and all the flanges were trimmed off with and xacto knife. Inner cap was shortened and reduced in diameter to fit inside the 26GA needle. The idea here was to have it short enough that the cap could go back on and hold the needle/cap assembly firmly in place without leaking. A hole the diameter of the small end of the needle body was drilled in the cap.Bottle filled with liquid rosin flux, inner cap and needle installed.Piece of buna-n oring with a start hole done with the tip of an #11 xacto blade. I then stuck a needle deeper into the hole to make a cap for the needle. Makes an air tight seal so the flux does not dry out and clog the very small needle.Perfect size bottle for working under the microscope. I think the very small needle is important, it keeps the bottle from drooling and you have to apply light pressure to get the flux to flow.

author: george graves
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2012, 01:13:25 am
content: Very nice! Looks like the perfect size shape.I ended up buying something similar from DX.com(but wish it was smaller like this). I also don't have access to needles...(have to say - you've got some dirty hands! - Are you a mechanic?)

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2012, 01:48:12 am
content: Machinist, I never seem to remember to wash my hands before pictures. My videos have lots of dirty finger shots also.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2012, 02:56:15 pm
content: Needles no problem, buy them by the box. As an alternative go to the pharmacy and buy some 0.5ml diabetic syringes with a built in needle.

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2012, 04:49:20 pm
content: rob my soulmate!this one i just shoot specifically for you and your eyes only!once upon a time i bought the zeph** flux in a bottle, not satisfy with the nozzle (too big) i modded put a syringe needle (refer to pic) and used it for sometime. big bottle good i dont have to refill everytime (infact i never was), syringe needle good enough for my purpose, but then sometime it got spilled up more than what i need.later i bought the brush dispenser type. the manual said the flux should be placed in the tube (brush body) but it didnt work too well, leakage etc since its china elcheapo, so i made a twist.. i just refill the brush cap with flux from the modded zeph*** bottle. close in the brush and store right up. from there on i keep painting the board with the brush and never looked back, the body tube is empty and only for "balancing during painting" purpose. i still keep the zeph*** bottle just for the flux storage purpose, and its still close to full amount after months (years?) of usage (2 ounces of flux).the cons though... i need to keep refilling the cap since its small size and if i dont use it for long time the flux in there will dry up and get darken. i have to add some solvent and stir to keep it flow nicely, but its not much compared to the precision amount of flux i want to put on the board.just would like to share with you (of course everybody else can sneak in) and oh since i'm from timezone 12, my workmanship and machinist wannabe can be a little bit sloppysorry for that, you can do better.

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2012, 05:08:25 pm
content: Very nice Mechatrommer! May I suggest that you hot glue your brush cap to a heavy piece of metal (maybe several very large flat washers glued together) so that you only need one hand and it won't tip over. An example is what I did to my de-oxit bottles. I flattened the bottoms of the bottles with a harbor freight diamond block to get a roughened flat surface that super glue would adhere well to. Then super glued it to a suitable block of steel so tipping them over is way less likely and I only need one hand to open or close them.

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2012, 06:05:15 am
content: Quotedone! using epoxy glue sorry for the finishing this is what i learnt from the ghetto.

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2012, 12:44:45 pm
content: Excellent, I especially like the pink epoxy

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2012, 03:27:52 pm
content: Dental epoxy?

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2012, 03:37:59 pm
content: Bubble Gum?

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2012, 11:45:12 pm
content: Quote from: SeanB on October 11, 2012, 03:27:52 pmno, its general purpose epoxy, we mix the (brownish+pinkish) epoxy with (creamy +yellowish) colored epoxy and they will get harden in 24hours, i dont know whats its called internationally. i also have superglue, but for this specific application i dont think its suitable, so i used epoxy.

author: MikeK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2012, 03:13:25 pm
content: Nice! Where can one pick up the 26ga needle?

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2012, 03:23:57 pm
content: Your local GP.

author: PedroDaGr8
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2012, 04:26:19 pm
content: or your local chemist friend.I have all sorts of needles in my lab. From big fat 8G needles to 28.5 gauge needles.

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2012, 05:02:19 pm
content: Most all of the companies that sell soldering suppies also sell needles and tips for dispensing systems. There are also ebay sellers that sell nice assortments of both plastic and needle tips and bottles with luer lock caps that accept tips.As an examplehttp://www.ebay.com/itm/Dispensing-Needle-Assortment-100-pcs-tip-sampler-kit-/350462185033?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51992c8e49

author: ablacon64
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2012, 07:20:18 pm
content: Quote from: SeanB on October 14, 2012, 03:23:57 pmWhat's a GP? Thanks in advance!

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2012, 08:00:05 pm
content: General Practitioner - The local doctor you go to when you are ill or injured.

author: mariush
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2012, 08:07:06 pm
content: I can buy syringes and needles at the corner pharmacy (or any pharmacy) no questions asked. Can't see why some countries would restrict the purchase, unless they actually want drug addicts to get sick reusing needles or something like that.I buy my flux in a bottle similar to the one in the first post - I just "suck" about 5ml from the bottle in the syringe and do my job.ps. If you can't get syringes that easy at the pharmacy, go to a vet or your dentist and ask them for a few needles, I'm sure they'll be more flexible.

author: ablacon64
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2012, 08:08:59 pm
content: Quote from: SeanB on October 16, 2012, 08:00:05 pmOh, ok. Didn't know that term. Thanks.

author: babysitter
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2013, 06:26:55 pm
content: Another Example: Dried Edding 500, bottle of flux from a closing PCB maker, EDF needle.

author: M0BSW
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2013, 07:26:22 pm
content: Quote from: robrenz on October 10, 2012, 01:48:12 amIt's nice to see

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 23, 2013, 12:31:34 am
content: Be sure to remove the label when using other bottles, like the OP didWe don't want anyone dripping flux into their eyes thinking it's eye drops.Also, that reminds me. Keep your flux pens safe, i found one of mine in the rubbish once because someone had come into my room looking for a marker pen/vivid and thought it was dead because it didnt write on anything.