Would you be peeved? (Flux)

[nanofrog]

Those bonkote pens look great

Element14 AUD pricing is a little bizarre though

BON102 x1 ~$30

BON102 x5 pack $186

 

lol

Have you had to replace the tip?

Regarding those prices, someone's lost their mind.   

As per tip replacement, mine's a couple of years old and still all original (don't use it 8+hrs/day though). You could use a single pen body and swap out heads/tips though if you wanted more than one shape as a means of saving a few bucks. But there's not a lot of price difference however, so you'd probably prefer the convenience of each being complete (grab the one you want & go).

[zapta]

Just a side note, beware of Chinese clones of the Bon Pen.

Very true (good catch BTW  ).

I learned it from one of your older posts ;-)   

Got mine from All Spec. It works better with thiner fluxes. MG Rosin is super sticky and clogged it, maybe because I don't use it daily. I cleaned it with IPA and am now using a Kester flux.

[nanofrog]

Just a side note, beware of Chinese clones of the Bon Pen.

Very true (good catch BTW  ).

I learned it from one of your older posts ;-)   

Got mine from All Spec. It works better with thiner fluxes. MG Rosin is super sticky and clogged it, maybe because I don't use it daily. I cleaned it with IPA and am now using a Kester flux.

I forgot to mention it this time. 

I ran out of MG Chemicals Rosin 835 before I bought the BON-102, so I've not tried it. The Kester is thin enough it works beautifully as you've discovered, and as long as I can get it in small quantities, I'll continue to opt for it vs. MG Chemicals. 

Should it thicken, just add a few drops of acetone or alcohol as needed to thin it (or clean the brush out, which should be more frequent as hobbyist users).

Since you're in the US, you might want to consider using Kleen Strip's Denatured Alcohol, as it's much cheaper than 99% IPA and easier to get (i.e. any Home Depot for ~$16 - 17 per gallon last I checked). It's a 50/50 mix of ethanol & methanol, so it's also a bit more aggressive than IPA = makes it easier to clean flux residue off IME.  Same brand of acetone (I get the 1 quart size), as well as xylene (mix ~20% with alcohol makes an even better flux cleaner that's safer for plastics than mixing in acetone; doesn't evaporate as fast either).

[zapta]

Since you're in the US, you might want to consider using Kleen Strip's Denatured Alcohol, as it's much cheaper than 99% IPA and easier to get (i.e. any Home Depot for ~$16 - 17 per gallon last I checked).

This one, as is?  I will give it a try.

http://amzn.com/B000SL3S6Y

[KL27x]

You can buy IPA very cheap in bulk, too. I use denatured, primarily because its convenient to buy in the can while at the hardware store, and the odor is less objectionable to me.

so it's also a bit more aggressive than IPA

Also, if I understand it correctly, 99% IPA will eventually absorb water from the air and move towards 91%. Denatured alcohol starts and stays around 95% when open to the air.

If I try to thin my RA with too much denatured, some solids precipitate out of solution. I have some 99% IPA somewhere, but I haven't tried it, yet. I have some lighter fluid, which I shall have to try, as well.

I haven't tried a Bon pen, yet. I have made do with what I have on hand. If you tie a bit of twine into a knot and run the end through a plastic syringe tip, you get a decent brush tip that can't accidentally squirt flux 2 feet through the air. Then you can melt the plastic with hot air and smoosh it down around the knot, so the brush can't back out. A dip brush works great for passives, but with the syringe brush, you can lay down thicker beads for the IC pads. I am sure you can do the same thing with the Bon pen by squeezing it.

[nanofrog]

This one, as is?  I will give it a try.

http://amzn.com/B000SL3S6Y

Yes, that's the stuff.   

Any brand will do, but the content may be a bit different (more commonly is just ethyl alcohol as the active component + bittering agent). The methanol in the Kleen Strip brand makes it's activity just a bit higher without becoming too aggressive. And as it's available in any Home Depot (and other places), it's the easiest to find on a shelf IME. Top it off with reasonable prices, and it's a no-brainer for me at least (no one carries IPA in anything greater 91% in 1qt containers; cheapest this way at Sam's Club in my location). Price is ~ the same.

You can buy IPA very cheap in bulk, too. I use denatured, primarily because its convenient to buy in the can while at the hardware store, and the odor is less objectionable to me.

Best I can do is 91% for about the same money as denatured, which I opt for due to the improved performance. Convenience also plays a roll (no shipping costs = drives up the cost buying online), but the Home Depot and Sam's Club are within minutes of each other where I live, so it's a wash.

BTW, last I checked prices for the 99% stuff, it was ~$30 for a 1gallon can before shipping. 

Also, if I understand it correctly, 99% IPA will eventually absorb water from the air and move towards 91%. Denatured alcohol starts and stays around 95% when open to the air.

This is my understanding as well, but I wouldn't think it's an issue unless it's open and left out (would think a properly sealed metal container wouldn't let moisture in).

If I try to thin my RA with too much denatured, some solids precipitate out of solution. I have some 99% IPA somewhere, but I haven't tried it, yet. I have some lighter fluid, which I shall have to try, as well.

Try adding some acetone instead, and see if that doesn't solve the precipitate (xylene should do too). 

I haven't tried a Bon pen, yet. I have made do with what I have on hand. If you tie a bit of twine into a knot and run the end through a plastic syringe tip, you get a decent brush tip that can't accidentally squirt flux 2 feet through the air. Then you can melt the plastic with hot air and smoosh it down around the knot, so the brush can't back out. A dip brush works great for passives, but with the syringe brush, you can lay down thicker beads for the IC pads. I am sure you can do the same thing with the Bon pen by squeezing it.

A syringe with a needle does pretty well too at dispensing precise amounts from what I understand (makes sense to me at any rate). They make inexpensive brush bottles specific for flux dispensing (not as much control as a Bonpen), and you could also use a nail polish type of brush bottle (can get new empty ones on eBay cheap).

[IanB]

Also, if I understand it correctly, 99% IPA will eventually absorb water from the air and move towards 91%. Denatured alcohol starts and stays around 95% when open to the air.

This is my understanding as well, but I wouldn't think it's an issue unless it's open and left out (would think a properly sealed metal container wouldn't let moisture in).

If you leave the container open and out you will end up with 0% IPA. It all evaporates. Trust me. Been there, done that 

[KL27x]

BTW, last I checked prices for the 99% stuff, it was ~$30 for a 1gallon can before shipping. 

Cheapest I have ever seen was is in the local grocery store. Comes out to $16.00 a gallon. But they don't keep a gallon on the shelf. Only a few 8 oz bottles at $0.99 each. After coming up empty handed at 3 other drugstore/grocers, I was surprised to see this. I thought the price would be ridiculous.

But most grocery stores only carry 91%, so 99% really is not very convenient to buy. Apparently, this is partly because it is used in the manufacture of certain drugs.

If you leave the container open and out you will end up with 0% IPA. It all evaporates. Trust me. Been there, done that 

True. But I'm thinking if you dispense only small amounts out of a large container, the contents would eventually go down in concentration. Or if you use a little push dispenser type of containter that isn't airtight, or some other open container like a squirt bottle that has a small opening to allow air exchange.

[zapta]

But most grocery stores only carry 91%, so 99% really is not very convenient to buy. Apparently, this is partly because it is used in the manufacture of certain drugs.

Here is a good video about solvent. At one point he explains that water is added to the IPA so it can devolve also stuff that IPA alone doesn't.

[KL27x]

Water has to be removed in the manufacturing process. So they don't have to actually add any. They have to remove less to make 91%.

99% is so hydrophilic, it absorbs water directly from the air.

[pcm81]

I realize that this is an 8 year old thread, but i have more than 8 years of data to report!
Back in 2010 I bought a gallon of Kester 2331-ZX flux. Been storing it in my garage in florida in original well sealed bottle and poring off a little at a time as i need it. Still works.