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Just curious

May 31st, 2020, 11:16 am

how many makers out there that when building a piece of kit clean off oxidation on components leads or legs with steel wool before soldering. do you clean pads on pcb's or terminals on devices or strips.
Some say is a waste of time because the flux does this for you.
Just curious

Re: Just curious

May 31st, 2020, 12:10 pm

Pelliott321 wrote:how many makers out there that when building a piece of kit clean off oxidation on components leads or legs with steel wool before soldering. do you clean pads on pcb's or terminals on devices or strips.
Some say is a waste of time because the flux does this for you.
Just curious


Rosin-core solder, as typically used for electronic assembly, is not corrosive enough to clean oxidation or some other film. When I am working on a project any parts that I am installing such as resistors, capacitors, connectors, or whatever -- get cleaned down to bright and shiny metal. Same goes for fresh PC board traces. They have to be cleaned. Same with terminal boards.

Those that mistakenly believe that the rosin is going to clean as one solders are those that get nasty introductions to cold solder joints that at best are readily obvious or worst are intermittently un-reliable. Even manufacturers that use automation such as wave-soldering will run the boards through a cleansing "bath" before the solder "bath" and even then the work is done in a nitrogen atmosphere to assure complete reliability and to prevent oxidation during the process.

Re: Just curious

May 31st, 2020, 12:13 pm

I always start with clean surfaces. Relying on flux to do a clean up of a dirty surface is not a good idea. I use Scotch-Brite pads, not steel wool. Eliminates those pesky pieces of conductive steel getting in stuff.

Re: Just curious

May 31st, 2020, 9:10 pm

I’ve stared doing this few years ago when bi noticed dull surfaces on leads and traces.
I know a builder of very high end stuff thinks it’s a waste of time to remove oxidatio
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