Mixing flux

[Stephen RowleyParticipant @stephenrowley13300]

I have purchase a silver solder and flux kit from the Internet and in the instructions it said to add a few drops of water and liquid detergent, all well and good but is there a time limit on how long this mixture will keep or do I have to use it all at the same time and what is a few drops. To my late uncle a few drops of Whisky was half the bottle but to my ex, ex, ex wife it was half an egg cup if that.

 

James.

[Stephen RowleyParticipant @stephenrowley13300]

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

A few drops is just sufficient to make a creamy mix that you can brush on but that does not easily run away. Whilst it is advisable to make enough for the job in hand and keep it in a screw top jar, you can rework it with a little added water at a later date but it does have a shelf life if used in this way. Freshly mixed flux appears always to be better. Hope this helps.

[Stephen RowleyParticipant @stephenrowley13300]

Thank you KWIL that is just what I wanted to know.

James

[TomfileryParticipant @tomfilery]

James,

 

A jewellers trick is to use meths, instead of water. The meths evaporates (or burns off) really quickly and without the boiling of the mixture you get with water. This helps prevent small items moving from their set position if you haven’t been able to firmly clamp them together.

[WALLACEParticipant @wallace]

I know it’s a 2 minute job to mix some up – but you always end up doing too little or too much and where’s the water supply in the averge workshop ?

 

Which is why I’ve often wondered why you can’t get it ready mixed in a tooth paste tube !

 

W.

 

 

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

Hi Wallace,

You can almost! Actually,it can be obtained in a hyperdermic syringe (no needle).

John.

[Alan Worland 1Participant @alanworland1]

For years I used to use a ‘bit of spit’ to mix up flux – no walking out of the garage for water, and I could direct it right where I wanted it!

[Author]

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