Hi , thank you for watching the video and commenting , very much appreciated . The cable tie has been revealed, seriously it works really well . Thanks again , take care 👍

I use a small paint brush. Works well

​@@mrsolderfix3996 what do you use now, hasn't that specific flux has been discontinued?

Hi , thank you for supporting my channel , very kind of you . I hope you get on ok with all of your soldering projects , hopefully my videos can help you a little along the way . Thanks again , take care 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment, much appreciated. I agree , I go on about flux all the time in my videos , it is essential when hand soldering . In this video I mention adding it to the braid as this can really help at times , the only difference is I use a cable Ty to apply all of my flux and not a flux pen ( not a big fan of these ). Thanks again 👍

Hi , thank you for watching the video and commenting , much appreciated . I'm glad you enjoyed the video and found it useful , that's great to hear . Thanks again for your support , take care 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment. Yes flux really does make solder braid way better . Glad you agree. Thanks again for supporting my channel 👍

Hi , thank you for watching the video and commenting . I'm glad you enjoyed the video and found it useful . Good luck with all your soldering projects and thanks again 👍

Hi , thank you for watching the video and commenting , your support is very much appreciated . I like your comment and what you are doing , keep it up . Thanks again , take care 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment, much appreciated. I hope you get on ok , take care 👍

Hi , thank you, very kind of you . Glad you enjoy the video's 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment, much appreciated. I'm glad you found the video's of use . Good luck with all your soldering projects and thanks again for your support 👍

I’m in the same situation, can’t find any to purchase. An equivalent product would be nice to know.

I'm also looking for good alternatives

Hi , thank you for your comment, much appreciated. I'm glad you found the videos useful and they could help you progress with your soldering . I found if you do the easy stuff with lots of care you can progress on to the harder stuff with a lot more confidence and ability , making it more achievable. Good luck with your projects and thanks again for your support of my channel 👍

Hi , thank you for your support of my channel , very much appreciated. I'm glad you enjoy the videos . I've tried to improve the quality as I've gone along , I know my early ones are nowhere near as clear and sound as good as the later ones but I was learning then , hopefully people can see the difference now . Thanks again , I will post more when I can , take care 👍

@@mrsolderfix3996 Hey don't even worry brother we all start somewhere I love every video can't wait for more cheers😎🙏❣

Hi , your support is much appreciated. I will post more whenever I get spare time . Thanks again , take care 👍

Hi , thank you , I'm glad it worked for you , but I agree it is a great flux . I've just posted this same video again as I've now got better editing equipment which gives the videos much better clarity and sharpness . So if anyone's wondering why I'm reloading my old postings it's only to show them in better detail . I will keep posting new videos when I can , as I've still got lots to show and hopefully people will keep enjoying them. Thanks again for your comment and good luck with any soldering projects 👍

I managed to find the flux under ESMFL200. It’s sold there in EU but it’s still available.

Hi , thank you for your comment, maybe if it is still about some lucky people may be able to find some . All I've found is a couple of companies who have it but you have to order at least 12 so not really viable. If anyone has any luck please post on here . Thanks again , take care 👍

Hi , thank you for watching the video and commenting , very much appreciated . I'm glad you enjoy the videos , hopefully they can help a few people out with their soldering / desoldering issues . Thanks again , take care 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment , much appreciated 👍

Hi , thank you for watching the video and commenting , your support is very much appreciated 👍

Hi , thank you for watching the video and commenting , very much appreciated 👍

...Sorry , the word flux was notably missing from the note above!

Hi , thank you for your comment. You are right the SMFL200D and RS alternative are no longer available which is annoying as I loved the SMFL and had been using it for many years. I am still looking for a decent alternative and have a couple to try out at the moment . When I find one I like I will post about it on KZfaq. Thanks again , take care 👍

Hi , thank you for watching the video and commenting , very much appreciated . I guess I just practiced a lot over the years and learnt what tools , solders , cleaning products etc were the best . My 3 biggest tips are different thickness solders especially 0.25mm for any fine pitch soldering , a decent iron with a fine conical tip and flux . I remember seeing a very famous KZfaq solderer doing a video calling for everyone to bin their conical tips . Please don't listen to that advice . Thanks again , take care 👍

I would like to show you a photo but no idea as to how to add this

Hi , thank you for your comment , much appreciated. I'm glad you enjoyed the video and found it useful. Thanks again , take care 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment, much appreciated. I'm glad the video has been of use to you . The camera is simply a macro lens attached to a mobile phone , nothing special really but gives you good results . Thanks again , take care ,👍

Hi , thank you for your comment, much appreciated. I'm glad you enjoyed the video and found it useful , great news . Thanks again , take care 👍

Hi , thank you . I'm glad you enjoyed the video . I've just worked out how to get better picture quality in my videos so they will be better than my early postings from now on . Thanks again , much appreciated 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment, much appreciated. I'm glad the video was useful for you , if I can help a few people out then that's great. Thanks again, take care 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment , and for watching the videos . I'm glad you find them useful . Good luck with all your soldering projects and thanks again 👍

Hi , no problem , if I can help a few people out with their soldering issues then I'm happy. Good luck with all your soldering projects, take care 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment, much appreciated. I'm glad you enjoyed the video and hopefully found it useful. I've just reposted my last 3 videos as I've now got better editing skills ( they weren't great , I admit ) so I can now get better picture clarity , which hopefully comes across to the viewer. Thanks again and good luck with your soldering projects 👍

Hi , thank you for watching the video and commenting , your support of my channel is very much appreciated 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment , much appreciated . I'm glad you enjoyed the hoovering trick , it just shows when it comes to soldering or desoldering flux is King . Thanks again , take care 👍

@@mrsolderfix3996 yeah I'm gonna order some when I get paid I could use all the help I can get lol

Hi , thank you for watching the video , much appreciated 👍

Hi , thank you for watching the video and commenting , very much appreciated 👍

Hi , thank you for your support , much appreciated. Hopefully you can learn from the video's , then it makes it worthwhile for both of us . Good luck with all your soldering projects 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment , much appreciated. I've recently posted a complete video all about how I clean my boards , what fluids and also what cleaning cloths I use , so everything you need to know will be in that video . Hopefully that will answer all your questions . Thanks again 👍

Hi , thank you , I'm glad you enjoy the video's . I will keep posting more in the near future and I've now managed to sort out my picture clarity on the video's ( Inc this one ) so future ones should be much sharper . Thanks again for your support 👍

Hi , thank you for your kind words , really appreciated 👍

Try a company called Mouser

Hi , thank you . In this video most of the examples were with the flux fresh . But one particular example ( the excess solder example ) shows the thickened flux and how it clings to the joint your working on . This flux really is good , like I've probably mentioned before it's the best I've ever used , and some of my friends over the years love it also. Thanks again for your support , and good luck with any soldering projects you do 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment, very much appreciated 👍

Hi , thank you for watching the video and commenting , very much appreciated 👍

Hi , thank you so much for your support of my channel , very much appreciated . I've never done links to products as I feel like people have their own favourite brands and generally stick to them . The 4 companies I mainly use though for my soldering products etc are Farnell and RS Components in the UK and sometimes if needed I will use Mouser and Digikey from the United States. The best 4 companies in my opinion . I never set out on KZfaq to get that popular I just wanted to help a few people and if I could then I'd be happy . It's just a hobby really. Thank you again for your kindness , take care 👍

@@mrsolderfix3996 I can appreciate that but I don't have my favorite brand for liquid flux and I'm watching all your videos for product recommendations. For folks like me who have just used whatever we were familiar with in the past or for absolute beginners some product recommendations from experts like yourself are very useful. I suspect I'm not the only viewer who would buy a product you referred :D Thanks again for such wonderful content.

Hi , thank you for your support of my channel , very much appreciated . I will post more videos when I get some spare time . Thanks again 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment, much appreciated. That price is way to much , maybe it's a reel with a large amount on it , possibly 30 metres. A normal reel for the hobbyist would be roughly $10 . Try Mouser or DIGIKEY ( American firms ) , or plenty of other places online for a decent price . The best width solder wick to buy I find is 1.5mm . Hope that helps , good luck 👍

True, the SMFL200D seems unavailable everywhere

Hi , thank you for your comment. RS Components do a similar one , order code 494 - 764 , that seems to come in the same format , 200ml , aerosol, etc which is what I'm looking for . The only trouble is it's roughly £10 a can more than the SMFL one . I will probably still use it as it does last me ages. Hope that helps , thanks again 👍

English u tard

Hi , thank you for watching the video and commenting , very much appreciated . I generally use a cleaning product called ULTRASOLVE which is definitely the best PCB cleaning fluid I have ever used . Also I occasionally use one called Flux Off if I can't get the ULTRASOLVE. Plenty of places sell these online. I've posted a complete video on KZfaq showing the way I clean my boards , from single components to whole boards . Thanks again , take care 👍

@@mrsolderfix3996 Nice. Thanks!

Hi , no problem , thanks for your comments 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment, much appreciated. I'm glad you enjoy the videos. I'm currently in the process of trying out some other fluxes , because like you say the spray ones seem to have been discontinued everywhere . If I find a good alternative then I'll put it on KZfaq. The Lego pad is just for some photos , I never use it when I'm soldering for anything . Hope that helps , thanks again , and good luck with all your soldering projects 👍

Hi , thank you for watching the video and commenting , very kind of you 👍

Hi , thank you for watching the video and commenting , very much appreciated 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment. If I ever have boards that have solder on the pads already I would still 100% put flux on the pads . The flux that would have been in that pre-loaded solder would have been burned off when the solder was flowed so you definitely need to add fresh flux to help you achieve good soldering . Thanks again , take care 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment. To clean flux off after soldering I always use a fluid called ultrasolve which is available from companies like Farnell , RS Components, Rapid Online etc and I use a soft dry wipe called Gtek dry wipes from a company called Grove Sales ( England ) , I would never use a hard paper towel as board damage could occur but the dry wipes dipped in ultrasolve are so soft and really used right will look after your delicate components. Hope that helps , take care 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment. Personally I like to use flux when I'm removing IC's etc with hot air as I always believe it helps with the solder flowing but I know equally many people who don't use it . So either way you can do the job . Thanks again , take care 👍

Hi , thank you for watching the video , much appreciated. The music is called Roboskater - Audionautix ( free KZfaq music ) hope that helps , thanks again 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment. In soldering flux is massively important . I personally wouldn't solder anything without adding flux to the desired areas . Thanks again 👍

Hi , thank you for your question. Your right the SMFL flux became discontinued a few months ago , a right pain as it was the best flux I'd ever used and had been using it for many years. I'm sort of looking for a new type but i still have a few cans of the SMFL to use up yet . When I do eventually find a decent alternative I will post about it in KZfaq. You can still buy the SMFL in a small flux pen style but I'm totally not a fan of flux pens , but some people do like them so that's an option. Thanks again , take care 👍

I found the SMFL UNDER THE NUMBER ESMFL.

Hi , thank you , your comment is very much appreciated. I'm glad you enjoyed the video 👍

Hi , personally I just don't like manual solder pumps , never have . Electronic ones are good but when removing shorts I just find solder wick way easier . Thank you for your comment 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment. You are right they have discontinued the SMFL200D . This is a shame as I've been using it for many years with great success, but now I'm going to have to search for a decent alternative. When I find one I will post about it on KZfaq. So I'm sorry at this point in time I can't recommend a good replacement. Thanks again , take care 👍

I'm a newbie but have used the ThermoPasty "solder paste" (the tin with the red writing) to good effect, if it works for me then I'm sure it will work well for you.

Hi , thank you for your support , very much appreciated. Glad you found the video of use 👍

Hi , thank you so much for your support and kindness , it really means a lot . I just try to help people , if I can then I'm happy . Thanks again , take care 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment , much appreciated 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment , much appreciated 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment . The Lego sheets are only used as a background to make things stand out more when I'm filming non soldering shots like in this video. I don't ever have them on my desk when I'm actually soldering , think they might melt 😁

Hi , thank you for your support of my channel , very much appreciated. I'm glad you enjoyed the video and hopefully found it useful . Thanks again and good luck with all your soldering projects in the future 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment, very much appreciated. Hopefully the video can help a few people out with their soldering issues. Thanks again , take care 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment, glad you enjoyed the video 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment . To be honest I've never used this flux but I see it's meant really for plumbing jobs . So I personally wouldn't use it but I guess you could take a chance if desperate . Sorry I couldn't give you a clear answer . Thanks again , take care 👍

*_NEVER_* use a flux containing zinc chloride for electronics work. It sets up an endless corrosion cycle. The chloride (chlorine) content reacts with copper to make copper chloride. That reacts with carbon dioxide in air to make copper carbonate, freeing the chlorine to react with more copper, and on and on it goes. "Traditional" fluxes used in electronics are based on natural rosin. Pure rosin isn't a very good flux but can work on metals that are easy to solder and bright and free of oxide. Most electronics fluxes contain "activators" to make them more effective. The most preferred rosin type these days is RMA for Rosin, Mildly Activated. It is adequate for most work. RA (Rosin, Activated) is more aggressive but it isn't always safe to leave residues because there is some risk of corrosion. The flux in the spray can in the video is an RMA type dissolved in isopropyl alcohol. There are lots of modern electronics fluxes that are made using a base other than rosin. Some of the "no-clean" fluxes are extremely difficult to remove. Of course as the name implies, they don't need to be removed for general work, but residues can cause problems in some cases and removal is necessary.

Hi , Isopropyl is a poor cleaning fluid compared to some others on the market It's cheap for a reason . The best one I've ever found is called ULTRASOLVE . It's on a different level to the Isopropyl and will break down and remove stubborn flux with ease .

Hi , thank you for watching the video and commenting , much appreciated 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment. The flux I've used for many years SMFL200D unfortunately has recently been discontinued so I'm looking for a new type at this present time. When I find one I am happy with I will post it on KZfaq. Thanks again , take care 👍

Hi , no problem , I'm glad you enjoyed the video . Thank you for commenting 👍

Hi , flux is king when soldering 👍

Good question, SMFL200D seems unavailable

Hi , unfortunately you are correct, it is now longer manufactured . Luckily I still have a small supply to keep me going for a while . I have found another great liquid flux which is just as good made by Loctite . The only problem is it's only available in 1 litre or 5 litre bottles , not much use for the hobbyist that's why I've not really mentioned it . I will try and look up next week the code for it and add it to this chat in case anyone wanted an extremely large amount of it . Thanks again 👍

Hi @@mrsolderfix3996 , you are an invaluable resource in regards to soldering skills and techniques. Did you get a chance to look up the code for the Loctite flux you are using?

​@@mrsolderfix3996have you managed to find the code or maybe an alternative that comes in smaller quantities? Great videos!

im assuming some Isopropyl alcohol. Very cheap and doesnt leave any residue

Hi , I use 2 different products to clean flux off . ULTRASOLVE and Flux Off . I never use Isopropyl , just not as good . I've posted a complete video on my channel all about how I clean my boards , maybe it will be of use to you . Thanks for your comment 👍

What material was it u applied to for the wiping? Any cloth? Or some sort if cotton swab?

Hi , your right looks like this has suddenly been discontinued. There's plenty more fluxes to try , RS Components do a similar type in the same style spray can , but is dearer , so I might try that when I need some more . Just a case of trying a few different ones and picking one we like . Good luck 👍

Hi , you are right they have discontinued the SMFL200D flux recently which is a shame as I've been using it for at least 10 to 15 years and found it amazing. Apparently RS Components do a similar aerosol one so I might try that out but unfortunately it's about £10 a can dearer than the SMFL one . Thanks for commenting , take care 👍

@@mrsolderfix3996 thx for replying, please let us know your experience if you try it.

Hi , I will do 👍

Solder braid

Hi , thank you for your comment , much appreciated. I've recently posted a complete video on KZfaq showing the cleaning fluids I use and how I use them . This video will give you all the information you need. Hope that helps , thanks again 👍

@@mrsolderfix3996 okt hank you i will look to the video.

Hi , I agree 👍

Hi. Brand new solder braid from the best suppliers , Multicore and Chemtronics for example still works way better if external flux is added . You obviously haven't tried doing this at all or else you would have seen this for yourself . Thanks for your comment .

@@mrsolderfix3996 I've used solderwick quite a lot in years long gone by. Though it does the job in a so-so fashion for some things and quite well for others, I've never really liked the stuff much, mostly because it makes a colossal mess if it is a type with sufficient flux that is sufficiently active to work efficiently. I much prefer power vacuum desoldering when it is workable and have used it for decades.

Hi , I get on really well with solder braid but really hate manual solder suckers . The powered desoldering guns around today ( I use a Metcal one daily ) can be great but very expensive especially for the hobbyist . There's still plenty of situations when I prefer braid with added flux though . Thanks for your comments.

Hi , thank you for your comment, much appreciated 👍

Hi , thank you for your comment. Generally if I do leaded soldering I would use about 330 degrees centigrade and for lead free I would use about 350 - 360 degrees centigrade. There may be times when I'd need to slightly alter these temps but mainly I would stick with these ones mentioned above . Hope that helps , thanks again 👍