Guy at the counter said something about flux that totally changed how I do board work

So I was at Micro Center yesterday picking up some desoldering braid and this older guy next to me says to the clerk 'most people don't realize flux expires after a year if you leave the cap off.' I honestly never thought about it. I been using the same tub of flux for like 3 years and wondering why my joints were looking grainy. Went home and swapped it with a fresh one I had in a drawer. Solder flowed way smoother. Has anyone else had bad luck with old flux gumming up their work?

2 comments

2 Comments

xena_taylor6426d ago

Yeah, flux going bad is real, I left a jar open once and it turned into gross toothpaste.

simon_davis26d ago

Heard a story from my buddy Mike who used to do a lot of soldering work. He said he left a brand new jar of flux open in his garage over one humid summer. When he came back to it a few weeks later, it had separated into a watery liquid with this thick, grainy sludge at the bottom. He tried stirring it back together but it just clumped up like bad mayonnaise. Had to throw the whole thing out and buy a fresh batch. He told me he never leaves the lid off more than a few seconds now, even if he's just grabbing a dab.