I also have a 20 year old, 0.5mm solder I had at high school. It really still seems to work well. But I don’t know if years changed the flux it has, flux goes dark quickly with heat.
I use a Q Tip soaked in alcohol to clean off the remaining flux
Qtip w alcohol works well, all I use. I forgot I have some 0.3mm solder too, for the tiny SMD and no-lead chips.
For cleaning RMA Solder Flux, go buy a fifth of EverClear 190 (Yes, from the liquor store). The high purity Ethanol will cut through the flux residue much faster than isopropyl.
PPtk
Plus it makes a wicked screwdriver… :party:
I seriously can’t even imagine drinking a screwdriver made with Everclear 190. Holy hangover.
PPtk
Maybe I'll pick up a bottle tomorrow. Half for cleaning flux, the other half for a good time :)
Sadly, I don’t believe EverClear is legal to sell in New York State. I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure NY is one of the (nanny) states that doesn’t trust it’s citizens with high-proof alcohol.
I am, however, 99% sure that you can buy it in NJ. It’s only illegal to SELL in NY, not to possess - so if you pick some up in NJ, there is no problem bringing it home.
I hope I’m wrong and you can get it at the liquor store.
PPtk
as far as i know, at least in maine, you can only buy it on base. ever try jello shots made with everclear? how do they actually set up? the world may never know, but they do f u up, i know that much. and a shot of everclear??? who ever willingly does that more than once has my respect
Back in the dark ages Control Data made a neat disk drive called the 808. It used 26” diameter platters. It was infamous from crashing the heads. The machine had a crane for removing the platter stacks. The crashed platters were famously popular for making coffee tables (damn, I wish I still had mine). When a head crashed the other platters in the stack had to be cleaned. Everclear was the official cleaning fluid. The techs would sit the platter on a stand, pour on some Everclear, take a swig, polish for a while. Lather, rinse, repeat ad nauseous.
CDC also had a drive that used 1 meter (39”) diameter platters…
Last time I checked, it wasn’t legal to sell 190 in Michigan…
I picked some up in KCMO for about 8 bucks cheaper than the 151 here, but it’s bottled is St Louis, so that helps. 
Well I already have IPA for this purpose. But if you say it is better
BTW, I have some paste solder I had from DX. I use this to secure leds on pcbs as it melts easily. Everybody told me that a paste solder would go off so soon but I keep mine refrigerated and it performs well after almost two years. It thickens when it is cold but softens when out. I also added some no clean flux to the paste and now it is easily squeezable out of a syringe.
I’ve never seen any statute in Michigan that would make it illegal - but then again, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if it were.
I buy it from here Wine Store - Shoppers Vineyard
mostly because when I was originally looking for it, all of the liquor stores I tried just said they didn’t carry it… I ordered it there, and have been ordering it from there ever since.
PPtk
You know, I could have swore we were on the list
Sorry for the misinformation. I know at the very least that all the stores I looked at that even had Everclear, only had 151.
My new best friend. I took a couple of swigs and damn!!, this stuff is powerful!! BTW, my liquor store didn't have Everclear. He said this was the same..
Yep, that’s exactly the same as EverClear 190.
Cuts flux like crazy, doesn’t it
Ummm.. I'm too drunk right now to try lol!
Hahahaha
interesting, looks like the ethanol we use in our lab. Wouldn’t ever consider drinking it, too many bad lack of memories from drinking vodka as a student.
3mm leaded. Because that’s what I have. Unleaded solder is a PITA for me.