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Pro tip: check the flux before you use it on a vintage board
I wasted 3 hours and ruined a 1970s Marantz receiver because I grabbed a bottle of flux that had gone bad. It was sitting on my shelf for maybe 4 years and turned acidic, ate right through a trace. Cost me about $80 in parts to undo the damage. Anyone else ever get burned by old flux or am I the only one?
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scott.alex1d ago
Learned that lesson the hard way too, test strips now live in my tray always.
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kevin_williams1d ago
Check your flux's pH with a cheap test strip before using it on anything valuable.
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craig.parker1d ago
Yikes, that pH strip tip is actually pretty smart. I never would have thought of checking that, but it makes total sense for old gear. Might start keeping a pack in my tool drawer just for peace of mind.
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