My Cheapo Chineese 3020t mini CNC Build (more like improvements) leanring all the way

[ravihotwok]

solder sucker bought and arriving monday

[A_Camera]

solder sucker bought and arriving monday

Very good. Make good use of it, buy a few spare tip and filters also.

[Lee Roberts]

Ravi,

Just a couple of notes:

1. There is to much solder on each one
2. Get yourself some soldering flux, liquid preferable

The flux and soldering go hand in hand, when the solder "flows" better (you'll see the diffrence) because of the flux, it just works and you'll see what I mean about there being to much on each joint.

Flux isn't cheap depending on what you get, however if you get liquid flux you simply apply a very small amount, so it last's a long time.

If you keep application to a minimum you wont need to do a lot of clean up, in fact look for no-clean flux, I like to use isopropanol alcohol to clean any soldering/pcb jobs I do.

Links below for what I use, just dip your tip in the Kalafonia tin before each pass.

ALCOHOL BASED SOLDERING LIQUID FLUX SMD/RMA REWORK, REFLOW, REBALL, NO CLEAN

COLOPHONY/KALAFONIA Limited offer 40g for the price 20g tin Solid soldering flux

IPA 100% | 1 LITRE | Lab/Pharma. Grade | Isopropyl Alcohol/Isopropanol (99%) 1L

Look forward to seeing the rework :)

[ravihotwok]

sakes lads ive just bought some flux but its hard stuff, will up load a pic in a mo. Im going to spend sat afternoon redoing these solders, thanks for explaining it in detail, I thought it balled due to me putting enough into the area and the solder had no where else to go so created the ball. Now I know this isnt the case and can revisit it with the knowledge of what im trying to achieve.

On another note, I want to buy new steppers a mine appear to be proper crap. Any recommendations for 3 motors that will fit my machine? budget of £120 for all 3?

[Lee Roberts]

sakes lads ive just bought some flux but its hard stuff, will up load a pic in a mo.

Ok, well the better value option to what I linked would be to buy some solid Rosin like this eBay - Rosin Resin and mix it with the Isopropyl I linked to above, brake the rosin up and add to the Iso untill your happy with the viscosity.

Here is a video on that:



Don't know what flux you've got but i'm sure you can change its viscosity, again the Isopropyl is what you want but nail varnish remover is made from Acetone and Isopropyl is what you get from the Hydrogenation of Acetone, if you've got some nail varnish remover you could try mixing some with the flux you have already, keep in mind though that they put perfumes and other softeners in nail varnish remover so it wouldn't be the purest of fluxes.

I would just order some Isopropyl, its so handy for other things, Hexa the company I linked don't mess about so it should be with you sharpish.

On another note, I want to buy new steppers a mine appear to be proper crap. Any recommendations for 3 motors that will fit my machine? budget of £120 for all 3?

CNC4YOU is still the best place both on price and service, the motors are of the lowest inductance we can find vs other things, link below.

Link: https://www.cnc4you.co.uk/Stepper-Mo...YGH301B-Nema23

[m_c]

If you're soldering new components, the flux in common solder should be more than enough to ensure a good solder joint. Any common solder you buy for electronics should be flux cored.

It must be over 10 years since I last used separate flux, and that was dealing with vehicle earth points that had been exposed to a couple British winters. I've certainly never used it on any PCB I've soldered.

[A_Camera]

If you're soldering new components, the flux in common solder should be more than enough to ensure a good solder joint. Any common solder you buy for electronics should be flux cored.

It must be over 10 years since I last used separate flux, and that was dealing with vehicle earth points that had been exposed to a couple British winters. I've certainly never used it on any PCB I've soldered.

I have been working with electronics since the mid 70's and as long as I remember, there have ALWAYS been flux in the solder wires I used. I never bought any separate flux ever in my life. As far as I know, flux in liquid or hard form is only used for soldering pipes and other very large surfaces, not PCB.