How to clean pcbs after soldering?

[The Tone God]

Anyone who suggests acetone for cleaning boards after soldering should be punished by spending over a week chasing electrical "ghosts". Acetone reacts with some fluxes making them semi-conductive. Think of having thousands of invisible capacitors connecting everything together. Life will suck real hard when the situation happens. This is life experience speaking.

Bottom line: Bad idea.

Andrew

[tranceracer]

 :icon_eek:Thanks for the tip! I didn't know that, though I haven't run into that problem (yet), guess I've been lucky! 

[soulsonic]

Water and a toothbrush works good for mild fluxes - just be sure to dry the board off after you're done. I've seen people use compressed air to do the drying.
For more intense fluxes, that spray flux cleaner stuff works great and evaporates well.

[rogeryu_ph]

Ok after cleaning it what do you suggest to retain the pcb back from corrosive... that grean stuff at copper side.
Can I use clear vanish or clear coat spray? or clear nail polish of my wife Sometime not expensive and available would be smart and nice.....

Cheers,
Roger 

[The Tone God]

:icon_eek:Thanks for the tip! I didn't know that, though I haven't run into that problem (yet), guess I've been lucky! 

No prob. Most of the time with the boards we work with, meaning analog and wide open traces, one would not notice the effect much but once you get into tight and/or high speed digital then it will be a nightmare. I used to do just that for a few years in my early days for that purpose without issue then I hit that problem. Man did I kick myself when I figured it out. So now its better off just avoiding the situation. Plus some boards based material will react with acetone making a stick mess.



Andrew

[MartyMart]

The solder I use ( lead free maplins special code N30AR) seems to leave an easily removable flux residue.
After 5/10 minutes it's dry and "crispy" and comes off even with the edge of my fingernail !
Otherwise I use any small tool from a swiss army knife to "crack" it off the board, followed by
a small toothbrush and a wipe with Isopropyl alcohol on a cotton bud - evaporates and leaves
zero residue.
After a few minutes work there's hardly a trace of flux at all.

MM.

[Naz Nomad]

Ok after cleaning it what do you suggest to retain the pcb back from corrosive... that grean stuff at copper side.
Can I use clear vanish or clear coat spray? or clear nail polish of my wife Sometime not expensive and available would be smart and nice.....

Cheers,
Roger 

Wax ... all you need is a candle and a match.


I'm serious btw

[littlefunky]

Hi.I use selulosic(?) thinner and teeth brush for the cleaning pcb.I suggest you.Same time it will protect your pcb.Sorry for horrable English.

[rogeryu_ph]

Wax ... all you need is a candle and a match.

Meaning I just lit the candle and pour drops on the whole back of PCB This is cheap, will the candle stay for long?
Thanks Naz,
Roger