Not usually, it is too strong for delicate PCB work.
Why do you want to use flux on the PCB?
If it is a home made PCB (bare copper), clean it up with a mild abrasive and then use a solder through coating. If the PCB is commercially made they are usually HASL finished (solder plated) so do not need flux.
Modern Solders are usually rosin cored which acts as a flux anyway so do not need extra flux.
Why do you want to use flux on the PCB?
If it is a home made PCB (bare copper), clean it up with a mild abrasive and then use a solder through coating. If the PCB is commercially made they are usually HASL finished (solder plated) so do not need flux.
Modern Solders are usually rosin cored which acts as a flux anyway so do not need extra flux.
Depends on the type of plumbing flux. There are two types: one is a white ZnCl2 based flux, the other is basically rosin paste. The rosin paste is 100% OK to use. It's the same stuff that is in rosin-core solder. The ZnCl2 paste is 100% BAD to use. The ZnCl2 leeches into the board and can turn the insulating board conducting. It is impossible to remove once used.
Not 'could', WILL destroy the board. A fellow at work mistakenly used plumbing flux on board repair. The boards had to be tossed out - about $1500 each.
I also recommend cleaning off rosin fluxes after repairs as the old flux may burn and turn in to unplanned resistors.
When I repair SMD parts, I clean the board after the old part removal, put flux on each pad using a flux pen, place the part, solder it down and clean off the flux.
G²
No don't use the same flux. It will destroy your board. Soldering plumbing and electronics are very different. I would recommend using a good electrical solder with a rosin core like this one: .025" dia. Sn63/Pb37 Rosin Based Wire Solder (1 lb. Spool). You will have to clean the flux off though when your done. They do make no clean wire solder like this one: .020" dia. Sn63/Pb37 No Clean Wire Solder (1 lb. Spool). Which you wouldn't have to clean it when your done. I personally haven't used it but I know it's out there.
Hope that helped!
Hope that helped!
If you need a good paste flux, The stuff that Radio Shack carries works great!!
It comes in a short plastic can and is Cat. No. 64-022 Non Spill Paste Rosin Soldering Flux.
2 oz. Non-Spill Rosin Soldering Paste Flux : Soldering Tools & Supplies | RadioShack.com
I used it on my very first SMD project and it turned out excellent!!!
As seen here,
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/equi...-free-hand-soldering-article.html#post3980567
FWIW
jer
It comes in a short plastic can and is Cat. No. 64-022 Non Spill Paste Rosin Soldering Flux.
2 oz. Non-Spill Rosin Soldering Paste Flux : Soldering Tools & Supplies | RadioShack.com
I used it on my very first SMD project and it turned out excellent!!!
As seen here,
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/equi...-free-hand-soldering-article.html#post3980567
FWIW
jer
Why would you give such bad advice? Flux is an essential part of soldering properly. Whether you can get by with the flux in the solder or you use extra, it has to be there. I can't think of any reason to not use electronics grade flux when soldering.
Anyone who tries soldering electronic components with solid wire solder will soon give-up! It’s nearly impossible. Fortunately the major manufactures of rosin core solder, such as Kester, Multicore, and others include the correct amount of flux for everyday hand soldering. Sometimes additional flux is very helpful when soldering to certain alloys, or when some mild corrosion is present, as is often the case with old copper wire.
Kester makes a very handy pen loaded with 10ml. of flux, that’s applied through a felt tip. They sell for about $5, or slightly less from Amazon. The only drawback to this handy applicator is that after a year or two, the tip will clog with dried flux. I’ve found that simply soaking the tip in lacquer thinner for a minute or so resolves the problem, and it’s good for another year or two.
Kester makes a very handy pen loaded with 10ml. of flux, that’s applied through a felt tip. They sell for about $5, or slightly less from Amazon. The only drawback to this handy applicator is that after a year or two, the tip will clog with dried flux. I’ve found that simply soaking the tip in lacquer thinner for a minute or so resolves the problem, and it’s good for another year or two.
Flux is essential for flowing certain joints, and surely helps with all of them. I have always done what I was taught by my good friend and true old-school tech and dip my iron tip in pure rosin flux before every joint. I have never gotten a big flux mess on a joint with this method and it makes the solder flow much more readily.
OK I left "could" in, since the exact flux was undefined, and knowing my luck there would be some obscure type of plumbers flux that was perfectly benign to printed circuit boards that someone would bring up as an example to prove that I was incorrect......
;-)
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