I keep seeing people skip the flux step on basic soldering jobs

Worked on a 2018 MacBook Pro board last week where someone tried a reflow with just solder, no extra flux. The joints looked terrible and cold. I know the solder wire has flux inside, but for anything more than a fresh wire splice, you need that extra paste. It cleans the pads and makes the solder flow right. How many of you still think the core flux is enough for board work?

3 comments

3 Comments

eric_morgan592mo ago

Ever tried fixing one of those botched jobs?

val_craig372mo ago

Wait, they tried a reflow with just the solder wire's core flux?

beth7192mo ago

Yeah, seen that exact thing. It never works and just makes a bigger mess to clean up.