Isopropyl Alcohol for Cleaning Flux

[Joe]

In one of the posts about solder, somebody mentioned CVS Drug Store for
91% isopropyl alcohol.

I just called a CVS, it's $2.79 for 16 ounces and $2.99 for 32 ounces.
That's 20 cents more for double the 16 ounce size. (This is in southern
California).


A mildly related question: In thinking about other uses for rosin, it
occurred to me that I haven't seen any pitchers using a rosin bag for
years.

Maybe it went the way of the vanishing caboose.

--- Joe

 

[William Sommerwerck]

I just called a CVS, it's $2.79 for 16 ounces and $2.99
for 32 ounces. That's 20 cents more for double the
16 ounce size. (This is in southern California).

Even the quart size is overpriced. If you're willing to wait for a sale, you
should pay no more than about $1 per pint.

A mildly related question: In thinking about other uses
for rosin, it occurred to me that I haven't seen any pitchers
using a rosin bag for years.

I can just see a pitcher tossing a roll of solder at the batter. <grin>

 

[Arfa Daily]

"Joe" <none@given.now> wrote in message
news:none-2507101756580001@dialup-4.231.173.83.dial1.losangeles1.level3.net...

In one of the posts about solder, somebody mentioned CVS Drug Store for
91% isopropyl alcohol.

I just called a CVS, it's $2.79 for 16 ounces and $2.99 for 32 ounces.
That's 20 cents more for double the 16 ounce size. (This is in southern
California).


A mildly related question: In thinking about other uses for rosin, it
occurred to me that I haven't seen any pitchers using a rosin bag for
years.

Maybe it went the way of the vanishing caboose.

--- Joe

91% IPA is not usually considered to be 'electronics grade', which should be
99.7% minimum. It's also not the most appropriate stuff for cleaning a lot
of flux, which requires a proper defluxing agent such as Electrolube Deflux
160

Arfa

 

[David Nebenzahl]

On 7/26/2010 10:30 AM Meat Plow spake thus:

On Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:57:25 +0100, Arfa Daily wrote:

"Joe" <none@given.now> wrote in message
news:none-2507101756580001@dialup-4.231.173.83.dial1.losangeles1.level3.net...

In one of the posts about solder, somebody mentioned CVS Drug Store for
91% isopropyl alcohol.

I just called a CVS, it's $2.79 for 16 ounces and $2.99 for 32 ounces.
That's 20 cents more for double the 16 ounce size. (This is in southern
California).

91% IPA is not usually considered to be 'electronics grade', which
should be 99.7% minimum. It's also not the most appropriate stuff for
cleaning a lot of flux, which requires a proper defluxing agent such as
Electrolube Deflux 160

91 leaves a bit of residue in certain cases. After reading the
ingredients on a can of Flux-Off spray flux stripper I thought why not
just use 91 isoprop. It usually does work in conjunction with a
toothbrush. But like I said can leave a residue.

Why mess around with isopropyl alcohol at all, since all of it contains
*some* water? Use denatured alcohol (methanol) instead, in a
tightly-capped container to guard against absorbing moisture.


--
The fashion in killing has an insouciant, flirty style this spring,
with the flaunting of well-defined muscle, wrapped in flags.

- Comment from an article on Antiwar.com (http://antiwar.com)

 

[GregS]

In article <4c4dc8ea$0$2390$822641b3@news.adtechcomputers.com>, David Nebenzahl <nobody@but.us.chickens> wrote:

On 7/26/2010 10:30 AM Meat Plow spake thus:

On Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:57:25 +0100, Arfa Daily wrote:

"Joe" <none@given.now> wrote in message

news:none-2507101756580001@dialup-4.231.173.83.dial1.losangeles1.level3.net...

In one of the posts about solder, somebody mentioned CVS Drug Store for
91% isopropyl alcohol.

I just called a CVS, it's $2.79 for 16 ounces and $2.99 for 32 ounces.
That's 20 cents more for double the 16 ounce size. (This is in southern
California).

91% IPA is not usually considered to be 'electronics grade', which
should be 99.7% minimum. It's also not the most appropriate stuff for
cleaning a lot of flux, which requires a proper defluxing agent such as
Electrolube Deflux 160

91 leaves a bit of residue in certain cases. After reading the
ingredients on a can of Flux-Off spray flux stripper I thought why not
just use 91 isoprop. It usually does work in conjunction with a
toothbrush. But like I said can leave a residue.

Why mess around with isopropyl alcohol at all, since all of it contains
*some* water? Use denatured alcohol (methanol) instead, in a
tightly-capped container to guard against absorbing moisture.

That would be fine if you used it in ZERO humidity.
Its not worth the trouble using 99.99%
95% is a very good figure. I actually use the NON-denatured stuff.
I don't buy it, but the medical labs buy it.. Its safer than 99%
stuff due to dryers contamination as far as drinking. The
The denatured stuff probably has more residue.

Seems to me methanol has the ability to harm some materials
its used on.


I also have a 4L bottle of isoproypal 99.5% .001% residue
which is nice. I will ALWAYS have water on the board
after cleaning just from room humidity. I usually take
a hot air gun or pistol to heat dry the board
or put it under an incandesant light bulb.

A possible source for cleaning boards, gas tank alcohol, "dry gas"
probably mostly isopropal alcohol, probably 98% or better.

greg

 

[David Nebenzahl]

On 7/26/2010 11:49 AM Geoffrey S. Mendelson spake thus:

GregS wrote:

95% is a very good figure. I actually use the NON-denatured stuff.

How about the drinking stuff? (95% "grain" alcohol).

Here I can by a "fifth" (750ml) for less than 250ml of 70% Isopropyl.

Well, that's ethanol, which should also work fine, so long as you don't
mind the 5% water.


--
The fashion in killing has an insouciant, flirty style this spring,
with the flaunting of well-defined muscle, wrapped in flags.

- Comment from an article on Antiwar.com (http://antiwar.com)

 

[GregS]

In article <slrni4rlsb.9v8.gsm@cable.mendelson.com>, gsm@mendelson.com wrote:

GregS wrote:

95% is a very good figure. I actually use the NON-denatured stuff.

How about the drinking stuff? (95% "grain" alcohol).

Here I can by a "fifth" (750ml) for less than 250ml of 70% Isopropyl.

Yes I was reffering to the ethanol drinkable stuff that is not taxed.
Been used for years in medical parties.

greg

 

[Meat Plow]

On Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:57:25 +0100, Arfa Daily wrote:

"Joe" <none@given.now> wrote in message

news:none-2507101756580001@dialup-4.231.173.83.dial1.losangeles1.level3.net...
In one of the posts about solder, somebody mentioned CVS Drug Store for
91% isopropyl alcohol.

I just called a CVS, it's $2.79 for 16 ounces and $2.99 for 32 ounces.
That's 20 cents more for double the 16 ounce size. (This is in southern
California).


A mildly related question: In thinking about other uses for rosin, it
occurred to me that I haven't seen any pitchers using a rosin bag for
years.

Maybe it went the way of the vanishing caboose.

--- Joe

91% IPA is not usually considered to be 'electronics grade', which
should be 99.7% minimum. It's also not the most appropriate stuff for
cleaning a lot of flux, which requires a proper defluxing agent such as
Electrolube Deflux 160

Arfa

91 leaves a bit of residue in certain cases. After reading the
ingredients on a can of Flux-Off spray flux stripper I thought why not
just use 91 isoprop. It usually does work in conjunction with a
toothbrush. But like I said can leave a residue.

 

[pimpom]

David Nebenzahl wrote:

On 7/26/2010 11:49 AM Geoffrey S. Mendelson spake thus:

GregS wrote:

95% is a very good figure. I actually use the NON-denatured
stuff.

How about the drinking stuff? (95% "grain" alcohol).

Here I can by a "fifth" (750ml) for less than 250ml of 70%
Isopropyl.

Well, that's ethanol, which should also work fine, so long as
you
don't mind the 5% water.

I use medical or denatured alcohol as a general-purpose cleaning
solution. When I need stronger stuff, such as on cruds of old and
hardened flux or when there's simply lots of it, I use automobile
paint thinner. Wiping with a piece of cloth or cotton wool is
usually enough and I rarely need to scrub with a brush.

The thinner can dissolve some plastics though. So some care is
needed, as is good ventilation. It looks and feels somewhat oily
but dries very quickly. A one-liter can costs about $3 US here.

 

[GregS]

In article <i2knq7$6ls$1@news.albasani.net>, "pimpom" <pimpom@invalid.invalid> wrote:

David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 7/26/2010 11:49 AM Geoffrey S. Mendelson spake thus:

GregS wrote:

95% is a very good figure. I actually use the NON-denatured
stuff.

How about the drinking stuff? (95% "grain" alcohol).

Here I can by a "fifth" (750ml) for less than 250ml of 70%
Isopropyl.

Well, that's ethanol, which should also work fine, so long as
you
don't mind the 5% water.

I use medical or denatured alcohol as a general-purpose cleaning
solution. When I need stronger stuff, such as on cruds of old and
hardened flux or when there's simply lots of it, I use automobile
paint thinner. Wiping with a piece of cloth or cotton wool is
usually enough and I rarely need to scrub with a brush.

The thinner can dissolve some plastics though. So some care is
needed, as is good ventilation. It looks and feels somewhat oily
but dries very quickly. A one-liter can costs about $3 US here.

I got some spray heavy duty flux remover with freon like component,
methelyne chloride, ethanol, and another component.
Its useless for regular cleaning. It dries too fast. I never had the
need to use other than alcohol for flux remover. When I
worked in a factory "DEC" in 1969, they had like washtubs with
spigots, and turn on the spigot out poured "TRI",
trichloroethane. It worked well. I still have a can around saying safety solvent.
Sometimes we would try to fix their modules, for some forgotten reason,
to fix a computer problem.

I also remember fellow in our section, working on something new, computer
"terminal monitors". There was some kind of problem, and he was taking some
boards into the mens room to wash them off. i guess they worked after that.That
was an interesting section with monitors, modems, and UARTS, and the PDP 8i
About 7 people.

I remember they used to sell cans about the size of paint sprays filled
with trichloroethane , sold as fire extinguishers.

greg

 

[Geoffrey S. Mendelson]

GregS wrote:

95% is a very good figure. I actually use the NON-denatured stuff.

How about the drinking stuff? (95% "grain" alcohol).

Here I can by a "fifth" (750ml) for less than 250ml of 70% Isopropyl.

Geoff.

--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson N3OWJ/4X1GM
To help restaurants, as part of the "stimulus package", everyone must order
dessert. As part of the socialized health plan, you are forbidden to eat it.

 

[Geoffrey S. Mendelson]

GregS wrote:

Yes I was reffering to the ethanol drinkable stuff that is not taxed.
Been used for years in medical parties.

For some strange reason, the cheapest booze you can buy in Israel is the
95% it costs about 25 NIS a fifth, around $6 INCLUDING TAXES.

Geoff.

--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson N3OWJ/4X1GM
To help restaurants, as part of the "stimulus package", everyone must order
dessert. As part of the socialized health plan, you are forbidden to eat it.

 

[krw@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz]

On Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:04:22 GMT, zekfrivo@zekfrivolous.com (GregS) wrote:

In article <slrni4rlsb.9v8.gsm@cable.mendelson.com>, gsm@mendelson.com wrote:
GregS wrote:

95% is a very good figure. I actually use the NON-denatured stuff.

How about the drinking stuff? (95% "grain" alcohol).

Here I can by a "fifth" (750ml) for less than 250ml of 70% Isopropyl.



Yes I was reffering to the ethanol drinkable stuff that is not taxed.
Been used for years in medical parties.

Not a wise move. The un-taxed stuff (not for human consumption) often
contains benzene.

 

[Arfa Daily]

"pimpom" <pimpom@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:i2knq7$6ls$1@news.albasani.net...

David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 7/26/2010 11:49 AM Geoffrey S. Mendelson spake thus:

GregS wrote:

95% is a very good figure. I actually use the NON-denatured stuff.

How about the drinking stuff? (95% "grain" alcohol).

Here I can by a "fifth" (750ml) for less than 250ml of 70% Isopropyl.

Well, that's ethanol, which should also work fine, so long as you
don't mind the 5% water.

I use medical or denatured alcohol as a general-purpose cleaning solution.
When I need stronger stuff, such as on cruds of old and hardened flux or
when there's simply lots of it, I use automobile paint thinner. Wiping
with a piece of cloth or cotton wool is usually enough and I rarely need
to scrub with a brush.

The thinner can dissolve some plastics though. So some care is needed, as
is good ventilation. It looks and feels somewhat oily but dries very
quickly. A one-liter can costs about $3 US here.

Hope you never use it on a board that's got a lacquer type coating on it
then ... :-\

What amazes me, and I can't understand, is why all of these 'substitute'
chemicals are used by people, when the proper ones, designed for the job,
are really not expensive in the first place

Arfa

 

[Sergey Kubushyn]

In sci.electronics.repair Arfa Daily <arfa.daily@ntlworld.com> wrote:

"pimpom" <pimpom@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:i2knq7$6ls$1@news.albasani.net...
David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 7/26/2010 11:49 AM Geoffrey S. Mendelson spake thus:

GregS wrote:

95% is a very good figure. I actually use the NON-denatured stuff.

How about the drinking stuff? (95% "grain" alcohol).

Here I can by a "fifth" (750ml) for less than 250ml of 70% Isopropyl.

Well, that's ethanol, which should also work fine, so long as you
don't mind the 5% water.

I use medical or denatured alcohol as a general-purpose cleaning solution.
When I need stronger stuff, such as on cruds of old and hardened flux or
when there's simply lots of it, I use automobile paint thinner. Wiping
with a piece of cloth or cotton wool is usually enough and I rarely need
to scrub with a brush.

The thinner can dissolve some plastics though. So some care is needed, as
is good ventilation. It looks and feels somewhat oily but dries very
quickly. A one-liter can costs about $3 US here.


Hope you never use it on a board that's got a lacquer type coating on it
then ... :-\

What amazes me, and I can't understand, is why all of these 'substitute'
chemicals are used by people, when the proper ones, designed for the job,
are really not expensive in the first place

Another question is why do they try to clean rosin with pure alcohol that is
extremely ineffective for that purpose?

The ad-hoc solution that is cheap and works really well is a mix of 60%
denaturated alcohol with 40% Xylene from a hardware store. Pure alcohol is a
very bad solvent for rosin flux, very slow and leaving a lot of white
residue.

And it only makes sense to invent something homebrew if very good flux
remover in aerosol cans is really unavailable. Otherwise just go grab a can
at your local Fry's (or whatever) and enjoy.

---
******************************************************************
* KSI@home KOI8 Net < > The impossible we do immediately. *
* Las Vegas NV, USA < > Miracles require 24-hour notice. *
******************************************************************

 

[Jon Danniken]

David Nebenzahl wrote:

Why mess around with isopropyl alcohol at all, since all of it
contains *some* water? Use denatured alcohol (methanol) instead, in a
tightly-capped container to guard against absorbing moisture.

Perhaps it is different where you live, but here in the US, denatured
alcohol is not methanol; it is, instead, ethanol with a denaturant added.
The denaturant can be methanol, or it can be any number of other chemicals,
so long as it is sufficiently adulterated to prevent a person from using it
for ingestion.

Jon

 

[pimpom]

Arfa Daily wrote:

"pimpom" <pimpom@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:i2knq7$6ls$1@news.albasani.net...
David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 7/26/2010 11:49 AM Geoffrey S. Mendelson spake thus:

GregS wrote:

95% is a very good figure. I actually use the NON-denatured
stuff.

How about the drinking stuff? (95% "grain" alcohol).

Here I can by a "fifth" (750ml) for less than 250ml of 70%
Isopropyl.

Well, that's ethanol, which should also work fine, so long as
you
don't mind the 5% water.

I use medical or denatured alcohol as a general-purpose
cleaning
solution. When I need stronger stuff, such as on cruds of old
and
hardened flux or when there's simply lots of it, I use
automobile
paint thinner. Wiping with a piece of cloth or cotton wool is
usually enough and I rarely need to scrub with a brush.

The thinner can dissolve some plastics though. So some care is
needed, as is good ventilation. It looks and feels somewhat
oily but
dries very quickly. A one-liter can costs about $3 US here.


Hope you never use it on a board that's got a lacquer type
coating on
it then ... :-\

I do take care to use it only where it won't do damage. The "some
plastics" was just an example.

What amazes me, and I can't understand, is why all of these
'substitute' chemicals are used by people, when the proper
ones,
designed for the job, are really not expensive in the first
place

Some people use the substitutes because they don't know better.

Others have good reasons: The "proper" ones are not easily
available in many parts of the world, including mine. And the
thinner serves other useful purposes too. It's a good
general-purpose solvent.

 

[Arfa Daily]

"Sergey Kubushyn" <ksi@koi8.net> wrote in message
news:i2lakl$du0$1@speranza.aioe.org...

In sci.electronics.repair Arfa Daily <arfa.daily@ntlworld.com> wrote:


"pimpom" <pimpom@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:i2knq7$6ls$1@news.albasani.net...
David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 7/26/2010 11:49 AM Geoffrey S. Mendelson spake thus:

GregS wrote:

95% is a very good figure. I actually use the NON-denatured stuff.

How about the drinking stuff? (95% "grain" alcohol).

Here I can by a "fifth" (750ml) for less than 250ml of 70% Isopropyl.

Well, that's ethanol, which should also work fine, so long as you
don't mind the 5% water.

I use medical or denatured alcohol as a general-purpose cleaning
solution.
When I need stronger stuff, such as on cruds of old and hardened flux or
when there's simply lots of it, I use automobile paint thinner. Wiping
with a piece of cloth or cotton wool is usually enough and I rarely need
to scrub with a brush.

The thinner can dissolve some plastics though. So some care is needed,
as
is good ventilation. It looks and feels somewhat oily but dries very
quickly. A one-liter can costs about $3 US here.


Hope you never use it on a board that's got a lacquer type coating on it
then ... :-\

What amazes me, and I can't understand, is why all of these 'substitute'
chemicals are used by people, when the proper ones, designed for the job,
are really not expensive in the first place

Another question is why do they try to clean rosin with pure alcohol that
is
extremely ineffective for that purpose?

The ad-hoc solution that is cheap and works really well is a mix of 60%
denaturated alcohol with 40% Xylene from a hardware store. Pure alcohol is
a
very bad solvent for rosin flux, very slow and leaving a lot of white
residue.

And it only makes sense to invent something homebrew if very good flux
remover in aerosol cans is really unavailable. Otherwise just go grab a
can
at your local Fry's (or whatever) and enjoy.

---
******************************************************************
* KSI@home KOI8 Net < > The impossible we do immediately. *
* Las Vegas NV, USA < > Miracles require 24-hour notice. *
******************************************************************

Yes, the fact that it's not very good for some types of flux - rosin as you
say - was one of my original points. Alcohol is fine for cleaning general
crud and sticky things and greasy things, and I keep a can of Electrolube
99.7% electronics grade IPA for just those purposes, but I also keep a can
of proper defluxer for, well .... defluxing ....

Arfa

 

[William Sommerwerck]

In the US, denatured alcohol is not methanol; it's ethanol
with a denaturant. The denaturant can be methanol, or
a number of other chemicals, as long as it's sufficiently
adulterated to prevent a person from using it for ingestion.

"using it for ingestion" = "drinking it" You will soon be visited by
Jacques Barzun and put to death in a most unpleasant manner.

Methanol is wood alcohol. It _is_ drinkable -- but poisonous. Among other
things, it causes blindness.

I've never tasted denatured alcohol -- a few drops are harmless -- so I
don't understand why denatured alcohol is "undrinkable".

 

[GregS]

In article <g31s46p08a2d3iasq94q31guq46k07n7ra@4ax.com>, "krw@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz" <krw@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz> wrote:

On Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:04:22 GMT, zekfrivo@zekfrivolous.com (GregS) wrote:

In article <slrni4rlsb.9v8.gsm@cable.mendelson.com>, gsm@mendelson.com wrote:
GregS wrote:

95% is a very good figure. I actually use the NON-denatured stuff.

How about the drinking stuff? (95% "grain" alcohol).

Here I can by a "fifth" (750ml) for less than 250ml of 70% Isopropyl.



Yes I was reffering to the ethanol drinkable stuff that is not taxed.
Been used for years in medical parties.

Not a wise move. The un-taxed stuff (not for human consumption) often
contains benzene.

Thats the 99% stuff that contains benzene.

greg