Getting Started Soldering - Flux
Hello again, this week let’s talk about flux.
Flux is a chemical that helps solder to flow. Without flux the solder will not flow. It is imperative to your soldering process. (Did you know the word flux is derived from Latin fluxus meaning "flow"! ?) It also reduces oxidation which helps to keep the metal clean - another imperative to soldering. There are far too many different types of flux on the market for me to cover all of them here so I’ll just cover today.
When you begin to solder you add a layer of flux to the metal, and as you heat the metal the flux will turn matte and then transparent, almost glassy - at which point the solder is ready to flow. Flux has to be removed with pickle and depending on the type you are using will off gas fluorides when heated. These are toxic fumes and should not be inhaled.
Different types of Flux:
You can get liquid flux, paste flux, flux that contains solder, chemical flux and more natural flux like borax and denatured alcohol). Each type of flux will have a specific use and I recommended reading the manufacturers information when making your choices.
The flux I use for silver soldering is Handy flux and the flux I use for brass and 14k gold-filled is borax and denatured alcohol. I’ll go into more detail about each of these in different blog in the upcoming weeks so stay tuned.
Let me know what you think in the comments or if you have a favourite flux - I’d love to know about it.
You can also read my other blogs here.
