Soldering consumables

Soldering consumables run out with every job: wire, flux, braid and tips. Here you will find rosin-cored lead-free solder wire in 0.8 and 1.0 mm, KEK 559 rosin flux, M35 flux paste for micro-soldering, 1.5 m of pre-fluxed desoldering braid and spare tips.

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The wire diameter and the type of flux to keep in stock for retro electronics

Choose the diameter according to the size of the pads

Rosin-cored lead-free wire comes in 0.8 and 1.0 mm. The 0.8 mm suits the tight pins of a handheld console board; the 1.0 mm is quicker on connectors and wires. Braid works the same way: the 1 to 4 mm widths on the 1.5 m roll let you wick up a single pad just as well as an excess spread along a connector.

Liquid flux and flux paste do not do the same job

KEK 559 rosin flux, in a 10 or 30 ml tube, is brushed on to prepare an area before a recap or a touch-up. M35 flux paste is thicker: it stays in place under a BGA package, on a ribbon connector or around an SMD component, which makes it the choice for micro-soldering. Using one in place of the other rarely gives a good result.

What it doesn't do

Flux does not save you from cleaning: it leaves a residue that has to be removed. The dry cleaning ball maintains the tip but does not re-tin it on its own. As for LK-128 liquid metal, it is a thermal paste for processors: it does not solder.

Soldering irons and stations · Soldering and desoldering · Capacitors and recapping · Workshop tools · ESD antistatic · Repair and restoration

Questions fréquentes

How do you use desoldering braid properly?
You lay the braid on the pad, the tip on top, and wait for the solder to wick up. The model offered here is already pre-fluxed, so as a rule nothing needs adding. Cut off the saturated section after each pass: braid soaked with solder no longer absorbs anything.
Which braid width should you choose?
The 1.5 m roll comes from 1 to 4 mm. A width of 1 or 2 mm is enough for a single pin and avoids heating the neighbouring pads. The 3 and 4 mm are for cleaning a whole row of a connector or a well-tinned area.
How long does soldering flux keep?
A rosin flux keeps for several years in a closed tube, away from heat and light. Take the 10 ml tube for occasional repairs and the 30 ml if you work through boards one after another, so as not to pay for a consumable that will age without being used.