SparkFun Forums

[upand_at_them]

What's a good solder paste for SMD? And will it come in one of those precise syringes?

Mike

[sparky]

Kesler? Easy 256.

We don't use syringes around here - laser cut stencils instead...

-Nathan

[MGP]

I use Kester 256 also. Great stuff and stores well too. I put mine in a ziploc bag, roll it up and then seal it in a second ziploc bag. Store in the fridge. I have a syringe from mid-2003 that's still good and still works fine.

Digikey sells plunger handles for the syringes cheap and I imagine others like Technitool or Jensen Tools do also. I bought several sizes of Luer-Lock plastic dispansing tips that screw right onto the syringe when I bought my first tube of paste and will probably never run out. They came in boxes of 50, I think and I bought 18, 20 and 22 ga. tips. I generally use the smallest 22 ga. tips for most of my IC's and chip parts.

[moorejl]

I have been using Kester R500 water soluable paste with good results. Warm water and a toothbrush is all that is need to remove the flux.

Using a free EFD dispense kit with 23 metal tip. Thinking about goint to a sceen print stencil given I was a screen printer back in the 80's. Using a syringe is really tedious.

[Oznog]

Zephytronics makes a good paste for SMD hand rework. Great stuff and they're very helpful.

[nall]

Kesler? Easy 256.
We don't use syringes around here - laser cut stencils instead...

sparky, if you have a minute, could you elaborate on how this works?

[sparky]

I was working on the new solder paste stenciling tutorial - but I had to post on the forum... Now I'm checking new posts (quite a few!).

Check the homepage in the next couple days. Tutorial should be up soon.

-Nathan