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Old 19th Jun 2019, 10:13 am   #17
Radio Wrangler
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Fife, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 22,868
Default Re: Poor solderability of old components, solutions?

A cheap and easily available etchant for cleaning up metal is car alloy wheel cleaner. It's basically an acid and detergent mixture. It's job is to remove iron dust build-up from the debris from brake discs and pads, try some on a tarnished penny! the effect is quite rapid. Be sure to wash the stuff off before soldering. I use 'Wonder wheels' for all sorts of cleaning jobs, and for removing tarnish before assembling old tarnished PCBs

There is also 'Oust' kettle descaler which is citric acid. This etches and cleans even quicker... I use a lot for decoking shower mixer valves as well.

David
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