Introduction: Make Your Own Eco-friendly Soldering Flux

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About: I am a distant relative of the Apache Warrior Geronimo. I enjoy working with electronics, wood, metal and gold. I love the flashes of inspiration I get after mulling over a problem. I'm a foodie and create …

Flux is used in soldering to remove oxides from the contacts of the parts to be soldered together. Fluxes can be made from hydrochloric acid, zinc chloride or rosin. Here is a simple and easy homemade rosin flux made from pine cones.

Step 1: Go Shopping!

Only two ingredients are required:

10 to 15 pine cones with pine tar (sap) on the ends of the cone leaves (found around pine trees)
1 Quart Denatured Ethyl Alcohol (found in the wild at a hardware store or you could distill your own)

Tools required:

2) Metal or plastic containers with a lid (coffee cans work great - consume coffee first)
1) Pair of rubber gloves (removed from kitchen without Mom's knowledge - disavow later)
1) Tea strainer (likewise but wash after using and return to kitchen under cover of darkness)
White coffee filters
Scissors or shears
Empty Bactine bottle for application
24 hours

Step 2: Mix It Up

Rinse the two containers with a little alcohol to remove any coffee grounds.

Cut the cone leaves from the pine cones and place them in one of the containers.

Pour the alcohol over the cone leaves making sure they are submerged. Save the empty can for storage of your finished product.

Cover and let soak overnight.

Step 3: Refine Your Product

Stir the container of cone leaves and alcohol to insure that all the sap has dissolved.

Place the strainer over the top of the empty coffee can and pour the contents of the cone mixture through the strainer to remove large pieces of debris.

Throw away the debris in the strainer and the remaining pine cone debris in the can and rinse the can with clean alcohol.

Place a white coffee filter in the strainer. Place the strainer on the clean coffee can and slowly pour the contents of the strained liquid through the filter.

The liquid will be light amber in color and smell of pine.

Filter again if you like and /or bottle your product in the empty alcohol container. Use a small bottle with an attached dropper (like an empty Bactine spray bottle) for applying your flux to your project before soldering. Yeah!