A few years ago, I discovered the existence of resin flux and liquid solder. They come in the form of syringe-like containers. You can dispense them using the plunger as if it was a syringe. If the plastic was too weak or too tall, you then have the choice of using those aluminum ones. I did not think much about them, as they’re used mostly in the mobile phone industry.
But them, as my circuit design used smaller and smaller components, soldering them took ages due because I was using a pencil tipped bit to solder them. I had to check every component to make sure the soldering was perfect or else the circuit would not work. It was only when I started to veer towards reflow soldering and repairing my own circuits that started to take interest in these dispensers.
Using the straight plunger was never the ideal solution as I surmised that my short thumb can tire very fast. And so, I had to get one that has moving parts and I’ve never looked back since. I’ve been using the extruder tool for quite some time, mainly for dispensing resin for SMD component removal and soldering. And now, it’s time I got one for the solder paste.
THE RELIFE RL-062A
Lately, the Relife brand has been popping up during my search for solder paste. And so, I decided to get one. The main difference is that I do not have to readjust the plunger every now and then. The tool was designed to get both index and middle finger (and more) to pull the trigger which then moves with very little effort. The great thing is that you control how much solder paste to dispense. And like all other tools of this kind, you cannot ‘suck’ back the excess solder or resin paste.
The smaller image shows how to hold the tool.
The first thing is to prime the extruder by moving the plunger to the opposite direction. Push the locking part (in the yellow direction) and at the same time, push/ pull the plunger.
