In a message dated 02/23/2000 3:40:31 PM Central Standard Time, 
[log in to unmask] writes:

<< Hi Techneters,
 
 This questions is mostly geared towards the small manufacturers that does
 not use that much paste, but all comments are welcomed.  Most manufactures
 recommend you store your paste in a refrigerator and keep the temperature at
 32-50°F.  We do this, but since we do not use that much paste, we will open
 a jar and apply the required amount of paste on our stencil.  Our biggest
 production amount only requires us to apply paste to our stencil maybe twice
 or three times a day.  I was told by an outside source that once we open the
 jar of paste we can not put it back in the refrigerator.  One reason they
 said was we are exposing the paste to the air and once this happens you need
 to use the paste ASAP.  That's a problem for us since we do not use that
 much to begin with.  Currently, we will open the jar and take what we need
 and then put the jar back into the refrigerator, it may be two days before
 we need to use the paste again.  How do the small shops handle their paste?
 
 
 Thanks in advance,
 
 Jim West >>

Hi Jim!

Most paste manufacturers also supply the paste in syringes of various sizes 
(for instance I get mine in a 600 gram tube), that are mainly for printers 
that have a auto dispenser. I don't actually use the auto dispenser on my 
printer (we don't run big enough jobs to use it). But what I do have is a 
caulk gun (got it at the hardware store) that I put my solder paste tube in 
to dispense my paste with...works great too, the diameter of the opening at 
the end of the tube is about as big around as your thumb (the same size as 
the bead of paste that you want in front of your squeegee) and after I 
dispense the paste on the stencil, I screw the plug back in the end of the 
tube and put it back in the refridgerator. 

The only paste that was exposed to the air is the paste that I pumped outta 
the tube. I like the tubes or syringes for another reason too, discourages 
you taking paste that's already been out on the stencil and then putting it 
back in the tube (you could do it I suppose, but not without making a big 
mess). With a jar, something like that is easy to do....

-Steve Gregory-

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