solder type!

[grtamp]

Hi ,what is the difference between these solder type?


1)Activated rosin flux

2)No clean wire solder

3)No clean flux wire solder

What's is the best choice for work with amps?

Thanks

[Ken Moon]

This is what I use:

[img:768:1024]http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t346 ... 112857.jpg[/img]

Kester 66/44 tin/lead, .031 diameter. 60/40 works fine too.

I use .050 for big solder joints where I would have to "feed in" over a few inches of the .031.

Some people swear by "silver solder", which has a small bit of silver, and has a little better flow than the tin/lead.

If you still have a Radio Shack in your town, they sell little spools of silver solder.

Stay far away from "lead-free".

[Alan0354]

What is the difference between 60/40, 66/44 and 63/37?

I don't understand 66/44 because the other two are the Pb/Sb ratio, but 66/44 does not add up to 100!!!

But anyway, I am in market for Kester solder and I don't know which one to buy. I have bee using 0.40 and I am surprised it's harder to find.

[martin manning]

66/44 is the manufacturer's item number. Notice both Kester spools list composition as SN 63 PB 37. They are the same. I find Kester's flux burns easily, but I am a hot iron guy, 740F. Radio Shack's 60/40 is actually good stuff, and the flux stays clear.

[Alan0354]

I use a MG Chemicals, it's much worst than Kester, the flux burn even faster. Should I get 63/37 or 60/40?

[martin manning]

63/37 is the eutectic alloy (lowest fully-melted temp, narrow freezing temperature band). Some good reading and links here: http://store.curiousinventor.com/guides ... of_solder/

Note this passage: "I think most would say that the enhanced properties of 63/37 really only matter for mass soldering operations like wave or reflow soldering, and that there is little difference for hand soldering."

[danman]

I use 63/37 and have always wondered if it is ok to mix this with the 60/40? Say I wanted to touch up a joint that I did previously with the 63/37 and all I had on hand is 60/40...will the two mix properly together?

[martin manning]

I don't think that would be a any problem. It is not a good idea to touch up a lead-free solder joint with leader solder, but that is a very different scenario.

[dotfret]

No harm mixing 63/37 with 60/40, but you lose the "quick set" property.

The idea behind 63/37 is that it doesn't need much "holding in place" because it sets quickly. If you use that with a big hot gun, you can minimise thermal shock to sensitive components like capacitances and semiconductors. Just a small dab of localised heat does the job, instead of holding a small iron to the work until it heats up.

OTOH 60/40 has been the reliable workhorse solder for years, and was the world's favourite until everything in Europe containing lead was blacklisted. It costs less and works just as well.

You guys are lucky that you can still get that stuff. The lead-free substitutes are horrid.

[Phil_S]

I'm fairly certain I'm in the minority here. I don't like the idea of working with lead, so mostly I don't. I've been using 4% silver solder for years and it generally is fine for new work.

I keep 60/40 for old work. I suspect that mixing the silver with the old 60/40 is a formula for something that will need a blow torch to melt.

I will agree that 60/40 wets better, but the difference isn't that much better and if you are used to it, it is good to use.

Then, again, I don't do repair work and I only build for myself. As an amateur it is easy to have this opinion. I suspect if I did repair work, I'd learn to dislike the 4% silver stuff.

[Leo_Gnardo]

I don't think that would be a any problem. It is not a good idea to touch up a lead-free solder joint with leader solder, but that is a very different scenario.

I do my best to remove non lead solder with wick first, then replace crappy connection with nice reliable lead solder.

I notice non lead "safe" solder in many cases contains antimony. Out of the frying pan, into the fire. Another heavy metal poison, yippee!

[Phil_S]

I've been using 4% silver 96% tin. No antimony!
BTW, you can buy (unpopular as it may be for you pros) Bernzomatic brand at Home Depot. Radio Shack has it in their brand. Sears carries it in the Craftsman brand. For Rat Shack and Sears, if they have it in stock, you can buy it

[TUBEDUDE]

I use WBT solder. It melts at a low temperature. And it's a silver solder that has a halogen free flux. Easier on the lungs. The lead in solder is not much of a problem for technicians, if you wash your hands after handling it, but the fumes from the burning flux is big trouble. Please use a smoke evacuator.

[sepulchre]

I've spent countless hours over a hot iron. Started building circuit boards for pipeline inspection equipment in the early 70s. I've always kind of liked the smell of flux. I don't try to breath it and I don't want it going right in my face but it's still around and all. All this time and I'm still norbal.

I use silver solder to attach quillions to knife blades. Never tried on electronics. Guess I'll have to play around with some and see. But 60/40 or 63/37 have been my friends for decades. I feel for you guys in Europe. Even if a guy likes the lead free it's nice to have a choice. (sounds like California)