Solder.

[Gustav]

I usually just steal led solder at the maintanence division at work, but erm...they are hiding it now, so I dont even wanna ask them what kind it was

Did a farnell search, and Im pretty clueless about what to get. Any advice? A specific # from farnell would be good.

Gustav

 

[dean1979]

hi there, just starting my first project from scratch and was gonna ask what the best, sensible solder is to use in building gear, i was thinking along the lines of silver solder the type you buy from hobby shops like maplin. Up till now i've been using normaL BORING CHEAP STUFF.

 

[Scodiddly]

I've started using Kester 275, a lead-free solder. It works pretty well, a bit more difficult to use though. I have to be more proactive about tinning the tip of the iron, and there are still some places where it just doesn't stick as well as the old Kester tin/lead stuff.

 

[rodabod]

[quote author="dean1979"]i was thinking along the lines of silver solder the type you buy from hobby shops like maplin.[/quote]

I woulp personally avoid the silver solder from Maplins. It needs a high soldering iron temperature and is more difficult to use. You might need a special flux for it too.

I find bog-standard solder fine. The thin stuff is best for soldering PCBs as it is much easier to use.

Maplin do a branded solder which comes in a slim platic tube (I can't remember the name). It is good stuff.

 

[mcs]

I would look in the Farnell paper catalogue - I think this is one of the things that's impossible to find on the website :wink:

What I use is standard 60/40 solder. And that's 60% tin - you can get solder with 60% lead as well...

I use 0.7mm solder for my standard work. I also have some 0.56mm solder for SMD work. That has 62% tin and a bit of silver also - Farnell order code 419-552 (I bought it years ago, so they may not have it anymore).

Best regards,

Mikkel C. Simonsen

 

[Mark Burnley]

I use this 0.7mm 60/40 from Farnell:

http://uk.farnell.com/jsp/endecaSearch/partDetail.jsp?SKU=419345&N=401

The lead-free revolution is beginning, which is all well and good for new-build products, but not so good for when we're repairing fully 60/40 soldered equipment with pre-tinned 60/40 components!

Silver solder is no use for your average electronics work, and is a PITA.

Mark

 

[synthetic]

When I was building my MOTM modular synth (below), the kits included "organic solder." Does anyone else use this? It's pretty cool stuff: it makes a great connection and I end up with a very shiny blob of solder. The only weird bit is that you have to wash the board in the sink when you're finished and scrub off the flux with a brush. (This feels a bit strange the first time you do it.) So the organic solder is only used for certain parts of the circuit ? resistors, caps, etc. ? then you finish up with normal solder for the pots, etc.

I had a bit left over form the kits, so I'm using it for my G1176. Has anyone else used this, and if so where can I get more of it?

http://www.synthtech.com/motm.html

 

[NewYorkDave]

I've been using the Kester 63/37--same as RF uses--for years now and I love it.

 

[Hulk]

[quote author="Gustav"]I usually just steal led solder at the maintanence division at work, but erm...they are hiding it now[/quote]

Wow - you must be pretty busy with DIY then eh :green:

 

[fazeka]

I just order some items from Mouser last week. Saw that they had references to this RoHS/Pb-FREE something or other in some of their part descriptions.

Does that mean I have to stock up on the eutectic 63/37 with Pb now before it all goes bye-bye? :sad:

 

[Gus]

google "tin pest" or wiskers lead was added for a good reason. Sometimes the world is just nuts.

 

[Jeff Goodman]

snipped
[quote author="synthetic"]Does anyone else use this? It's pretty cool stuff: it makes a great connection and I end up with a very shiny blob of solder. The only weird bit is that you have to wash the board in the sink when you're finished and scrub off the flux with a brush. (This feels a bit strange the first time you do it.) [/quote]

It sounds like your talking about water soluble rosin solder. One warning: Be VERY CAREFUL with this stuff.

I had to use it years ago for some eqs I was building at Otari. For one thing the fumes are even more toxic that normal rosin. Ventilate well.

Another thing, Saul Walker (the founder of API, then working for Otari) told me that they had used it for a time at Sound Workshop and found that if the boards were not scrubbed VERY thoroughly and rinsed well, over time the rosin would reak havoc on the solder mask, the traces and pads, the components, everything. :shock: The stuff has bad juju. NOT worth it.

It is weird though, putting a freshly made circuit board in the sink. But they do come out nice and shiny after they're dried!

I still have a whole roll of the stuff that I'll never use. Ever. Stick with the regular rosin.

My $.02.

Jeff

 

[bcarso]

There was a thread on this before.

Agree AVOID organic flux! Use rosin---Kester 44 is fine for most apps.

 

[Gustav]

[quote author="mcs"]I would look in the Farnell paper catalogue - I think this is one of the things that's impossible to find on the website :wink:

What I use is standard 60/40 solder. And that's 60% tin - you can get solder with 60% lead as well...

I use 0.7mm solder for my standard work. I also have some 0.56mm solder for SMD work. That has 62% tin and a bit of silver also - Farnell order code 419-552 (I bought it years ago, so they may not have it anymore).

Best regards,

Mikkel C. Simonsen[/quote]

I actually did manage to find it on the site, but I found 5 pages worth of different solder, hence the question. :?

ordering large roll of the 60/40 .7...

Thanks!

Gustav

 

[synthetic]

Thanks, chucking the organic stuff.

So beautiful, so deadly... :twisted: :wink:

 

[Category 5]

I always avoid 60/40 in favor of 63/37. The latter goes directly from solid to liquid and back again without an intermediate plastic or "goo" phase. During the plastic phase of 60/40 and ovement between the components will cause a cold solder joint (dull and grey, instead of shiny silver).

63/37 melts quickly, and creates perfect solder joints every time. Once you work with it you wonder why 60/40 is even available!

Shane

 

[asm]

just got 3lbs of .025, i like the thinner solder that melts faster and i just move more with my solder hand. less out to make mistakes cause you can control amount alot easier than the low guage.