What solder do you guys use?

excetara2 · 19th July 2006, 10:03 PM

I am just wondering what solder you use. If you use silver added solder, or if you just go for generic 60% tin / 40% lead or 60% lead / 40% tin.

poobah · 20th July 2006, 04:24 AM

63% Lead - 37% Tin... more cooperative.

moray james · 20th July 2006, 05:28 AM

Wonder Solder Ultra Clear11 excellent to work with sounds very good. Regards Moray James.

BWRX · 20th July 2006, 05:48 AM

Kester "44" 60Sn40Pb or 63Sn37Pb rosin core. The also make a variant with some silver.

Christer · 20th July 2006, 05:49 AM

First, you want a eutetic solder, ie. a solder where the phase transition between liquid an solid state is practically immediate. For a non-eutetic solder this takes place over a temperature interval and thus takes some time to happen. During this transition phase the joint is very sensitive to vibrations which may cause a cold joint. The ordinary 63SN/37Pb solder is eutetic with an almost immediate transition at 183 deg. C, while the 60Sn/40Pb is not eutetic, having a phase transition starting already at 190 deg C and ending at 183 deg C. There are also some lead free solders that are eutetic. Here is a table of temperatures for some alloys, although most of these seem not intended for electronics:
http://www.lucasmilhaupt.com/htmdocs...s/solders.html

One example of a lead free eutetic alloy for electronics with a reasonably low melting temperature is 96.5Sn/3.8Ag/0.7Cu which melts at 217 deg C.

excetara2 · 20th July 2006, 06:28 AM

Thanks Christer fo the wealth of information. I will look for Eutetic solder. I believe that Wonder solder is Eutetic. I may look into that. Or try to find something else that is Eutetic but a little bit cheaper than the Wonder Solder. Thanks a lot.

-Jeff

maxlorenz · 20th July 2006, 04:22 PM

Hi excetara2,
Cardas eutectic sounds good but was a little difficult for me to use. Wonder solder is eutectic and a lot easier to use, sounds good and also smells good

(though the best smell is from Welborne labs' solder)

... an addiction to die for...

Regards
M

cpemma · 20th July 2006, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Christer
The ordinary 63SN/37Pb solder is eutetic with an almost immediate transition at 183 deg. C, while the 60Sn/40Pb is not eutetic, having a phase transition starting already at 190 deg C and ending at 183 deg C.

All correct (says me with a degree in metallurgy) but the 60%Tin 40% Lead mix isn't too bad for electronics, it's the 60% Lead 40% Tin alloy that should never be used. That has a very wide "mud" range, it's made for plumbing where a joint between two lead pipes (or lead pipe to copper) can be wiped to a neat shape while still a liquid + solid sludge. A near-forgotten art.

Apart from that, the multicore version contains an aggressive flux not suitable for electronics.

SY · 20th July 2006, 07:42 PM

Eutectic 63/37 for tinned or copper wires, 4% Ag-bearing solder for silver wire or silver terminal strips (e.g., Tek). I've tried to lay in a lifetime supply before the EU bureaucratic nonsense destroys what's left of diy electronics as a hobby.

FastEddy · 20th July 2006, 07:52 PM

any commercially available silver alloy solder ... is better than the best lead based stuff.

19th July 2006, 10:03 PM	#1
excetara2 diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2006	What solder do you guys use? I am just wondering what solder you use. If you use silver added solder, or if you just go for generic 60% tin / 40% lead or 60% lead / 40% tin.

20th July 2006, 05:28 AM	#3
moray james diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Calgary on the Bow	solder Wonder Solder Ultra Clear11 excellent to work with sounds very good. Regards Moray James. __________________ moray james

20th July 2006, 05:48 AM	#4
BWRX diyAudio Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Pennsylvania	Kester "44" 60Sn40Pb or 63Sn37Pb rosin core. The also make a variant with some silver. __________________ Brian

20th July 2006, 04:22 PM	#7
maxlorenz diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: osorno , Chile	Hi excetara2, Cardas eutectic sounds good but was a little difficult for me to use. Wonder solder is eutectic and a lot easier to use, sounds good and also smells good (though the best smell is from Welborne labs' solder) ... an addiction to die for... Regards M __________________ Cheapest horn speakers: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink

20th July 2006, 07:42 PM	#9
SY diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Austin, TX Blog Entries: 1	Eutectic 63/37 for tinned or copper wires, 4% Ag-bearing solder for silver wire or silver terminal strips (e.g., Tek). I've tried to lay in a lifetime supply before the EU bureaucratic nonsense destroys what's left of diy electronics as a hobby. __________________ “Listening to records is like ****ing a picture of Brigitte Bardot.” - Sergiu Celibidache


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20th July 2006, 04:24 AM	#2
poobah diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2005	63% Lead - 37% Tin... more cooperative.

20th July 2006, 05:49 AM	#5
Christer diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Sweden	First, you want a eutetic solder, ie. a solder where the phase transition between liquid an solid state is practically immediate. For a non-eutetic solder this takes place over a temperature interval and thus takes some time to happen. During this transition phase the joint is very sensitive to vibrations which may cause a cold joint. The ordinary 63SN/37Pb solder is eutetic with an almost immediate transition at 183 deg. C, while the 60Sn/40Pb is not eutetic, having a phase transition starting already at 190 deg C and ending at 183 deg C. There are also some lead free solders that are eutetic. Here is a table of temperatures for some alloys, although most of these seem not intended for electronics: http://www.lucasmilhaupt.com/htmdocs...s/solders.html One example of a lead free eutetic alloy for electronics with a reasonably low melting temperature is 96.5Sn/3.8Ag/0.7Cu which melts at 217 deg C.

20th July 2006, 06:28 AM	#6
excetara2 diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2006	Thanks Christer fo the wealth of information. I will look for Eutetic solder. I believe that Wonder solder is Eutetic. I may look into that. Or try to find something else that is Eutetic but a little bit cheaper than the Wonder Solder. Thanks a lot. -Jeff

20th July 2006, 07:52 PM	#10
FastEddy diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: North Californie	Silver solder all the way ... any commercially available silver alloy solder ... is better than the best lead based stuff.

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