Hello, i need some help.
in the past i used some 30w cheap iron resin flux and 60/40 lead solder.
my joints where perfect shining, no problem at all.
on the past month i bought a ersa pico soldering station...
i bought also new solder but the same brand as the old one.
now my joints are no shiny anymore...
they are shiny when melted, but when the go dry they stay dull. some have shiny and dull parts at same time..
i m using the iron at 330 degrees celsius. i tried less temperature also...
what i m doing wrong?
is the new solder not good?
is my flux bad? (have it for one year)
is my iron?
in the past i used some 30w cheap iron resin flux and 60/40 lead solder.
my joints where perfect shining, no problem at all.
on the past month i bought a ersa pico soldering station...
i bought also new solder but the same brand as the old one.
now my joints are no shiny anymore...
they are shiny when melted, but when the go dry they stay dull. some have shiny and dull parts at same time..
i m using the iron at 330 degrees celsius. i tried less temperature also...
what i m doing wrong?
is the new solder not good?
is my flux bad? (have it for one year)
is my iron?
Temperature, flux, speed and solder type have a large influence on the joint being made.
High silver content solder can make a joint look dull.
High silver content solder can make a joint look dull.
i´m not using expensive solder... i´m using this normal one:
•• BROFIL 60 - Solid tin lead wire for electric soldering
maybe is the flux.. that is opened and not closed for more than and year...i stay the flux always opened to air...
So you made two changes, new iron and new solder.
Do you still have your old 30W iron? Do you still have any of the old solder?
If you do you could try the old iron with the new solder and the old solder with the new iron, that could help narrow down which part is the problem.
Do you still have your old 30W iron? Do you still have any of the old solder?
If you do you could try the old iron with the new solder and the old solder with the new iron, that could help narrow down which part is the problem.
I have the old iron, not the old solder but it is same brand and specs...
I will try with old iron to see...
solid rosin shouldn't degrade too much. You can also dissolve some of it in spirit, thus having liquid flux which could be applied directly to the solder joints.
There is no flux in this solder. It is solid wire. You should purchase flux cored solder wire instead. You can use external flux, but it's an unnecessary annoyance - just buy flux cored solder and it'll work.
Also, 60/40 alloy is not ideal either. 63/37 alloy has a low melting point and is a eutectic alloy, which means that it goes directly form a liquid to a solid state without any plastic region.
Not all fluxes are the same either. Many generic rosin fluxes work, but I prefer the Kester 245 flux for lead solder and 275 flux for lead free SAC305 alloy.
From the conversations it would appear the solder is the culprit.
I prefer this type; 288155 | Multicore 0.7mm Wire Lead solder, 183 → 188degC Melting Point, 40% Lead, 60% Tin, 500g | Multicore
Makes an excellent job without too much heat.
I prefer this type; 288155 | Multicore 0.7mm Wire Lead solder, 183 → 188degC Melting Point, 40% Lead, 60% Tin, 500g | Multicore
Makes an excellent job without too much heat.
What does it mean if it's dull? It seems to be just the surface, I've scratched a dull joint and it's shiny underneath.
yes i´m with that feeling too...
i have to test another brand.. tks for the input.
it melts totally shiny but when it dries became dull not shiny like it used to be..
Likely that without flux in the solder, the surface is oxidizing and giving the dull look. Using solder with flux should prevent that unless you overheat the joint for too long.
any simple 60/40 solder with flux core would be an improvement. However pistollero has used the flux-free solder before without problems.
Non eutectic solder will usually get the dull finish. it happens when the solder is in its "paste" phase (one part is liquid, the other solid). temperature can influence this. Eutectic alloys don't go through the paste phase and solidify all at once (this is what Eutectic means).
However its a distraction from having enough but not too much heat. Too little or too much and you will damage the PCB. Needs to be hot enough and enough mass to melt the solder quickly but not so much as to damage things. Too hot and the solder won't tin the tip either.
However its a distraction from having enough but not too much heat. Too little or too much and you will damage the PCB. Needs to be hot enough and enough mass to melt the solder quickly but not so much as to damage things. Too hot and the solder won't tin the tip either.
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