I finally bought a decent temperature controlled soldering station, a Hakko FX-888D. Up till now I've just used the right iron (among many that I have) with a big enough tip and heat transfer for the job I was working on. Experience taught me over time which one to use for what.
Now that I have the Hakko I have started looking at the recommended melting points for the various solders I use. I use mostly either Cardas Quad Eutectic or RS Silver Bearing. I like the Cardas because it never fails to make a nice shiny joint. But the data on these solders doesn't look right. The Cardas melting point is ~370F, the RS about 420F. These temps seem too low. My recollection is that most solders (of a Pb type) do best around 550-600F - not that I've ever been able to measure this before.
I tried setting the Hakko to 420F for the RS Silver and once the temp was set I couldn't even get a smooth fluid flow on a small ball tip. It sort of clumped up and didn't "flick" off the tip when I scrubbed it against the damp sponge. So I don't know what to make of the published numbers. I'm assuming the Hakko is working correctly. What temp do I set for either of these solders? Assume standard through hole type work.
Now that I have the Hakko I have started looking at the recommended melting points for the various solders I use. I use mostly either Cardas Quad Eutectic or RS Silver Bearing. I like the Cardas because it never fails to make a nice shiny joint. But the data on these solders doesn't look right. The Cardas melting point is ~370F, the RS about 420F. These temps seem too low. My recollection is that most solders (of a Pb type) do best around 550-600F - not that I've ever been able to measure this before.
I tried setting the Hakko to 420F for the RS Silver and once the temp was set I couldn't even get a smooth fluid flow on a small ball tip. It sort of clumped up and didn't "flick" off the tip when I scrubbed it against the damp sponge. So I don't know what to make of the published numbers. I'm assuming the Hakko is working correctly. What temp do I set for either of these solders? Assume standard through hole type work.