| Electronics > Beginners |
| Type of solder to use: important for a hobbyist? |
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| tautech:
--- Quote from: Dundarave on January 25, 2019, 04:57:08 am ---So, my question: given that I've survived over 20 years of lungfuls of lead & rosin fumes over a bench (with a cigarette hanging out of my mouth in those days, to boot) is there really any compelling reason or need for me to toss my tin/lead solder out and embrace the lead-free way? --- End quote --- Certainly not. Stick with leaded solder. --- Quote ---I'm aware of the higher temp needed for lead-free, and its propensity for tin whiskers, both of which suggest that for me, leaded is the way to go, assuming everything else is equal. What do other people use? Does "everyone" use lead-free now? Is it, like, 50-50 some do, some don't? Do just the old-timers stick with leaded & the Gen X team go with lead-free? Just trying to get a handle on the situation... --- End quote --- Well you can give that Pb free muck a go and no doubt you'll encounter it when doing rework on modern gear....personally I hate the Pb free muck and dilute it with ordinary solder to lower its melting temp then suck it off. Do get some flux though, paste seems the most popular but the flux pens mostly work OK. |
| mrpackethead:
--- Quote from: Buriedcode on January 25, 2019, 05:48:53 pm ---Whilst leaded solder is more forgiving and generally "easier" to use for hobbyists - if you use half decent lead free, say SAC305 which is near eutectic, a temperature controlled iron set at 315-350C and flux, it really isn't much different. A lot of the hate lead free got from hobbyists came from early cheap lead free solder with poor flux leading to dry brittle joints. That and too low a tip temperature (just upping the temperature by 30C doesn't cut it). I can't lie, I can tell the difference, and standard flux cored 67/37 is very hard to "get wrong", but with the above conditions is almost as easy with lead free. Pretty difficult to screw up. --- End quote --- You speak much truth. A good SAC305 solder is pretty easy to use and its reliable. I dont' do soldering as hobby, it is work, so i have to use Pb Free for compliance reasons. Most of what i do is surface mount, and to be perfectly honest i'm yet to find a solder paste that works better for MY use cases than Henkel GC10, which is lead free. |
| Macbeth:
--- Quote from: Dundarave on January 25, 2019, 04:57:08 am ---... I've still got tons (well, a couple of pounds, anyway) of Kester's finest eutectic 63/37 tin/lead rosin-core solder left over that makes soldering a joy, compared to the newer lead-free compounds. ... is there really any compelling reason or need for me to toss my tin/lead solder out and embrace the lead-free way? --- End quote --- Considering the RoHS was purported to be to reduce the amount of toxins such as lead being dumped and concentrated in environmental disaster zones, disposing of your existing stock seems extremely counterproductive to the spirit of the regulations. |
| jmelson:
--- Quote from: mrpackethead on January 25, 2019, 09:07:51 pm --- A good SAC305 solder is pretty easy to use and its reliable. I dont' do soldering as hobby, it is work, so i have to use Pb Free for compliance reasons. Most of what i do is surface mount, and to be perfectly honest i'm yet to find a solder paste that works better for MY use cases than Henkel GC10, which is lead free. --- End quote --- Yes, I finally got some GC10 (sold by Loctite in the US, it was hard to get at one time a few years ago) and it is excellent! I've started using it in places where I would have used SnPb because the soldering is SO good! I suspect the magic is in the flux. But, they may have some trace elements added to the solder that enhance wetting. But, it sure works well. Jon |
| Dundarave:
Thanks everyone for all the info and advice... And yes, I think I'll add liquid flux to my list of amazing advances in electronics: We weren't using that 30 years ago either. Great stuff. --- Quote from: Macbeth on January 25, 2019, 10:49:53 pm ---Considering the RoHS was purported to be to reduce the amount of toxins such as lead being dumped and concentrated in environmental disaster zones, disposing of your existing stock seems extremely counterproductive to the spirit of the regulations. --- End quote --- So it looks like instead of going lead-free, I'll be disposing of my stockpile of leaded solder by spreading it around, one solder connection at a time... ;D Thanks again. |
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