solder diameter ?

[flora]

What size solder do you guys use , .05 or .031 ?

[birt]

1mm 60/40 solder

[SLW]

I like the 0.031 stuff.  I do build a lot of small electronics (stompboxes).

[FYL]

0.8 mm for small jobs, 1 mm for general apps.

Go Metric, go!

[RicharD]

.125 acid core   

[dynaman1]

.031 for me.

[Tiny_Daddy]

I use a lot of .062 for hand-wired and .032 for circuit boards and tinning.

[alerich]

Kester "44" Rosin Core    60/40    .050

[Shrapnel]

Last solder I bought was .050. I don't really like it a whole lot thicker, and in most cases prefer smaller. (.032) BUT in cases where I need more solder per joint (i.e. ptp type work) the larger is more likable, as 6-8" extended from the spool doesn't disappear in a few seconds of soldering.

My recommendation is to let the type of soldering you do suggest the diameter. (as others have indirectly suggested.)

[craneclimber]

.125 acid core   

last time I used that I was heating the iron on an open flame 

[Tiny_Daddy]

I used .125 acid core to fix a radiator in Puerto Rico. I used an Ungar 50 watt tip. The acid dissolved the tip's iron coating but the radiator worked. Some splattered in my eye past the safety glasses and hurt like hell. Nasty stuff.