what solder do you use?

[catnine]

 For a long time I find 60/40 rosen core .032 dia works for me. I use  either radio shack or the other brand in a plastic tube forgot the name.

 I ran out of the .032 and use the .062  dia I had but found it more difficult on smaller socket joints and most eyelets in general but I did get used to it.

 I have weller 40 watt irons and the tips never last and radio shack are about the same with tips . I have a few old Ungar from 37 1/2-44 watt  marron with cork grips and different heating elements and tips and use the 37 1/2-40 watt element with a 1/8" tip and onother the same with a 1/4" tip both screwdriver flat tips for heavier work and both have never had tips degrade.

[PRNDL]

Tips go bad over time and with heat, especially if you leave the iron on.

I got a really cool auto temp station - the secret is to turn down the temp when you're taking a break.
http://www.circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/7307

[Fresh_Start]

I've found that re-tinning the tip before putting it back in the soldering station for a break really helps keep the tip in good shape.

I like .032 better than .05 diameter for our purposes.  However, I bought a pound of .05 63/37 multi-core solder that works really well.  Just have to be careful and not apply too much solder.

HTH

Chip

[HotBluePlates]

Solder? Anything except lead-free. What diameter works best depends on what you're soldering.

For tips (even Weller tips, where you're probably not supposed to do this) I file the oxidized surface off when it will no longer take solder, then carefully tin it the first instant I apply heat to it, so it doesn't re-oxidize immediately. I can make tips last a long time like this. It works much better on the copper tips I've used on 60w irons though.

[DummyLoad]

whatever is the most inexpensive .032-.040 - leaded for point2point work and .020 for SS/digital PCB work...  :D

damn! i just checked online for kester 44, .020, 1lb spool  is $36 and change...  >:(   

[Tiny_Daddy]

Solder is getting otrageous. But I just got a pound of Multicore at a garage sale for $1. Look for buy-it-now underpriced solder on ebay. If you look long enough you can score.

[Twanger]

I strongly suggest that you go with 63/37 (pick a diameter that you like) because it goes from liquid to solid in the blink of an eye, no plastic phase with this one.

John

[sluckey]

+1 on the 63/37.

[tubetek]

WEBER has .031 63/37 for $22.00 for a 2lb roll. The price has steadily increased so buy sooner rather than later...RoHS is the reason.
Tom

[Tiny_Daddy]

I got a roll of Tenma and a few no-name spools from partsexpress.com but when I went back for more the price had doubled. It's still cheap by comparison and works well.

[jrmintz]

I like WBT silver solder. It's pricey and I don't notice any audible improvement over regular solder, but it is very easy and pleasant to work with.

[Justa]

I use eutectic 63/37 and a 45 watt iron with a decent tip mass and the reflow process is generally slower than I would like to see.  I noticed that the silver solder mentioned here should proved about 4C lower melting point for those wanting something with a lower melting point than 63/37.  I can't imagine working with lead free solders and their higher melting points, especially on a pc board!

[Greasehorse]

I use distilled water on the solder wiper pad on my Weller...helps keep the nasty type of corrosion off of it..wipes clean easily...and a gallon costs 65 cents at Wally World and lasts for a long time..
I also use my older roll (had for a few years)of solder for tinning the iron when it need it and my new roll for soldering. Buying used rolls at garage or ham radio sales would be good for tinning and cheaper also..

[JayB]

Solder? Anything except lead-free. What diameter works best depends on what you're soldering.

For tips (even Weller tips, where you're probably not supposed to do this) I file the oxidized surface off when it will no longer take solder, then carefully tin it the first instant I apply heat to it, so it doesn't re-oxidize immediately. I can make tips last a long time like this. It works much better on the copper tips I've used on 60w irons though.

That's what I do.

[Direwolf]

Anybody use the water soluble core type solder or is it mainly for wave soldering?

[Justa]

My knowledge of water soluble fluxes goes back a few years but all of them required cleaning with water after solder operations.  Cleaning was much more important than it was with RMA (rosin mildly activated) fluxes.  The water soluble fluxes were considered active at room temperature and we definitely did not leave them on product overnight.

[Direwolf]

Yeah, I did a little research on this after I posted. (Guess I shoulda done that before!) The reason I asked was I saw 2-4lbs rolls on eBay for a little over $20 and was trying to stock up and save some money at the same time.

[G._Hoffman]

At home, where I'm only working on stuff for myself, 60/40 - either .032 or .062, depending on solder joint.

For guitars at the shop, which they may be sold to Europe, I use a lead free silver solder.  Which sucks to work with, but what can you do?  All our repair folks can still get away with 60/40, though.



Gabriel

[Mr. dB]

Solder is getting otrageous. But I just got a pound of Multicore at a garage sale for $1. Look for buy-it-now underpriced solder on ebay. If you look long enough you can score.

I love Ersin Multicore solder, but can't find any US vendors who still carry it.  Is it still being made?

I generally keep two sizes of SN62 around, Kester 0.050 for general use and a small reel of 0.025 for the fine stuff.  I use the SN62 because of its silver content, since I usually use silver-plated hookup wire.

[jhadhar65]

I just tried my first 63/37 today.  I'm thinking I may not have the finesse down well enough to get the most out of it.  I've used 60/40 for a quarter century and I may have developed some bad habits I'll need to break.  I don't seem to be getting the shiny joints like I get with plain old Radio Shed 60/40.  I'm heating the joints as much as ever, applying solder to the joint and not the tip, removing solder wire, then removing heat.  It still cools dull.  I switched back to 60/40 in the middle of the job and it felt better and the joints looked better.

What am I missing?  What's your technique with this stuff?  Do I have to squint with one eye and spit after each solder?  Drink Barq's instead of Grapette?