Solder 60/40 by mbo  (NF 90550, DIN 1707L, B.S.219 and BS EN Alloys) - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: Kiriakos-GR
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2011, 01:43:16 pm
content: Today I got my new roll of solder locally .The solder works nicely, I searched to find the maker on the web,and I ended up on one Chinese factory, that haves a major European presentation.I am not aware about solder quality standards, but this one have lots of them.The only that bothers me is the word of the company about shelve life of 12 months..And the question would by ... why only 12 months ?Links..Picture ..The PDF of my roll.FRhttp://www.mbosolder.com/produits,fils-de-soudure.phpENhttp://www.mbouk.co.uk/solderwire.htm

author: ejeffrey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2011, 02:07:03 pm
content: This has puzzled me a bit on occasion. If anything it is the shelf life of the flux. The metal isn't going to go bad, as long as you use extra flux I think you will have no problem. Solder paste on the other hand will definitely go bad. It will last a lot longer if refrigerated.

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2011, 03:30:46 pm
content: well, know what. i just got another roll of solder today, the same DOB as this thread, yes today i'm not kidding. due to dave recommendation (or poison? dammit!) to get the smallest diameter, 0.6mm is the smallest i can find locally. i still have more than half roll of 0.8mmØ in stock, but while in the shop, dave's face is strongger in my mind than my 0.8mmØ stock, so got one for eqv ~USD8. as you can see in the pic, there's no manufacturer info, but only... this "Finex" made got "Super Flux" and the "Leader of Quality" written on it. so i guess it beats every solder on earth including dave's, and its "immortal". i guess it came from the 9th realm ... at USD8/250g? super solder? good for money!

author: ciccio
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2011, 05:32:23 pm
content: Quote from: Kiriakos-GR on September 14, 2011, 01:43:16 pmMBO (Métaux Blancs Ouvrés) has been a reputable French supplier of solder since my younger ages..How did you discover that the factory is in China?I'm using since many years Dave's recommended solder (60-40 Ersin Multicore) but in larger diameters (0.7 mm for standard PCB and 1.0 mm for larger wire to connector soldering).After seeing the Solder Tutorial Video I searched for a 0.5 mm roll that was sitting in a closet and tried it.After about 1000 joints I returned to the larger diameter, because I discovered that it allowed for a faster work: shorter time for a good joint.When I hand solder IDC connectors to a PCB, I use a very large, very hot tip and 1.0 mm solder: I move quickly the tip and the solder wire in the middle of the two rows of pins and I'm done, in 10 seconds for a 26 pin connector.Soldering wire is really a personal taste....Regarding shelf life, time ago I tested some very old solder (more than 30 years old) that I bough for practically nothing, and discovered that some rolls were still very good (the flux had a "smell" different from the new ones, but they gave good, clean joints) but others were practically unusable : the flux had hardened to the point of not liquefying, and the smell was terrible.I think that shelf life has to do with flux life, and maybe it can be increased by keeping the solder in an air-tight container.Regards

author: Kiriakos-GR
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2011, 09:34:21 pm
content: Quote from: ciccio on September 14, 2011, 05:32:23 pmhttp://www.dbgwmbo.com/web-e/pc.htmlMy old roll was from NEDIS another European sales network, it supposed to was made in EU.But the local sellers had weird pricing on the 100gr roll (6-7 EURO),and I found much better pricing at the mbo 250gr (11 EURO) .

author: Kiriakos-GR
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2011, 09:57:01 pm
content: Quote from: Mechatrommer on September 14, 2011, 03:30:46 pmTranslation please .. DOB ?Quote from: Mechatrommer on September 14, 2011, 03:30:46 pmI did watch those soldering videos, but Dave is unable to effect the way that I do my soldering.I had never use anything less than 1mm, plus my hot iron has a perfect conical and sharp end.But I am expert at using it.The bottom line is that all those video suggestions is for the new ones, so their life to become a bit easier.

author: nukie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2011, 11:32:21 pm
content: I still use some of my solder I bought 20 years ago and they work beautifully. All of them are 60/40 rosin core, different brands. The reason for this is they are larger diameter wire which I don't use as much to command for new roll.There is flux on solder wick as well but they dont have expiry date?Is this manufacturer tactic to get their goods moving?

author: Kiriakos-GR
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2011, 01:49:37 am
content: Quote from: nukie on September 14, 2011, 11:32:21 pmSmart question ... But is the manufacturer behind it ?Or all this quality standards haves an expiration date.And I will say my theory, if this solder it is high quality and a chemistry analysis show,that in 12 months, the chemistry- characteristics change even by just a bit, it gets off of the quality standards (NF 90550, DIN 1707L, B.S.219 and BS EN Alloys).If this is true, the manufacturer says this , so to cover his own ass.

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2011, 05:51:14 am
content: Quote from: Kiriakos-GR on September 14, 2011, 09:57:01 pmsorry i thought it is a universal language... DOB = date of birth.Quote from: Kiriakos-GR on September 14, 2011, 09:57:01 pmi used to do repair and taking out parts, conical and larger solder is better for this. but yes i noticed, dave's expertise is at digital design and low pitch'ed component size, so he got different tool than we are. as i started to learn designing, i can be classified as beginner, from his point of view. so i think he got me poisoned

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2011, 01:44:56 pm
content: Solder oxidises after an extended period,& you need to clean the oxide off before using it.I have had solder which was almost black with age,which,after I cleaned the oxide off,soldered perfectly.Back in the day,I was taught toalwaysclean oxides off solder(& to clip the solder with my sidecutters before each joint,to expose fresh flux),as part of a "High Reliability Hand Soldering" course.VK6ZGO

author: nukie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2011, 12:42:49 am
content: hello vk6I notice this also works when the solder end usually ball up or flux losses from core due to heat from previous use.

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2011, 04:32:23 am
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on September 15, 2011, 01:44:56 pmI've noticed some solder retains a nice shiny surface almost forever, while other solder quickly develops a dull, oxidized surface. I'm not sure what might cause the difference, but it could be related to impurities in the composition. Naturally I like the shiny solder a lot more.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2011, 04:39:49 am
content: It's still worth cleaning the shiny stuff with a tissue or similar soaked in alcohol or Electronics cleaner.You will be surprised with how much black gunk comes off the cleanest looking solder.VK6ZGO

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2011, 05:06:38 am
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on September 16, 2011, 04:39:49 amThat is true about the black, but solder does contain a lot of lead, and lead does leave a black mark on white paper when rubbed. Moreover, once you heat the solder with an iron it will oxidize many times faster than at room temperature. I'm afraid life is too short for me to clean my solder wire before using it...On the subject of cleaning and good solder joints, if you are going to clean your solder you should also clean the surfaces to be joined. For those surfaces too you can use a burnisher to remove oxidation and a solvent cleaner to remove grease and other deposits. It can make a world of difference to how well the solder wets the surface and flows into the joint.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2011, 06:52:43 am
content: Quote from: IanB on September 16, 2011, 05:06:38 amRe your first point,that is true,but some of the gunk may not be lead,as if you wipe it twice,you get very much less gunk than before.My original comments were mainly to do with oxides as we were talking about old solder.Anyway,you can clean around 200mm of new solder in about 3 seconds,so it isn't a lot of time.Re your second point---doesn't everybody?VK6ZGO

author: david77
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2011, 07:54:46 am
content: I'm not polishing the family silver, so I'm hardly likely to start polishing my solder wire

author: nukie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2011, 01:37:40 pm
content: Hey wait a minute! I thought flux is suppose to remove the oxidization? So very old solder still need to be wiped before use?Are those black burned bits residue oxidization, after soldering?

author: Kiriakos-GR
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2011, 04:33:35 pm
content: Quote from: david77 on September 16, 2011, 07:54:46 amLOL the saying about Germans that they do not have humor must be lies ..Quote from: nukie on September 16, 2011, 01:37:40 pmTrue , lots of flux plus rubbing and heat, it does do the magic, but because in this forum we have more SMT lovers,I did not wanted to point this out as a choice - solution. LOLTheir tiny lines on the PCB , could easily die from the excessive heat.