Just had to share this.... - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: CatalinaWOW
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2020, 05:43:22 pm
content: An effective way to say "Do not use" on a bad spool of solder.

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2020, 06:05:36 pm
content: Well, the iron worked, didn’t it?

author: ratatax
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2020, 06:19:40 pm
content: how many gigawatts ?

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 29, 2020, 07:24:30 am
content: Now THAT'S one I haven't done.Takes a special kind of talent, I daresay.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2020, 10:39:52 am
content: Maybe a new test procedure for comparing soldering irons?

author: SerieZ
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2020, 11:25:13 am
content: Must have felt like God till it got to the Plastic...

author: duckduck
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2020, 11:14:03 pm
content: Hakko iron.

author: mc172
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2020, 11:40:15 pm
content: This is what every reel of solder looked like at the school and college I went to.

author: Cyberdragon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 30, 2020, 06:37:23 am
content: Quote from: CatalinaWOW on July 28, 2020, 05:43:22 pmSolder doesn't go bad, the flux core goes bad. But something tells me this person uses more than the recommended Pauls of flux.

author: newbrain
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 30, 2020, 07:11:09 am
content: Quote from: Cyberdragon on July 30, 2020, 06:37:23 amPauls?I alsways thought that the unit of flux was the Rossmann!

author: pidcon
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 30, 2020, 11:02:43 am
content: Perhaps it's a new way to tin the tip.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 30, 2020, 11:28:07 am
content: Quote from: pidcon on July 30, 2020, 11:02:43 amIt'll definitely keep the tip nice and shiny.

author: Cyberdragon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2020, 03:51:48 pm
content: Oh it'll be tinned alright..."how to tin the tip and shaft at the same time!"

author: dmills
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 01, 2020, 05:40:49 pm
content: Quote from: newbrain on July 30, 2020, 07:11:09 amYea, but like the Farad the Rossmann is too large to be convenient for most soldering, milli and micro Rossmann are far more useful in everyday usage.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2020, 08:12:37 pm
content: Quote from: pidcon on July 30, 2020, 11:02:43 amAnd by weight, it’s much, much cheaper than those little tip rejuvenator tins! 😂

author: KL27x
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2020, 08:24:29 pm
content: Quote from: Cyberdragon on July 30, 2020, 06:37:23 amThe cheapest solder out of China comes bad out of the package, and it's not because the flux dried out. It's because they use zinc-contaminated lead to make the solder in the first place. I played the China-solder lottery when I needed just a wee wee bit of superthin solderwire. Out of 2 different brands, one was fine, so I won that time. The other didn't need marking. It just went into the garbage can.Once there's zinc in the lead, it is very difficult/costly to remove. It increases the melting temp and makes the alloy more chunky.;;;;;;;;;;The average casual user would probably never notice. As long as the flux is aggressive enough, it will flow just fine. I will notice immediately, because I do production soldering at specific temps. The bad roll melted at 20+C higher than normal. And it displayed one of the other characteristics of zinc contamination; the surface of the solderwire "fogs over" when it gets close to melting temp. You might also notice that even if you set your iron well higher, the wire still melts noticeably slower. As if it requires more energy to phase change from solid to liquid.;;;;;;;;This stuff sells on Amazon. If you notice, it's mostly 5 star ratings. Most people who buy shady solder won't know the difference, and maybe wouldn't care even if they did. But you also see a bunch of 1 star reviews complaining of dull joints, high temps, bad flow. So I have little doubt as to the reasons behind this picture. That was done by someone for whom the quality of solder makes a difference.