13 Jan
2006
13 Jan
'06
11:17 a.m.
On 1/13/2006 at 2:05 PM Sridhar Ayengar wrote:
Bismuth-tin solder with high-temperature soldering gear
works well
enough, doesn't it?
Not really--"high temperature" is relative in this case. I use an
acetylene-air torch for soft-soldering; many use oxyacetylene (you're
dealing with a big hunk of metal and local heating is more improtant that
getting the entire part hot). The problem is that joints are of the
plumbing sort--you depend on capillary action to form the joint and fill
any small gaps. Eutectic Sn/Pb is ideal. The substitutes, including some
rather expensive indium alloys that I've tried, just don't flow the same
way.
I don't know of any plumber who perfers lead-free solder to the leaded
kind.
Cheers,
Chuck