On Sun, Dec 28,
2008 at 5:20 PM, Josh Dersch <derschjo at mail.msu.edu> wrote:
Also, just to satisfy my curiosity -- it's
been mentioned by several people
that lead-based solder is necessary -- why is this?
Because the equipment was made with lead-based solder (being many,
many years older than the RoHS directives), and mixing lead-free and
lead-based solder is not a good idea. I'm sure someone here can quote
chapter and verse, but AFAIK, you'll get unreliable solder joints if
you try.
(I think I have a spool
of it somewhere that I liberated from my grandfather's basement some years
back, but I'll have to dig it up...)
If that's plumbing solder, you are unlikely to get good results.
Really, really old plumbing solder _is_ lead-based, but most of what
you are likely to find is not (so that it's safe to use on supply
lines). Plumbing solder is also frequently acid-cored or fluxless. I
don't recall running into any plumbing solder that is compatible with
electronic circuits.
Now...if your grandfather was a Ham or did electronic repairs, what
you have might be just perfect, but be sure you have the right stuff
before you get started.
What you are after is rosin-core lead-based solder around 60/40 or
63/37 tin/lead, with a diameter around 0.5mm (.020") to 0.8mm (.032").
The exact ratio of lead to tin is not critical, nor is the exact
diameter, but since you aren't doing ultra-fine work or trying to
solder down something huge and heavy, like bundles of power-supply
leads or RF cages, I'd recommend something "medium" weight, like the
0.8mm (.032").
There should be a label on one end of the spool (if it's still on the
original spool) describing the various characteristics. If you aren't
practiced at making good joints, I'd recommend getting an inexpensive
electronic hobby kit to practice on. My earliest efforts from when I
was in Jr. High are rather ugly - by the time I was adding blue wires
to $2000 boards at work five years later, I'd gotten much, much better
from the early practice.
Very helpful - thank you!
Sincerely yours,
Jerome Fine
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'at' with the four digits of the current year.