10 Oct
2006
10 Oct
'06
9:59 a.m.
Is it just me, or is it now impossible to solder properly with "lead free"
solder and "lead free" flux?
Is there a decent make of flux available (like you used to get in those
little round metal tins, and is nicotine brown in colour), rather than that
utterly useless white water-based stuff?
Also, while I'm ranting, the white rubbish flux I bought (to try to get a
recalcitrant wire soldered up) has more warnings than I've ever seen on any
product except peanuts before. Is it my imagination, or is it actually more
dangerous than the stuff it's replaced?
Grrr
Adrian Vickers.
(PS: This has nothing to do with terminals - I was fabricating a new battery
pack for an Epson PX-8, due to the terminal expiration of the original)
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10 Oct
10 Oct
3:45 p.m.
Is it just me, or is it now impossible to solder properly with "lead free"
solder and "lead free" flux?
All I will says is that the number of dry joints in new consumer stuff
here has got to _ridiculous_ levels. I find I have to resolder most
things before they will work. Even simple things like LED torches and the
like.
And a friend of mine specifically looks for hard drives that have been
soldered with leaded solder because of reliability problems with unleaded
ones.
Now, I am not saying that you _can't_ make a reliable connection with
unleaded solder (althought the exemptions for medical and military stuff
might seem to indicate that!), only that cheap stuff seems a lot less
reliable than it was.
The good news is that AFAIK if you're doing it for yourself, or if you're
repairing something made before the deadline (and thus assembled with
leaded solder) there's nothing to stop you using leaded solder now. So
classic computer repairs can still be done with proper solder.
(PS: This has nothing to do with terminals - I was
fabricating a new battery
pack for an Epson PX-8, due to the terminal expiration of the original)
In whcih case there's nothing to stop you using leaded solder.
-tony
4:11 p.m.
This topic reminds me of a recent letter in Bob Pease's Electronic Design
column:
http://www.elecdesign.com/Articles/ArticleID/13357/13357.html
(It's the second letter)
Cheers,
Chuck
4:32 p.m.
On Tue, 10 Oct 2006, Chuck Guzis wrote:
Date: Tue, 10 Oct 2006 16:11:09 -0700
From: Chuck Guzis <cclist at sydex.com>
Reply-To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
Subject: Re: OT: Soldering
This topic reminds me of a recent letter in Bob Pease's Electronic Design
column:
http://www.elecdesign.com/Articles/ArticleID/13357/13357.html
(It's the second letter)
Cheers,
Chuck
I'd second that the Kester (SN96.5/AG3/CU.5) work fine for me. Only noticeble
differences are:
Slightly duller finished joint
Slightly higher MP
Much stronger joints than leaded solder (say 2X)
We've been doing Surface mount and through-hole RoHS compliant assembly for
more than a year now. There has been no problem at all with solder joints.
Peter Wallace
11 Oct
11 Oct
1:51 a.m.
Tony Duell wrote:
Is it possible to still buy leaded solder from anywhere?
Cheers,
Ade.
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All I will says is that the number of dry joints in
new
consumer stuff here has got to _ridiculous_ levels. I find I
have to resolder most things before they will work. Even
simple things like LED torches and the like.
I can't say I've experienced that, but on the other hand I've not bought any
electronic consumer stuff in the last couple of years. Time will tell...
Now, I am not saying that you _can't_ make a
reliable
connection with unleaded solder (althought the exemptions for
medical and military stuff might seem to indicate that!),
only that cheap stuff seems a lot less reliable than it was.
I found that with my standard iron, the solder simply wouldn't grip the
wires no matter what I did. Possibly, because the solder I bought (distress
purchase from B&Q) wasn't flux cored, and I couldn't find my tin of flux.
The good news is that AFAIK if you're doing it for
yourself,
or if you're repairing something made before the deadline
(and thus assembled with leaded solder) there's nothing to
stop you using leaded solder now. So classic computer repairs
can still be done with proper solder.
This is what I did in the end (I have recently re-discovered my reel of
thin, leaded, flux-cored solder. And it works a treat - although in this
particular case (& what prompted the rant) was I was trying to solder
decidedly sub-optimal wires; the negative wire has corroded down pretty much
the entire length of cable. Eventually, I managed to make them stick (just)
by sanding them as best I could, then using lots of flux & solder to get a
tiny little bit of tinning done, then sticking them in a massive big blob of
solder on the bottom of the battery. It's ugly, and weak, but it has worked.
I will re-visit the whole job, though, when I find a suitable plug
connector.
(PS: This has
nothing to do with terminals - I was
fabricating a new
battery pack for an Epson PX-8, due to the
terminal
expiration of the
original)
In whcih case there's nothing to stop you using leaded solder.
4:02 p.m.
I found that with my standard iron, the solder simply wouldn't grip the
That might be the first problem. Unleaded solder melts at a higher
temperature than the stuff we're used to. I think you _need_ a
temperature-controller iron to use it properly.
wires no matter what I did. Possibly, because the
solder I bought (distress
purchase from B&Q) wasn't flux cored, and I couldn't find my tin of flux.
And no solder will work without flux.
The good news is that AFAIK if you're doing
it for yourself,
or if you're repairing something made before the deadline
(and thus assembled with leaded solder) there's nothing to
stop you using leaded solder now. So classic computer repairs
can still be done with proper solder.
This is what I did in the end (I have recently re-discovered my reel of
thin, leaded, flux-cored solder. And it works a treat - although in this
particular case (& what prompted the rant) was I was trying to solder
decidedly sub-optimal wires; the negative wire has corroded down pretty much
the entire length of cable. Eventually, I managed to make them stick (just) by sanding them as best I could, then using lots of
flux & solder to get a
tiny little bit of tinning done, then sticking them in a massive big blob of
solder on the bottom of the battery. It's ugly, and weak, but it has worked.
I will re-visit the whole job, though, when I find a suitable plug
connector.
Be careful. If I rememebr the PX8 schematic correctly, the battery is
used as a shut regulator. If it goes open-circuit when the charger is
connected, there's a risk of damaging ICs.
One thing I made up was a cable with a PX8 battery connector on one end
and 2 4mm plugs on the other. I can run my PX8 from a bench supply set to
5V without needed a battery. Of course I looe all RAM contents when I
turn the supply off, but that's not a major problem (I have the disk
drive...)
-tony
6647
days inactive
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