If you have to use lead free, you have my condolences.

Do you mean it is “difficult to start with”?

Please ignore the advice to start with non-lead solder unless you live where you can't get it.

Same as above... do you mean it is difficult to start with?

 

Do you mean it is “difficult to start with”?
Same as above... do you mean it is difficult to start with?

Lead free solder is a lot harder to solder with. Some boards I build require it and I have been soldering for about 50 years.
I hate it! It does not flow as well and it is a lot easier to get a faulty joint. Stick with 60/40 lead based solder.

 

Stick with 60/40 lead based solder.

Thanks! Last question: 60/40 or 63/37? Does the little % difference really matter?
I was looking for Ersin and Kester on amazon, but I don’t seem to find anything “thinner” than 0.7 mm, which seems to be too big....
What is a good online supplier in Europe?

 

In the UK, RS Components & CPC Farnell to name two.
Good luck..

 

Hello,

Rapid-online and bitsbox are also in UK:
https://www.rapidonline.com/
https://www.bitsbox.co.uk/

Bertus

 

Do you mean it is “difficult to start with”?

Solder with lead melts at a lower temperature than unleaded. 63/37 is eutectic and is easier to work with due to its low melting point. Eutectic means the freezing point is the same as the melting point, so you're less likely to get bad solder joints and joints will be shiney.

Non-eutectic solders have a temperature range where they're pasty. Any movement in the pasty state can cause a bad joint.

 

Hello,

A lot of information about solder can be found on this wiki page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solder

Bertus

 

Last question: 60/40 or 63/37? Does the little % difference really matter?

It does. The melting and freezing points are different in 60/40. Any shock/movement during the time the melted solder takes to solidify can result in a bad solder joint.

 

The 63/37 is Eutectic, so the melt and solidify temps are the same. For surface mounting of IC's this is the way to go.

The very first time I used 63/37 was to replace a microprocessor in a car radio.

I can braze (Silver solder), do plumbing and seal quartz and pyrex tubes under a vacuum. The skill level required is much higher.

60/40 is a staple. the melt and solidify points are different. When you remove the heat, you must hold the joint still.

I like the BiSnAg solder for SMT work. http://www.indium.com/blog/growing-interest-in-bi-containing-solder-alloys-bismuth-rocks.php

Sn96 sucks.

The harder part is desoldering. That's even harder now. There's braid, mechanical vacuum, vacuum assist, add a low temp alloy and pre-heating.

For the large simple and portable jobs, i love my Butane soldering iron from master Appliance.

I finallly broke down and bought one of the Circuit specialists stations. Comments in my case:

1. Can;t use solder and desoldering tools at the same time.
2. It contains an integral "fume extractor" when soldering.
3. Documentation sort of sucks when it comes to the electrical connections to the work pieces.
4. Lots of tip styles available
5. The tip cartridges loosen in the pencil,
6. The de-soldering tool kept hanging up in the holder. Bought a $20.00 USD ream to fix that.
7. Does hot air too.

If i were doing more,I;d probably buy a self-contained de-soldering tool.

The solder vapor is not the major problem, it;s the flux fumes. Solder can be cored with integral flux.
Don;t use acid core solder for electronics,

the high temperature alloys almost require a controlled temperature iron,

 

I second the 63/37 recommendations. It is a LOT easier to use.

 

I don’t seem to find anything “thinner” than 0.7 mm, which seems to be too big....

I use 0.031" (0.79mm) for most soldering. I have rolls of 0.020" and 0.015" which I find too thin for general soldering; needing to feed in too much to get a good joint.

Jameco.com has several options:

 

I was looking for Ersin and Kester on amazon, but I don’t seem to find anything “thinner” than 0.7 mm, which seems to be too big....

In the US, at least, Amazon.com has 0.02" (0.5mm) dia. Kester 44 rosin core solder. With enough digging around, you should be able to find it over in Europe.

 

Thank you everyone for the great advices!

I've definitely got my head around the soldering stations and solder as well!

Because as newbie we tend to overbuy or underbuy, I will start another post with the goal to build the "newbie shopping list - starter kit"

 

unregulated soldering irons are rubbish.
Pin tips are no good either.

What you need is a standard 50W temp regulated station.
Usually set to 330C

When the unregulated iron overheats, is left on for some hours the tip will become ruined after some time.

Most are coated with a layer of iron the plain copper tips are not good as they wear out quickly and need reshaping.

You can do all work with a broad tip, it can pull off excess solder, so you can put solder on all IC pins quick then remove
using the tip, you can remove the solder bridges easily.

SMD the same, with a broad tip you connect all at first, then remove the bridges using the tip.
You only need flux and desoldering pump for the fine pitch 0.5 and 0.4mm, for SOIC normally not.

Magnifier theres tiny ones used by jewellers I use these for TQFP theyre maybe 5x.

Point tips are bad in many regards.
The fine tip will wear out fast and will become damaged easily.
As well it doesnt conduct heat much so its pretty bad for soldering compared to a broad tip.
They are almost useless, when you consider a broad tip will pull off solder from a joint easily,
and a point tip wont. I remember when using these I was always scared to make a bridge since it did take
a long time to remove it again. As well it is uncomfortable because it is small and conducts little heat.

Theres many kinds of solder, tin only is expensive and not as easy as lead based,
the flux doesnt make much of a difference, some are harmful though.

 

About rosin: that was for me the biggest culture-shock when I first time worked in Sweden, they are not using ANY rosin (and its bad). In none electronic part shop they cannot buy the rosin, and even dont know what is it. Then I somehow solved the problem by means of phosphoric acid, but it is hardly prohibited for pcb, as it soaks into pores making the decades semi-eternal shortcircuits which are not washable even soaking in destillate under the ultrasound. But aspirin tablets are well working for dirty materials, only it must be pure "old type" tablets not "modern" what are savy for stomack because mixed with microcellulose. As it solutes well in spiritus, but has superflowing, it must be added some glycerol. Next best receipt is "kaifionius" made of colophonia rosin crystall - about half of mass, spiritus other half, and not much glycerol for better flowing and less exvaporation. If activity is too small, the microscopic additive of aspirin or better ammonia concentratum is wellcome. Thus, to produce in the kitchen on own knee the hundred liters of such highly technological and effective rosin is pive minute problem, no more. Never had understood whay to pay the large money for things which are bad, like all those tube rosins made probably for santechnics not for electronics. The first test - just make a pcb with 5cm long parallel wires with 0,2mm gap. Measure the resistance between them - it ought be at least 20 MOhm. Then apply Your rosin and put tin over that plane. Wash all as much is practical and measure again. For my particular case I bought at Elfa shop about half dozen different "electronic rosins", the best result was 100 kOhm, the worst was 200 Ohm. For comparizon - the receipt with colophonia, NH4, spiritus and glycerol lefts about 15 MOhm unwashed and more than 20 washed by aceton. Therefore my choice is crystall clear - not waste the money feeding the crap game maffias.

 

About the solders. Must know there exist the two schools seeing one in each other the deadly enemy. One are taking the solder WITH the hummer, other are pushing the solder UNDER the hummer. Thus, first have to have a clean copper ending and any covering for it is death sentence. By the way, copper not reacts with tin anymore, if being clapped/compacted. Just take a hummer in right and soldering hammer in left and form the right form not by means of abrasive but by means of clapping. Then it will work well and long.
Contrary method is high-tech processed work ends of materials even not heard a copper, or at least copper with film coating, what are principially un-wetting the solder. As known - copper is wetting it, but tin-copper chemically reacting what causes the "cariess holes" in the copper. Thus these modern day endings work well for the years BUT with the requirement that it is never cleaned mechanically. Maximum, produce the thermal shock to water-wet temperature resistant fabrique piece having in complectation to the solder station. Wet, not dry. That is the most widespread mistake often not discussed in instruction manual. Always use it well-wet. And never try to take any solder or rosin WITH the hummer, its impossible and even destructive.

 

So, now about solder metals: first, lead or not lead. Of course, lead is forbidden to use in any mass products, BUT.... (why all what is enjoyable is always forbidden, or poisonous, or at least immoral). The lead is causing cancer EPA tells but it had been extensively used for two centuries now and never had been observed ANY higher cancer rates for workers living in those "highly toxic" fumes all theirs life. I bet the eating of lead is not healthy, but for individual non-regulated by law works it is good and technologically fine choice. As my celler I keep at least hundreds of kg this soviet era troffy, I have no intention to shift to the "modern age" tins as much I be able. The modern are less technological, worse wetting the surfaces, too easy desolder at low temperatures, but in the mass-tirage products is thing "must to be". Generally, 60%lead 40%tin is for soldering the kettles, but 60%tin 40%lead is for electronics. More rarely 80%tin. But if to use a pure 99,8% tin rods, they give a rather bad solder joint, use a bit accumulator lead to correct the eutectic if You have it much. As I have few dozens of kg that thingy too, I am once a few years switching the glass blowing torch on under the tiegel with lead taken from accumulator plates or old electric cable skin, as it had been melted take off the oxide skin, add the tin piece by piece and the right content must be maximized observing the shine of crystallite. If shiny - good. If matted surface - bad. Then flow the hot liquid on quartz plane plate, as thin as better, and take off when cold. Then with a scissors divide it in about 3 mm wide "wires" what must be clapped by hammer to get the less than 1 mm thick. Often them has 1cm width after this, so cut it by scissors again up to 2mm wide pieces. The pieces may be sticked one with each in length by means of soldering, so I keep it rolled in about meters or two long. Its then handy for use for any SMD operations with "push under solder-hummer" method, or by "old n-good" method. The most strange thing I learned, the soldered joint looks better using this receipt in comparison with old-days POS-60 tin and much better than modern-days lead-free tin. The job time expected is roughly one day for 100 kg of tin to produce, serving next few years.

 

Thanks everyone!

One last question on soldering stations:

is it worth to get a “more expensive” soldering station bases on the so called “new technology” where the tip is heated directly instead of heating by a ceramic element (“old technology”)?

I am referring to this video... https://youtu.be/scvS2yeUH00

I will just do little things, DIY, home automation (on arduino and raspberry pi) and maybe a few jobs on car (stereo and a bit of “smart things”, trying to put few sensors here and there.....

ideas?

 

Now about Roze metal and Wud metal. I have a rather impressive count of that granulated metal in glass tins, intended for use in hot water bath, what allows to tining a pcb. Normally on the electroc heater worker put the dish, fill with the hot glycerol with rosin addittives pour the metal granulas and wait wjhile it will melt at around 95C. Then take a cotton piece in pincette and "paint" the copper surface until it is leaded. Method is highly robust, highly effective, BUT I dont like the both low-melt metals not only due the so toxic ingredients than cadmium may be in it content, but surface is too much matted, not shiny. Thus the way out are two: first is to apply the Chineese photoresistive paints - red, green, blue or yellow. Personally, the green I see looks more nice. Second is to apply the "kaifionius" solution with rather much ammonia and take the coaxial cable braiding, crumble it to the bean size ball, warm up by solder hammer keeping on tip, and then paint with it the pcb patches time by time addind the solder metal in that crumbleball. May do it other way too, just one hand is sliding the braiding piece of few cm long, plane, and other is warming it from above. Once each few inches stop and add the tin- metal. The main aim - not allow to rest the tin of more than micrometers thick. As thiner, as better.
But now, lets compare the result - with Chinese face-mask one working with RF may find after say 10 years the surface is still fresh, paint shiny, copper layer under paint shiny. The man using tinning of surface will find what? The heavily matted, semi-rusted surface what sure is most worst available for radiofrequencies. More over, any solder metal has significantly worse resistance than copper, thus the skin effect plus DC resistance is rather bad combination. My vote is sure for paint not tin.

 

Now about Roze metal and Wud metal. I have a rather impressive count of that granulated metal in glass tins, intended for use in hot water bath, what allows to tining a pcb. Normally on the electroc heater worker put the dish, fill with the hot glycerol with rosin addittives pour the metal granulas and wait wjhile it will melt at around 95C. Then take a cotton piece in pincette and "paint" the copper surface until it is leaded. Method is highly robust, highly effective, BUT I dont like the both low-melt metals not only due the so toxic ingredients than cadmium may be in it content, but surface is too much matted, not shiny. Thus the way out are two: first is to apply the Chineese photoresistive paints - red, green, blue or yellow. Personally, the green I see looks more nice. Second is to apply the "kaifionius" solution with rather much ammonia and take the coaxial cable braiding, crumble it to the bean size ball, warm up by solder hammer keeping on tip, and then paint with it the pcb patches time by time addind the solder metal in that crumbleball. May do it other way too, just one hand is sliding the braiding piece of few cm long, plane, and other is warming it from above. Once each few inches stop and add the tin- metal. The main aim - not allow to rest the tin of more than micrometers thick. As thiner, as better.
But now, lets compare the result - with Chinese face-mask one working with RF may find after say 10 years the surface is still fresh, paint shiny, copper layer under paint shiny. The man using tinning of surface will find what? The heavily matted, semi-rusted surface what sure is most worst available for radiofrequencies. More over, any solder metal has significantly worse resistance than copper, thus the skin effect plus DC resistance is rather bad combination. My vote is sure for paint not tin.

Sorry but I do not get if it’s is related to my question or not....