Tin-lead solder will be banished from EU market?........... I happened to open this aged thread ... 1430 days old ... and sooner than resurrect it, I figured to start a more modern dialog, since this seems to be the way this nanny-<snip> government of ours is bound to roll sooner than later......
For many years now, in my electronic work, I have been using the tin/silver alloy solder, and dedicated paste flux, both produced by "Oatey"
Granted, it is primarily intended for sweat-soldering copper plumbing for lead-free potable water pipes. Available at homey-depot or lowes on the east coast anyway,
Laugh if you must, ......... it works quite well........The "Oatey" flux yields a really nice bright tinned surface on your ironclad or straight-up copper tips, which allows good conductivity of heat to any component joint.
I haven't noticed any radical deterioration of tips kept tinned, though I seldom leave an iron idle for long. Though like everyone else, I waltz off now and then, and forget to turn the iron off..........the tips still corrode and form heavy oxide same as other solder-and-flux systems.
The solder sets up almost as quickly as 63/37 eutectic, and it is hard to make a cold joint. Some here mentioned that it doesn't produce the shiny joint that 63/37 does, though observation will show it does make a good solid joint.
For other jobs, I have gone as far as powdering the solder, and making a paste with the flux, and for the application, it is the bomb.
For many years now, in my electronic work, I have been using the tin/silver alloy solder, and dedicated paste flux, both produced by "Oatey"
Granted, it is primarily intended for sweat-soldering copper plumbing for lead-free potable water pipes. Available at homey-depot or lowes on the east coast anyway,
Laugh if you must, ......... it works quite well........The "Oatey" flux yields a really nice bright tinned surface on your ironclad or straight-up copper tips, which allows good conductivity of heat to any component joint.
I haven't noticed any radical deterioration of tips kept tinned, though I seldom leave an iron idle for long. Though like everyone else, I waltz off now and then, and forget to turn the iron off..........the tips still corrode and form heavy oxide same as other solder-and-flux systems.
The solder sets up almost as quickly as 63/37 eutectic, and it is hard to make a cold joint. Some here mentioned that it doesn't produce the shiny joint that 63/37 does, though observation will show it does make a good solid joint.
For other jobs, I have gone as far as powdering the solder, and making a paste with the flux, and for the application, it is the bomb.
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