Silver solder

[carlspeak]

Re: Silver solder

Can't say what your solder is, but the Dayton Audio silver solder works quite well and is similar (96% tin / 4% silver). Definitely give it a try.

That's what I use also.

[clydethecat]

Re: Silver solder

Radio Shack solder always has crappy flux. I imagine there's nothing particularly wrong with their metallurgy, but the flux ruins the product.

Their paste flux is the same garbage too.

Ersin Multicore solder has flux that cleans very well in my opinion.

I do like Sn63 (2% silver), mostly because it's somewhere between eutectic and standard 60/40.

Oops, I meant Sn62.

[Wolf]

Re: Silver solder

What's wrong with the Kester solder at Parts Express?

You can get Kester 60/40 rosin about anywhere...
Most of your big-box hardwares have them too. Then there are the electrical supply chains, but it usually costs more there.

I have a LARGE spool of 60/40 from an uncle that I will likely never use all of. Great stuff!
Wolf

[PWR RYD]

Re: Silver solder

I do like Sn63 (2% silver), mostly because it's somewhere between eutectic and standard 60/40.

I/we used to use that at work and I completely agree with you. I bought 5 pounds of it from my former employer when they decided to stop manufacturing our PCBs in house. Really nice solder. For basic crossovers I just use the standard 60/40 from PE. But tube amps/preamps I use the Sn63.

[clydethecat]

Re: Silver solder

I agree, Radio Shack's silver solder is junk.

Radio Shack solder always has crappy flux. I imagine there's nothing particularly wrong with their metallurgy, but the flux ruins the product.

Their paste flux is the same garbage too.

Ersin Multicore solder has flux that cleans very well in my opinion.

I do like Sn63 (2% silver), mostly because it's somewhere between eutectic and standard 60/40.

[Æ]

Re: Silver solder

I agree, Radio Shack's silver solder is junk.

I absolutely dislike using silver solder. I prefer the good ole stuff which I have plenty of. Darn the European Union and their RoHS.

I've found one way that works pretty good for soldering on printed circuit boards with silver solder. Solder with Tin/Lead first then desoldering it and then re-soldering with the silver stuff. Yeah, it is time consuming and wasteful, but it produces a very nice silver solder joint.

[DannyG]

Re: Silver solder

Face, maybe a one item order from P-E isn't practical for him. Orders under $100 are a problem for me.

I usually like to hit that $100 mark when ordering from PE to get free shipping.Sometimes things are cheeper at Madisound but the free shipping at PE puts them over the top.

[Face]

Re: Silver solder

The stuff I used was silver bearing solder from Radio Shack. I didn't care for it, tho I did make it work. If you've got some silver solder and you can get it to work right then great, but having messed with it once I would't pay for the trouble of dealing with it as it probably makes no difference in the end.

I agree, Radio Shack's silver solder is junk.

[evilskillit]

Re: Silver solder

The stuff I used was silver bearing solder from Radio Shack. I didn't care for it, tho I did make it work. If you've got some silver solder and you can get it to work right then great, but having messed with it once I would't pay for the trouble of dealing with it as it probably makes no difference in the end.

[Whitneyville1]

Re: Silver solder

Face, maybe a one item order from P-E isn't practical for him. Orders under $100 are a problem for me.

[Face]

Re: Silver solder

Thanks I think I'll go buy some other solder at the Shack.

What's wrong with the Kester solder at Parts Express?

[DannyG]

Re: Silver solder

Thanks I think I'll go buy some other solder at the Shack.

[Whitneyville1]

Re: Silver solder

If it's old, (more than a couple of years) the flux may no longer be active enough to work well. Test it on some solid copper wires (tin them, of course) first. If it doesn't "tin" the bright copper wire well, toss it and save yourself the grief. When I was working for the fish finder corp, we got a bad lot of lead-free in and went CRAZY until we figured it out. This was in an automated "wave" soldering machine too. Life is too short to save $5 on.

[Dirttracker73]

Re: Silver solder

Can't say what your solder is, but the Dayton Audio silver solder works quite well and is similar (96% tin / 4% silver). Definitely give it a try.

[DannyG]

Re: Silver solder

Someone gave me the solder(two tubes)long ago.It say's silver bearing rosin core solder 96/4 lead free,have'nt tried to use any yet.Is this differant than regular electronic solder?If so I might not use it.