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60/40 lead solder still around..?

S

spinjector

Is good old fashioned 60/40 lead solder still around..? I'm fed up with this lead-free crap. I want my flow back, and I don't mean on my carburetor. =-)
 
Search E Bay and find 5 pound rolls at a bargain, and you will have a lifetime supply! JBI
 
We use eutectic solder (63/37 instead of 60/40). The difference is that eutectic has no plastic state. It is either liquid or solid, so a cold solder joint is more avoidable. We avoid lead free solder as there have been problems with many of the alloys (like tin whiskers that grow together over time to short circuits & tin pest where the tin becomes non-conductive and falls to dust at low temperatures), and the properties of these solders is not yet fully understood. Even in the EU, there is an exemption for electronics designed for communications and critical infrastructure.


When buying solder, check the type of flux inside. For repair work, you want a no-clean rosin core. A lot of solder has an organic core which requires washing in hot water. Organic flux is corrosive, very Hygroscopic and it's conductive. So, unwashed joints made with it will corrode quickly over time and, if close to another connection as found when soldering IC pads, are prone to short out after a few days. Washing in hot water and then rinsing with distilled water resolves the problem.
 
Kmagrill said:
We use eutectic solder (63/37 instead of 60/40). The difference is that eutectic has no plastic state. It is either liquid or solid, so a cold solder joint is more avoidable.
Click to expand...

I certainly second that. 63/37 is getting harder to find, but you can still buy it -- even at Radio Shack, believe it or not, although you'll definitely overpay there! Hamfests are a great places to find solder at good prices, along with lots of other shop necessities.
 
A few years back, I got a ROHS-compliance scare and bought about 25, Kester-44 1-lb spools. I've since gone through perhaps two of that stockpile. So, I'm thinking perhaps stocking-stuffers this Xmas?
-D
 
I second the hamfests although last year at Dayton was Slim Pickens with the prices rising. I loaded up on Kester silver bearing and 63/37 at a table 4 years ago...lifetime supply (I hope).
 
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