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Tweakers' Asylum Tweaks for systems, rooms and Do It Yourself (DIY) help. FAQ. |
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Tweakers' Asylum Tweaks for systems, rooms and Do It Yourself (DIY) help. FAQ. |
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In Reply to: OK guys, where do I get it? posted by Todd R on December 30, 2000 at 16:10:28:
For standard solders such as Kester 44, Ersin SN 62 or 63, etc..., try either MCM Electronics or Parts Express. Do NOT, and i repeat, DO NOT order any Ersin "non residue" solder. This is supposed to solder "cleaner" with no flux residue to clean up after your done. In plain English, it absolutely sucks. It is the worst solder that i have ever worked with. Another big waste is the Kester "tining block". More "useless crap" that will set you back a few bucks. Looks like a mini "salt block" and works about that well for soldering purposes. While i have very limited experience with it, the Rat Shack Silver solder has never worked well for me either.
For specialty solders such as Wonder, Cardas and WBT, try Michael Percy. Michael's website can be directly linked via the "support the asylum" page. Keep in mind that he's back-logged a couple of days right now though.As to CFraser's suggestion, i too would recommend a relatively thin gauged solder to start off with. I find that .026 or so is best for soldering standard circuit boards with something heavier for large gauge wire to wire or wire to chassis type work. Most people have a hard time soldering because they start out with poor tools that don't heat properly and too heavy of a solder. Between the poor heat transfer of most inexpensive ( read as Radio Shack) soldering pencils, in-experienced tinkering and low quality solder that is too thick and not fed at a proper rate, many "beginners" give up before they ever have the chance to get "good" at soldering. Having the right tools for the job creates less long term frustration and makes the job go much easier overall. Proper set-up and prepping the work area is MORE than half the battle.
Keep in mind that MUCH of how a specific solder works is in the flux that they use. Long term "bonding" and "conductivity" come into play here also. Having said all of that, I like Wonder solder the best out of all of those that i've worked with. Most beginners would do a dance if they had this stuff to work with instead of the Rat Shack stuff that they usually start off with. Unfortunately, it isn't commonly available and is considerably more costly to work with. If you do plan on doing more soldering down the road, i would look into investing in a small quantity of Wonder to keep on hand for special jobs.
Like anything else though, it all boils down to personal preference. Using ANY of the bigger brand names mentioned in this thread will get you most of the way there. The other part is taking your time and having the patience not to rush through things. Let the joints cool at their own rate. This means DO NOT blow on them or move them while they are settling. Hope all of this helps... Sean
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Follow Ups
- Re: OK guys, where do I get it? - Sean 00:42:59 12/31/00 (0)
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