Solder

K

KenP

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I don't know if many of you have tried soldering brass etched "bits" together to make something up. It's easy to finish up with a great blob of solder.

I have recently taken to using solder paste. Just apply it with the tip of a screwdriver ( or old brush) and the grey gunk turns into a thin film of solder as you apply the iron.

The drawback is that it is not cheap, about £20-£25 for a 125mL pot. The good news is the pot will last a long, long time.

The stuff I am using is Fryolux Solder Paint, manufactured by Alpha-Fry Technologies, and should be available at a good specialist hardware shop. Not your B&Q or a pots & pans hardware shop
 
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wonwinglo

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Useful tip that Ken,sounds a little similar to the older Flux pastes,dont forget to neutralise the acid content of these solder pastes,to do this mix up some bicarbonate of soda and apply with a stiff brush,then flush the joint with running water,this will get rid of the harmful corrosive qualities of all these types of fluxes,otherwise suddenly one day you could find the joint badly corroded.

Someone once did a field solder paste,all that you did was light a match and offer to the joint for a swift temporary repair.Hobbies of London used to sell the stuff.
 
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G

George

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Useful tip that Ken,sounds a little similar to the older Flux pastes,dont forget to neutralise the acid content of these solder pastes,to do this mix up some bicarbonate of soda and apply with a stiff brush,then flush the joint with running water,this will get rid of the harmful corrosive qualities of all these types of fluxes,otherwise suddenly one day you could find the joint badly corroded.Someone once did a field solder paste,all that you did was light a match and offer to the joint for a swift temporary repair.Hobbies of London used to sell the stuff.
I still have a card of Multicore Emergency Solder [melts with a match] in my work box :coffee:
 
B

BigJBB

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Solder a question

On the topic of Solder. I have a question for all of the learned fraternity. About 20 years ago i bought a 500g reel of flux cored solder. Can anyone tell me the shelf life I should have expected please? When I went to use it on Thursday, when making a joint (silicon wire/solder tag on a motor) there was a black gungy residue left and no solder = no joint :sobbing: Changed the solder for a 25g new packet :praying: Result :clap2: The joint was sound. Unfortunately me being an Aberdonian I do not want to just throw out this old ree. So if anyone can give mae a little advice I would really appreciate it.

thanks

Jim :music_too :music_too
 

wonwinglo

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On the topic of Solder. I have a question for all of the learned fraternity. About 20 years ago i bought a 500g reel of flux cored solder. Can anyone tell me the shelf life I should have expected please? When I went to use it on Thursday, when making a joint (silicon wire/solder tag on a motor) there was a black gungy residue left and no solder = no joint :sobbing: Changed the solder for a 25g new packet :praying: Result :clap2: The joint was sound. Unfortunately me being an Aberdonian I do not want to just throw out this old ree. So if anyone can give mae a little advice I would really appreciate it.thanks

Jim :music_too :music_too
***Well Jim in my toolbox is a very old tin of Fluxite ! the contents are discoloured and gungy,but the paste still seems to work,however who knows the shelf life of some of this material as you say ? it could be that there has been some reaction within the solder to make it do that ? as these things are acetic/acid/caustic based products that work chemically when heat is applied it could be that those qualities have been destroyed with time,try using a piece further on within the coil to see if that does the same ? just a thought.

Failing that it will make some useful ballast weight ! :poster_oo
 
G

George

Guest
Solder etc

***Well Jim in my toolbox is a very old tin of Fluxite ! the contents are discoloured and gungy,but the paste still seems to work,however who knows the shelf life of some of this material as you say ? it could be that there has been some reaction within the solder to make it do that ? as these things are acetic/acid/caustic based products that work chemically when heat is applied it could be that those qualities have been destroyed with time,try using a piece further on within the coil to see if that does the same ? just a thought.Failing that it will make some useful ballast weight ! :poster_oo
I am using a solder flux which looks like axel grease in colour but there are no problems with the joints other than my own. :scotland:
 
B

BigJBB

Guest
Thanks for the input so far. Ballast.......hmmm now there is an option. I'll let you know how the inner part of the reel fares. if no bettere then ballast it will be.

cheers

Jim
 
B

BigJBB

Guest
Good new, I cut the first foot off of the reel and it workrd soooooooooooo..... much better. Still a little gunge and once again I cut off another foot and this time no gunge. I guess I'll be looking for ballast elsewhere :smiling3:

cheers

Jim
 

wonwinglo

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Good new, I cut the first foot off of the reel and it workrd soooooooooooo..... much better. Still a little gunge and once again I cut off another foot and this time no gunge. I guess I'll be looking for ballast elsewhere :smiling3: cheers

Jim
*** I think that we will put this one down to 'Deterioration of the extreme sections of material caused through exposure to climatic and molecular changes in the physical & chemical properties of soft metals' !!! :lala:
 
D

duncan

Guest
...or in the same language for an aeroplane crash "a rapid energetic disassembly".
 
R

radish1us

Guest
I don't know if many of you have tried soldering brass etched "bits" together to make something up. It's easy to finish up with a great blob of solder.I have recently taken to using solder paste. Just apply it with the tip of a screwdriver ( or old brush) and the grey gunk turns into a thin film of solder as you apply the iron.

The drawback is that it is not cheap, about £20-£25 for a 125mL pot. The good news is the pot will last a long, long time.

The stuff I am using is Fryolux Solder Paint, manufactured by Alpha-Fry Technologies, and should be available at a good specialist hardware shop. Not your B&Q or a pots & pans hardware shop
Another way of soldering up etched brass is to use a very thin rosin core solder that the ham radio nutters use. This solder can be obtained from about 1mm diameter and with the rosin rolled into it as well. You only need to clean the brass,with a bit of fine wet and dry, where you are going to solder, then cut of a bit of this thin solder, say 1mm to 2mm long, whatever you reckon you will need, then lay this bit of solder on the join. Get hold of a windproof cigarette lighter, or "BONG" lighter and just wave this heat scource close to the brass piece, a couple of passes and the solder will run. This way there is NO BLOB of 'shite' left behind from the soldering iron at all, much easier and cleaner. These bong lighters are available from just about everywhere and are cheap and refillable, they throw out the heat that is very adequate for the job in hand.

regards radish :gent:
 
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