Infernal problem- soldering.

[nosaj]

I find this patronising. If my solder told me whether it had 25 % flux in it.. Id have said so. It says nothing on it. Its solder, it works very well, so nothing has pointed at this being the cause. It is by far more likely as cause to be the inferior coating on the tip rather than blaming my choice of solder surely.

You said this has been ongoing for a number of years. For already forming an opinion based on lack of knowledge I and others must find very baffling.
nosaj

[DrGonz78]

Well glad you got it all figured out.

[g1]

Hi g1. Sorry but I'm not understanding the point of the question, if I know that the solder I use, is perfectly fine. If I use the solder for the duration of my twin reverb build for 2 weeks flat out working, hundreds of solders, I touch the wire to the tip & it flows onto it.. surely it is up to par. For all intents & purposose, it works fine. And I do not in this example, need to use flux.

You don't need to understand the question, you can just answer it. You will have to trust that people here know what they are doing and cooperate accordingly.
If you didn't think we did know, you would not be here.

Why would you double down on insisting my question is irrelevant, and argue about it?
You can't be 100% sure your solder is perfectly fine is you are having any solder related problem whatsoever.
Flux is always required. It is either in the solder or you use external. It is usually called 'resin core' if it is in your solder. Maybe that is where the problem with the question arises. Flux = Resin

[DrGonz78]

I bought one type of solder years ago that was extra tree sappy. Left a very sticky flux residue behind and it made cleaning tips more difficult.

[Sea Chief]

You don't need to understand the question, you can just answer it. You will have to trust that people here know what they are doing and cooperate accordingly.
If you didn't think we did know, you would not be here.

Why would you double down on insisting my question is irrelevant, and argue about it?
You can't be 100% sure your solder is perfectly fine is you are having any solder related problem whatsoever.
Flux is always required. It is either in the solder or you use external. It is usually called 'resin core' if it is in your solder. Maybe that is where the problem with the question arises. Flux = Resin

How do i know if its [flux] in the solder or not if it is only mentioned that its 'solder'?! I have asked this straight up just before, but the question is avoided.

It is a perfectly relevant question- it is not "double down insisting" any "question is irrelevant". It is a question of mine that's not being answered, if any isn't.

How can I not simply deem it works, if I successfully used this solder, to solder away for 2 weeks, every single one flowed perfectly fine-? surely I can safely assume, because of this success, that the solder must have therefore had 'flux' in it (if.. you state bluntly "Flux is always required" too) -?

Does your statement not dictate that in order for a solder to be successfully made, some flux is required-? if the answer is yes.. then can I assume then, that my solder -must- have flux in it?

--

As far as I know flux is a facilitator of flow of the solder, onto the location to be soldered. That is its function. That is what it is designed for. You go for your pcb spot.. & you introduce at this juncture, 'flux' or 'resin'. But I am not having any problem with soldering at the location, when the tip works that is. It is prior to this soldering-at-the-location-juncture.. that I am having problems.

If I had any problems at the location.. then I could clearly see a facilitator of the solder would be needed/ beneficial. Yes flux thanks, I will try it etc.

As far as I can ascertain, it is preparation/ and continued looking-after/ of the tip that is (likely- I have to make the judgement choosing between folks' appreciated suggestions.. so someone is by nature going to be snubbed, this is unnavoidable) the problem. That is the only thing that makes logical sense to me. Because it is the only suggestion directly relative to the tip's condition. Grumbling about my iron, or my solder, seems to simply be grumbling at me for the sake of it (because its easy to do on a forum to one person, who simply does not understand & is confused, as I am).

As the tip tinner stuff, to me, seems like the logical 1st thing to try.. I will try this. I have a new tip, some of this tip tinner, my sponge of course, & my temp controlled iron & a simple pot redo-wire-job to do. I am all set to re-evaluate, re-try.

I just need to go back to pg1 with these things, & ask how I use them. Not because I do not know how to solder. But because I am swallowing my pride, ticking off every step, in order to "get back in the saddle again". And stay on.

Now.. if I fall off again.. THEN.. I can try an additional 'flux' material. And if this is the thing that keeps me on my saddle... then you were absolutely correct/ I stand corrected that tip tinner wasn't the correct route/ & adding flux, was. Ok?

thanks- SC

[nosaj]

Post a picture of your solder label to clear this up.
nosaj

[Sea Chief]

So I have my new toys. I am trying -one- suggestion of someone's 1st (addition of tip tinner).

I just need to start afresh. If I over-use this tip tinner.. with my luck, I'll come a cropper again. Or over-use the heat maybe (or under-use it?).. I might well come a cropper. Or mis-using my sponge perhaps (even correctly not saturated/ not dry).. I might come a cropper again.

So could someone kindly just refresh what I do, with these 4 items (temp controlled 40w iron, new tip, tip-tinner, sponge) to keep the coating on the tip from degrading/ getting removed.

Thanks alot. SC

[Sea Chief]

Post a picture of your solder label to clear this up.
nosaj

If it only says 'solder' on, & where its made.. then a photo of it is of no use/ does nothing to clear anything up whatsoever nosaj- I've said this.

If it doesn't say flux included on it, it does not mean there is catagorically none in it (& if I use it & it works great & flows like a boss, the suggestion is only therefore, if anything.. that it -does- contain flux in surely).

[Sea Chief]

Post a picture of your solder label to clear this up.
nosaj

posting a pic isn't easy for me.. but I will type every last thing it says on the label. More than just 'solder & mfr country' addmittedly.. but relevantly it says nothing about inclusion of or lack of flux, nothing afaict of relevance other than "lead free solder":

S05-DENCON. Lead free solder dispenser. Sn-0.75Cu.1mm (approx 13.2 gms). Mfr in taiwan.

thanks- SC

[nosaj]

There you go lead free solder.
get some 63/37
Nosaj

[nosaj]

Jm Fahey called it in post 4. If I remember correctly non leaded solder is hell on tips.
nosaj

[Sea Chief]

nosaj does my solder label info give any useful information? #83

[Sea Chief]

Jm Fahey called it in post 4. If I remember correctly non leaded solder is hell on tips.
nosaj

Well it seems to be the staple/ standard stuff in EU, surely likely stricter rules than US where lead might still be normal to have in your solder.. but if other folks use lead-free which is highly likely if in EU I'd think, then this doesn't give any more clues really.

[Dave H]

From Wikibooks

Lead-free solder

Solder containing lead is slowly being phased out under new EU directives (especially the RoHS and WEEE directives) and being replaced with solders consisting of tin-antimony alloys. It will likely be many years before lead solder is supplanted for good, but even now many shops do not sell lead solder any more. Lead-free solder has a higher melting point than lead solder and uses more aggressive fluxes. This means that the soldering iron will have to be made for lead-free solder in order to supply the right temperature — it melts at around 230°C — and the iron bits need a different coating to withstand the flux. Using a soldering iron meant for lead solders may result in dry joints and shortened bit life.

Lead-free solder is generally about 20%-50% more expensive than lead solder.

There are many different alloys and their properties can be found in this Wikipedia article.

[Helmholtz]

S05-DENCON. Lead free solder dispenser. Sn-0.75Cu.1mm (approx 13.2 gms). Mfr in taiwan.

Well, as you wrote above it's Lead free and most probably doesn't have a flux core, because it would be mentioned on the label otherwise.
So that means worst case.

Lead free solder requires significantly higher soldering temperatures (+30°C) and is a PITA to work with.
30°C more means 8 times faster tip wear.

Problem is that the EU banned leaded solder, so its rather hard to find over here.
I just browsed German Amazon for solder wire and found only one (chinese) leaded flux core wire amongst hundreds of lead-free types.
Look for 60%Sn (tin) and 37% to 40% Pb (lead) content and flux/resin core.

BTW, the flux (core) not only facilitates solder flow but also chemically cleans the tip.