Infernal problem- soldering.

[g1]

I dont understand how you can polish down to the copper, & then it immediately not oxidise over preventing you from tinning it with any kind of solder. I effectively tried many times the same by scraping down to the shiny copper (once my tip had greyed).. but no way on gods earth could I get any solder to melt nicely over the tip.

This is another issue that I think is also due to the solder you are using.

[Sea Chief]

This is another issue that I think is also due to the solder you are using.

Ok point taken. But it might have flux in it, just not say so. I did manage to get it onto an old tip tho, with help from the tiny tub of tiptipper.. so it might have had flux in. Anyway used it up now, so will forgo using again just in case/ seems most sensible.

[Sea Chief]

Yeah, the diagonal flat surface of the bit became concave with use.

Americans say "sod her" and we say "sold her" Its just the way it is.

That's as odd as aluminium in my book, which I think, isn't it similarly spelt the same as english-english but pronounced leaving out the 2nd i?

[g1]

Americans say "sod her" and we say "sold her" Its just the way it is.

We do know how to pronounce soldier and not sod-jer though.

That's as odd as aluminium in my book, which I think, isn't it similarly spelt the same as english-english but pronounced leaving out the 2nd i?

No, US spelling has no second i. I do like the UK spelling & pronounciation of that one. It reminds me of Scotty building the tank for the whales in Star Trek "The One With the Whales" (even if he never said it ).

[Sea Chief]

We do know how to pronounce soldier and not sod-jer though.


No, US spelling has no second i. I do like the UK spelling & pronounciation of that one. It reminds me of Scotty building the tank for the whales in Star Trek "The One With the Whales" (even if he never said it ).

I didn't know there was no 2nd i in aluminium, that's weird. I mean barium, cadmium, barillium (erm.. er thats about all I can muster-ium).. I mean ffs look you can't go nicking the i's outta those too, can you?

I cant say solder without -wanting- to pronounce the L, because well it's there. I find my mouth goes all funny trying. Peculiar 'mericuns.

And your canadian too g1. You should jolly well know better.

[g1]

At least I try to put my 'u's in where there supposed to be (it's a point of honour ). And spell check always protests.

[Sea Chief]

At least I try to put my 'u's in where there supposed to be (it's a point of honour ). And spell check always protests.

Yes those disappeared U's.. I like your spellchecker protesting! haha. Then we have O........regano. frightful business. Actually interestingly (boringly morelike) business used to have an i after the u buisiness when I was at school.. but that i fkd off somewhere too, of its own volition I think.

Some clown's nipping about nicking the flippin i's g1.

[J M Fahey]

Ok point taken. But it might have flux in it, just not say so. I did manage to get it onto an old tip tho, with help from the tiny tub of tiptipper.. so it might have had flux in. Anyway used it up now, so will forgo using again just in case/ seems most sensible.

Buy a pine rosin "stone" at your local hardware shop, it´s very useful.

Besides home making excellent flux, when retinning worn/oxidized tips I first scrape them *cold* bright clean with metal sponge (brass or steel) which of course does not cause oxidation, turn iron ON, and push it against rosin stone.

At some point it will get in and become covered in a thick coat ; a minute or two later it will readily take solder, not air or oxygen involved.
So much so that you will have to wipe the too thick solder layer off with a wet cloth, and from then on treat your solder tip well.

[Chuck H]

I dont understand how you can polish down to the copper, & then it immediately not oxidise over preventing you from tinning it with any kind of solder. I effectively tried many times the same by scraping down to the shiny copper (once my tip had greyed).. but no way on gods earth could I get any solder to melt nicely over the tip.

Looking at youtube clips, I'm also not understanding the US pronunciation of solder. Should be simply like bolder.. but I keep hearing something akin to 'saahder', 'saahdering iron' Eh? I keep rewinding & straining to hear. wtf did he just say?! 'saaaad..ering'?? (the strangest UK/US english language difference thing I've known by far.. unless it's different spelling of course).

I'm using tin/lead flux core solder. I'm sure it's different (if not impossible) with lead free solder that doesn't have any flux.

[dai h.]

hi, if the solder is this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/283575166053

maybe it's acid core (not suitable for electronics--FWIW the ebay seller name is "ukplumbing").

(While I have used cheapie nichrome element ones successfully) I also wonder about possible issues with the soldering
iron/station (based on the low price and manufacturer I'm not familiar with--though I could be wrong and maybe it offers
great bang for the buck--err pound).

It appears to be this one:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-6147.../dp/B010823P38

[Sea Chief]

hi, if the solder is this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/283575166053

maybe it's acid core (not suitable for electronics--FWIW the ebay seller name is "ukplumbing").

(While I have used cheapie nichrome element ones successfully) I also wonder about possible issues with the soldering
iron/station (based on the low price and manufacturer I'm not familiar with--though I could be wrong and maybe it offers
great bang for the buck--err pound).

It appears to be this one:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-6147.../dp/B010823P38

Yes both those items are as I showed in photos & solder wire info/ actually I gave more info than this listing: acid core, flux core? who knows. If it flows very well (with a non-oxidised tip), & I used for a whole amp build, whole preamp hifi build, pedals, then it's suitable for electronics.

But just because the iron is now £20 not £35 when I bought it, plus 4.5* reviews from 272.. doesn't suggest it shouldn't just work ok. It suggests it does work well.

If I've had success using the tip gubbins, then I have enough of a result which is great/ all I really hoped for. I think its just conjecture as to what the cause might have been for the asap oxidised tips, there could it seems have been many possibilities, but it's not concrete as to which was sole cause.

All I can do then is buy a couple of different/ new things to hopefully help, a new tip, & just pray I'm not in the same boat in 2 weeks.

thanks SC

[Chuck H]

As stated, acid core solder is plumbing solder. The acid flux is corrosive so it can dissolve oxides on dirty copper. Not such a problem for a copper pipe but more so for the fine stranding used in electronic leads. Used in electronics acid core solder can cause eventual faults in the soldered contacts.

It's also significant that acid core solder is typically applied to a pipe heated with a torch. Not with a soldering iron. I wouldn't be surprised if acid core flux wears out soldering iron tips faster than rosin flux. Especially on cheaper irons with cheaper plating for the tips metallic layers. And why shouldn't it? It's DESIGNED TO CHEW INTO METALS.

Regardless of reviews, which I do not trust anyway since they're often falsified as a marketing technique, I've learned to stay away from budget items for products that include plating or any sort of metallurgy in their construction. Actual materials and/or processes being used are often untested and therefor untrustworthy resulting in problems like premature failure and sometimes worse like outgassing of toxic fumes. How can this happen (?), you think, in a world where technology allows for understanding and the demands of regulatory agencies are biased for public safety? It happens because the corporations that commission these manufactures are low ballers that don't care about you. To achieve the lowest manufacturing costs specifications are sometimes even falsified or manufacturing is moved to a place where there are fewer regulations but finished items can be sold as whole. Large corporations actually lobby to create laws like that in places where they wish to have manufacturing performed. In all, the system simply cannot be trusted. Always best to buy things like soldering irons, DMM's, contact cleaners and, of course, the components we put together with those products from REPUTABLE manufacturers. That is, manufacturers with a reputation for performance, quality and safety.

I'll bet if you use a quality iron and rosin flux solder that your premature solder system failures will stop happening. Any argument about how it once worked and so it should now with your current station and solder are not valid because it is the very problem you asked for advice on. Further, that argument is contrary to the sentiment of asking for advice in the first place.

All the information you need to end your problems is here in the last 118 posts by well intentioned members of our forum.

[nosaj]

And if it was acid flux solder he's been using on all his stuff. Well I wouldn't want to have to go through an remove all the solder and replace it cause it will damage whatever it comes in contact with over time.

nosaj
118 post to get here would have been much easier on everyone to take the suggestions instead of fighting everyone with preconcieved notions. Wells lets hope you ARE lucky and it is not acid core solder. FWIW I have never noticed acid core solder say acid core solder on it Just knew if it's in the plumbing supplies don't use it and never use old solder unless you can correctly identify it. No reason to give your projects cancer down the road which is what acid core will do.
nosaj

[Sea Chief]

And if it was acid flux solder he's been using on all his stuff. Well I wouldn't want to have to go through an remove all the solder and replace it cause it will damage whatever it comes in contact with over time.

nosaj
118 post to get here would have been much easier on everyone to take the suggestions instead of fighting everyone with preconcieved notions. Wells lets hope you ARE lucky and it is not acid core solder. FWIW I have never noticed acid core solder say acid core solder on it Just knew if it's in the plumbing supplies don't use it and never use old solder unless you can correctly identify it. No reason to give your projects cancer down the road which is what acid core will do.
nosaj

nosaj. The fighting is only you & a group of people singling me out whether its 1st my technique, next my iron, now my solder the latest on the "lets pick at him" list because, well, if it doesnt say flux on his solder & one eg off ebay is sold by a plumbing Co.. then bingo! look what an idiot he is!

Someone doesn't go to ebay & trawl the sellers, to find my solder sold by a plumbing Co (I'd never have bought from any plumbing Co!) in order to help in any way shape or form; on the contrary it is finding an example, to use simply to pick at me, the rationale being only to find more common solidarity- within a group.

And the reason groups form after a while (esp on forums: same time after time) is human nature. Its natural to continue to grow the 'pack' as a way to show common solidarity, a pack way of bonding.. at the expense (most often) of one person: me here; it's such a convenient & easy target being my thread alone isn't it?. And it is the very 1st rung of bullying too. Forums are breeding grounds for this sociological achilles heel in my opinion too (& facebook.. the very worst of all).

Thanks for the help folks: an infernal problem has -hopefully- been remedied at least, if the cause not definitively established. SC

[nosaj]

I'll let you have your delusional win but it's not us picking on you.
Sometimes you just have to trust that people know what they're telling you and then when you do your aha moment happens. You seem to want aha moments before you ever move forward.
The whole time you kept saying it can't be this and it can't be that because well it worked fine for a while.

But enjoy and hope it wasn't acid core all along. I did come across somewhere where someone mentioned acid core has a sour smell and an rosin core has a piney smell. But my sense of smell has never been all that.

nosaj