When you solder something using 60/40 solder, there is a mushy state as it cools down
where the solder is no longer liquid but not yet a solid.? You need to hold the parts still
when it's mushy or you get a bad joint.
The 63/37 alloy is eutectic, meaning it transitions immediately from liquid to solid.
Kester is certainly good stuff.
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I have thick and thin solder.? ?
Thick for soldering wires to connectors, heat tabs to copper, or working on an old tube radio,
using thin would keep you busy feeding in a foot or so of solder.
Thin when putting down parts with 0.5mm pin spacing to avoid too much solder.
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I treated the Chinese solder and flux that came with my Chinese iron with some suspicion,?
but it all seems to work fine.? The flux is not terribly corrosive, and cleans up with 90% alcohol.
The solder may not be an ideal unaldulterated alloy, but works well enough.
When soldering small parts, you can put flux on the pins and get a bit of solder loaded up?
on the soldering iron tip, then just move the tip from pin to pin without adding solder.
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The tip of this soldering iron is not grounded, never been a problem for me.
When dealing with an especially sensitive or expensive part, some bare wire wound around?
the base of the barrel and then somehow connected to your workbench ground is not a bad idea.
Price is right, enough power for the QMX ground planes, comes with multiple tips,
has a stand to hold the iron, and a generous amount of solder, flux, and solder braid.?
Shows current tip temperature, shows programmed tip temperature briefly when adjusting.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C2Z1WNRV
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Jerry, KE7ER
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On Sat, Mar 15, 2025 at 06:33 AM, Jim WB4ILP wrote:
After much reading I think most builders prefer for PCB work a 63/37 rosin core solder in a diameter of .032. ?Kester type 44 seems to be a great solder available on Amazon at reasonable prices and is a great investment.?
