Solder: rosin core, multicore ?

[darron]

at the very least, wash your hands before eating after lead-soldering... never seen someone using gloves

[fusseltier]

multicore is a brand and it also has multiple cores in the solder.
they have 2, 3, and 5 cored solder.
http://www.quantumalloys.com/data/electronic/erzin.html
ersin is a rosin that is still used.
ersin rosin has a better flow and helps the wetting of the connection.
http://www.drmsmetals.com/data/electronic/erzin.html

i hope this helps

[LucifersTrip]

Thanx...I forgot about that post, but always cool to have more info



Since my post, I was able to track down a few 1lb rolls of that vintage Ersin Multicore, so I'm not out yet.

[limbe]

I have always used Ersin Multicore solder.It used to have 3 channels of flux instead of 5.Recently I worked with a tech who was afraid of lead fumes.His workshop was small and badly ventilated.He used som other alloy.What I found out was that if you start out with the newer solder wires you might be ok but for repair work you easily get in trouble mixing different alloys.
Instead of adding a tiny bit of solder to a joint that´s gone bad due to physical stress and touch them up ,you have to remove all of the solder and start anew.Not very time-efficient or practical to have different kinds of solder in the same amp.I will also stick with the solder wire which has been industry standard for many years.

[amptramp]

I don't know if any reformulations have changed it, but lead-free solders were susceptible to the growth of tin whiskers.  This is suspected to have caused some of the unintended acceleration problems that some car manufacturers have suffered where the circuitry designed to increase idle throttle opening when air conditioning was turned on suddenly commanded maximum throttle in some circumstances.  Lead suppresses this phenomenon entirely.  Tin-silver solder is ridiculously expensive and I would prefer to see tin-bismuth or some other more reasonably priced material if you are really dead set on eliminating lead.

[Mac Walker]

This is suspected to have caused some of the unintended acceleration problems that some car manufacturers have suffered where the circuitry designed to increase idle throttle opening when air conditioning was turned on suddenly commanded maximum throttle in some circumstances. 

Which manufacturer/model?  The incident I am familiar with actually involved CTS (the same manufacturer that makes the potentiometers we all use!).  Accelerator pedals have plastic components built into them to increase perceived friction to the operator, the type of plastic used was susceptible to moisture absorption, causing the pedal to maintain its setting, or "stick".  Of course the auto manufacturer chose not to include redundancy of interlocking with the brake pedal, which would have prevented all of the incidents.  It's now legally required for a brake pedal switch to talk directly to the engine computer, in order to override any throttle command to the engine.....

(sorry, went off topic)

[mistahead]

Tin whiskers are getting even more frustrating as SMD based consumer devices (RoHS compliant in theory) stuff more and more into smaller places.

It was a bit of an issue five or so years back in PC/laptop land (if memory serves).

There are much greater sources of industrial lead pollution than the solder in electronics anyway, yep - love lead/tin with rosin core, don't care about brand but will toss reels to the corner if it "feels wrong" when I try to use it.

[R.G.]

I've tried all the common lead free substitutes. I have equipment to work with measured temperatures, and different fluxes.

My experience is that lead free solder produces duller, not shinier joints than 60-40 or 63-37, consistently. All of the lead free versions produce joints much more prone to cracking if not made perfectly, or if the joint is shifted during its transition from liquid to solid.

Most metals are toxic, with a few exceptions. The raw metal and it's oxides are much less so. The frenzy over lead in paint was reaching a peak when I was in  the early part of my career, and industrial hygenists were all over the manufacturing line across the street from us. The upshot of this was that handling tin-lead solder was trivially toxic, and not even to be worried about if you didn't eat it and even minimally washed your hands. Normal personal hygene was enough. The company I worked for was the target for any kind of civil suit for damages that could be proposed, and the hygenists were frantic to keep enough safety measures in place. However, there was never a campaign to make anyone who came into a room with solder wear gloves, the way there was for safety glasses.

Gloves are overkill. If they make you feel better, great. But there's probably not a huge reason to do so. The real threats are not in personal use of tin lead solder, by any means. But it sure helps to get people to go along with the program of the day if you can scare them.

[duck_arse]

I've seen people with little condoms-for-fingers on the finger/thumb (where else would they wear them?) holding the solder.

[R.G.]

Those are "finger cots". They're a common item in paper-based operations where the rubber coating lets you riffle paper corners faster, with better friction than skin, and prevents paper cuts.

They may have been adapted for use with solder by people who believe the "touch tin-lead solder and die" story.

[familyortiz]

Given that I use flux liberally, and do a lot of soldering in a R&D setting, I'm using the tighter Nitrile or Latex gloves with no problem.

[Mark Hammer]

I bought some "no-clean" solder last year, because it was on sale, and the brunt of the boards I have made with it are giving me agita.  It was also eating up solder tips like crazy.

Is there something I should know about it that I don't currently?  Am I failing to see continuity where I should because the solder is only piling against the component lead and not actually making contact?

Does this type of solder react poorly with boards tinned using tinning solution?

[bluesdevil]

Not exactly much to do with multi-core solder topic, but I just ran out of my 1lb roll of 63/37 .032 rosin core solder which I purchased in 2006 for $9.00. Went back to dealer I got it from to re-order and the price tripled!!!
Man, solder prices have blown through the roof!!

[PRR]

> I purchased in 2006 ... Went back ...the price tripled!!!

[bluesdevil]

That pretty much explains it.... yikes!!

[R.G.]

As a bit of gee-whiz, there are solders for *-->glass<--*.

I had to go look up some stuff on hard solders and brazing, and ran into the wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solder

Take an eye-crossing look at the table of solders.

Notably, all of the common lead free electronic solder compositions are listed as giving a dull surface to the joint, which matches my experience. Tin whiskers and "tin pest" also affect the high-tin alloys.