Hi, I'm Tom and I'm a solderholic.

[tom1356]

The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem.
Anyone else pulse race looking at this picture?

 

[BinaryMike]

Steve Ciarcia was fond of saying "solder is my favorite programming language." He's the founder of Circuit Cellar magazine.

 

[wizargoz]

Perhaps you've been huffing the smoke?

 

[bolly]

tom1356!! where's the spools and spools of WE wire?

 

[Redboy]

35 pounds of lead? Cool. I like all the little bits n' pieces that go with it to make an amp, too...

 

[tom1356]

35 pounds of lead? Cool. I like all the little bits n' pieces that go with it to make an amp, too...

60% lead and 40% tin.

tom1356!! where's the spools and spools of WE wire?

Today we are dealing with my solder issues.

 

[33&athird]

I can smell the flux from here:yes:

Gotta love those metal reels as well.

 

[89grand]

Since I see spools of wire solder, and solder paste every day, and have for the last 20 odd years, it doesn't do that much for me any more.

 

[jhoyt]

My spool is nearly empty...I need me one of those!

 

[motorstereo]

I had some plumbing to do last year and made the mistake of trying out the new lead free solder. Bad bad move; I also now have several pounds of the 60-40 before it's gone forever because of the lead content. Nothing makes the air turn blue around here quite like turning on the water after properly fixing a leak only to have water squirt in your face.

 

[voltcontrol]

Anyone else pulse race looking at this picture?

Only a woodworking infatuation here. A CNC, lathe or elaborate handsaw table does the trick here.

 

[Lol999]

I used to manage an electronics factory and can't solder for toffee

Not bad with a bit of wood though.....

 

[blhagstrom]

old stuff

I have use for the old acid core and bought a pile before it is no longer available in "lead". That lead free crap sucks.

 

[electroking]

I had some plumbing to do last year and made the mistake of trying out the new lead free solder. Bad bad move; I also now have several pounds of the 60-40 before it's gone forever because of the lead content. Nothing makes the air turn blue around here quite like turning on the water after properly fixing a leak only to have water squirt in your face.

Isn't the use of leaded solder in plumbing banned in your State like most
everywhere else? Just curious...

Having said that, 'Real electronics contains lead!'...

Regards.

 

[bluesky]

Solder addicts! How I've heard it all!! LOL :>)

I do have a very serious solder question: What solder is best for speaker applications, like soldering speaker wires and crossovers for 1970 speakers???

Thanks in advance!

 

[89grand]

Lead free solder is the work of the devil...the tree hugging devil no less.

That stuff sucks unbelievably bad. It was a stupid idea from the E.U.

It sucks to work with, and due to its much higher melting point, puts more heat stress on electronic components.

 

[usedto]

Let me know when you need a REAL fix............

 

[electroking]

I don't think that the availability of lead is being threatened at present. Just
go to any automotive scrap yard and pick a few used batteries... The American
physicist E. O. Lawrence (1901-1958) did just that when he was building his
first particle accelerators in the thirties and needed to build large radiation shields.

 

[motorstereo]

Isn't the use of leaded solder in plumbing banned in your State like most
everywhere else? Just curious...

Having said that, 'Real electronics contains lead!'...

Regards.

Probably is and that's why the lead free crap solder. Ever see the inside of an older copper water pipe? Lead should be the least of the worries.

 

[tom1356]

Let me know when you need a REAL fix............

Now that's some solder.:drool: