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Duckiller
03-01-2006, 05:41 PM
I have found a source of tin. Lead free solder from Home Depot. 95% tin 5% antimony. My question is do I want rosin core or acid core? or does it make no difference and I should get what ever is cheaper? Thank you. Duckiller

Johnch
03-01-2006, 05:50 PM
IMO it don't matter , just a change in the taste of the smoke .
The stuff I am using is solid , no rosin or acid .

I would get the cheapest lead free they have

Johnch

redneckdan
03-01-2006, 06:10 PM
it only matters when you are soldiering electronics, acid core with eat the plastic that some PC boards are made of.

redneckdan
03-01-2006, 06:11 PM
Oh, and don't breath the smoke...damn it

j4570
03-01-2006, 06:39 PM
redneckdan,

have you melted down acid core? Reason I ask is that I have a bunch of 60/40 I got from a friend (about 6 rolls, 2 rolls were solid core). Is the acid going to cause any problem? Or will it just seperate.

Jason

waksupi
03-01-2006, 08:50 PM
I'd use the rosin core. That way, you are fluxing also, as rosin is a good flux. Who knows what the acid core may be? Nothing you want to breathe a lot of, I'm sure.

versifier
03-01-2006, 10:18 PM
You don't want to breathe it, but the acid core will blow off and work as flux. I don't know if it will be as good for that as rozin. The rosin smells nicer. Acid is for plumbing, rozin for electronics (they've been using it long before there were computers). Both will make decent boolit additives, so go for it.

floodgate
03-02-2006, 12:29 AM
If the "acid" core gives off hydrochloric acid or ammonium chloride, as most do, you will get rusting of any iron or steel the vapors contact. I'd stick with the rosin core.

floodgate

NVcurmudgeon
03-02-2006, 12:41 AM
I would use coreless (solid) solder or none. Acid core will rust your iron tools, and rosin core produces clouds of nasty smoke. Lead-free solid solder is available at Home Creepo.

Duckiller
03-02-2006, 02:31 AM
The solid solder has silver and copper in it. No where can I find percentages. I rarely go vampire hunting so I have little use for silver in my boolits. Besides silver boolits don't go straight. The plumbing dept had solid solder with assorted other material. Tools had tin and antimony solder with either acid or rosin cores. 5% antimony isn't going to harden too much,but is supposed to be in the mixture. Acid core was cheaper than rosin core or solid.

drinks
03-02-2006, 12:39 PM
j4570;
Almost all 60-40 is rosin core for electronics work.
Acid core usually has zinc chloride as the principal part of the flux, not a material you want to cook off except outdoors.

j4570
03-02-2006, 05:58 PM
I would never purchase acid core for this reason. I have no problem cooking it outdoors in an old skillet I use for this purpose.

So, anyone actually melted some down (ie, acid core solder)?

Jason

drinks
03-02-2006, 06:44 PM
I have salvaged acid core drippings where sloppy plumbers ran it all over, but the flux was mostly gone, still melted it outdoors.
Don