Lead-free Solder???

[mikeym1a]

I recently ran out of 95/5 solder, and went to the store to try and find more. There was no 95/5, but, they did have something called 'lead-free', which contained tin, copper, and selenium. The package did not give the percentages. So, I left and went elsewhere. The local plumbing place had one lb of 50/50, but no 95/5. When I asked why, the clerk said that they were a plumbing store and could not sell any plumbing solder with lead in it. When I commented that the 95/5 was tin/antimony, he replied that the great white fathers in Washington had decreed that it was, and was no longer good. Strange world. He told me he kept the 50/50 for a guy who runs a radiator repair shop, and since he only sold one roll per month, that's all he could keep on the shelf. I took his one roll and asked him to get me 2 more.

What effect would the selenium and copper have on boolits? I read in another post about adding copper to the mix to make the boolits tougher, but what would the selenium do? Chemistry and me were never close friends....

[tg32-20]

The amount of selenium and copper are minimal in 50/50 and probably will have no effect, but what you are buying solder for is the tin and you are only getting 50% tin, if that. If you have to buy the solder from a company, go to Home Depot or Lowes and pay dearly for 95/5. I go to a lot of garage sales and always ask if they have any lead, fishing weights or solder. It has worked quite well over the years, do not expect to find it everywhere, but when you do it will be 1/4 or less the price at the stores.

[mikeym1a]

The amount of selenium and copper are minimal in 50/50 and probably will have no effect, but what you are buying solder for is the tin and you are only getting 50% tin, if that. If you have to buy the solder from a company, go to Home Depot or Lowes and pay dearly for 95/5. I go to a lot of garage sales and always ask if they have any lead, fishing weights or solder. It has worked quite well over the years, do not expect to find it everywhere, but when you do it will be 1/4 or less the price at the stores.
I guess I wasn't clear. I was using 50/50 to alloy WW's. When I ran out of that, I was using 95/5 and pure lead. 50/50 is, of course, tin & lead. 95/5 is tin & antimony. This new 'lead-free' solder is tin, copper, and selenium. How much of it is copper and selenium, I don't know. Before I started using it, I wanted to know how the copper and selenium in the new, approved 'lead-free' solder would affect the boolits. On another post, I read that the selenium probably helped harden the alloy. Does anyone have any experience with this? Kester's lead free has a max of .85%. How does that affect boolit hardness?

[mikeym1a]

I guess I wasn't clear. I was using 50/50 to alloy WW's. When I ran out of that, I was using 95/5 and pure lead. 50/50 is, of course, tin & lead. 95/5 is tin & antimony. This new 'lead-free' solder is tin, copper, and selenium. How much of it is copper and selenium, I don't know. Before I started using it, I wanted to know how the copper and selenium in the new, approved 'lead-free' solder would affect the boolits. On another post, I read that the selenium probably helped harden the alloy. Does anyone have any experience with this? Kester's lead free has a max of .85%. How does that affect boolit hardness?Thats .85% copper.

[runfiverun]

you are gonna use about 1 pound of the tin solder in what 50-100 lbs of ww alloy that is going to make that .85% more like .085% the ww's probably have about that much in them already.