Solder

[sparky45]

I acquired some bars of Solder marked - Southwestern Bell Solder; anyone have any idea what the % of Tin/Lead ect. might be ??

[deltaenterprizes]

50/50

[sparky45]

Well, they melted faster and at a lower temp than the Lead pipe I melted the day before. I will label them 50/50. The ingots sure have a ring to them when dropped, unlike the "thud" of Lead pipe.
Thanks for your information.

[OBIII]

Sparky45,
Most solder is 60/40 lead to tin. There is also a version called eutectic, which I think is 68/32.
Are there any markings on the bar that may indicate this? Solder, both types, will melt quicker than either base metals, and at a lower temperature. I have an electronics background, so I cannot speak as to the composition of solder for plumbing applications, which I think the 50/50 represents. Southwestern Bell would be a telephone company, and it should be one of the two types I mentioned above. (Eutectic solder becomes solid upon the removal of heat. 60/40 solder retains a "plastic" state as it cools. If you splash a drop out and it hardens immediately, it is eutectic. If you can still poke it for a second or two it is 60/40.)
OB

[felix]

Eutectic is 63/37, tin/lead, not lead/tin. ... felix

[alamogunr]

The following is from Wikipedia. I believe that solder ratio's always show tin(Sn) first.

"Tin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin)/lead (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead) solders, also called soft solders, are commercially available with tin concentrations between 5% and 70% by weight. The greater the tin concentration, the greater the solder’s tensile (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tensile_strength) and shear strengths (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shear_strength). At the retail level, the two most common alloys are 60/40 Sn/Pb which melts at 370 °F or 188 °C and 63/37 Sn/Pb used principally in electrical work. The 63/37 ratio is notable in that it is a eutectic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eutectic_point) mixture, which means:


It has the lowest melting point (183 °C or 361.4 °F) of all the tin/lead alloys; and
The melting point is truly a point — not a range.

At a eutectic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eutectic) composition, the liquid solder solidifies at a single temperature."

I have quite a stash of 40/60 Sn/Pb and each 25# roll is marked that way. Since it was free, I can live with the lower tin content.

John
W.TN

Felix: I mis-read your post the first time. After reading it a 2nd time, my post is redundant. Seems that the mis-info about tin/lead won't go away.

[imashooter2]

That would be wiping solder. It's used to join lead cable sheaths and is lower in tin than plumbing or electrical solder. This to promote a longer slush stage. Your tin content is between 30 and 40 percent.

[OBIII]

Hi Guys,
It's not misinformation, merely a senior moment. Ever had one of those?