Acid core solder is bad business

[lwknight]

It sputters and spatters and cruds up the crucible and will indiscriminately tin anything.
I thought my 4 pound crucible that I use for small smelts would be safe because it was coated with mold release ( graphite spray ) but, it got tinned anyway.
So now I cannot let anything set up in the little 4 pounder cause it will stick and never come out till I remelt it.

Not to mention that you have to use soap and water to wash out the pot then wash off the ingots and remelt them into clean ingots.

I guess if I had a truckload of it , I would find a way to deal with it but , I think I will pass from now on. It aint worth it.

[runfiverun]

don't breathe in the fumes either.
i melted some once. err twice.
i used a 100' cord and put it in the pasture on a piece of aluminum then plugged it in.
the second time.
won't discuss the first time but it cleared out the shop.

[crabo]

I use it and push it into the melt, through a layer of walnut shells. No big deal to me. I have a friend that buys solder for me at garage and estate sales. I have a fan blowing the fumes away from me and I don't inhale.

[jmsj]

I use the same method as crabo but I use pine/fir sawdust(that's what I have). I did not know it could tin up things. Thanks for the heads up, I've still got 2 pounds of the stuff to use up.

[alamogunr]

What about rosin core solder? I have about 50 lbs in one lb rolls and have held off using it since I have a lot of solid wire 40/60 and 50/50. I'm inclined to set it aside since I hear a lot of people complain about not being able to buy it anymore. I don't know if the rosin core would be at all useful in copper plumbing applications. I'm keeping about 5 or 6 rolls of acid core just in case.

John
W.TN

[lwknight]

Rosin core solder probably would not tin anything but brass and copper.
It is not the preferred plumbing solder either. Its mostly used for electrical work.

[alamogunr]

Rosin core solder probably would not tin anything but brass and copper.
It is not the preferred plumbing solder either. Its mostly used for electrical work.

I know about using it for electrical work. I got it as excess inventory several years ago. We used it for electrical connections on electrical power apparatus. While not preferred, could it be used in a pinch on plumbing work? Or how about in conjunction with a soldering paste(acid)?

[lwknight]

I never had much luck with the white soldering paste. The stuff that looks like JPW is a rosin paste. Its great for tinning wires.
You really need the zinc-cloride flux ( same as acid core ) for plumbing. It pre-tins, pre cleans, and works great for all types of solder.
Copper plumbing usually has a coating on it and the acid is needed to cut through it. also the zinc-cloride runs like penetrating oil to flux ahead into the deep wells of the fittings for a total fill and seal.
Rosin can work but is not trustworthy where water piping in the house is concerned.

[looseprojectile]

I have used solder for enriching my melt with tin. Acid core has always impressed me with how clean it makes the alloy and how much crud it removes from the melt. Would like to have more to use.
A few months ago I was showing a friend that knew nothing about casting how you can add tin to make the mould fill out. I added about a yard of acid core solder to a ten pound pot of wheel weights and the difference was very apparent even to a beginner.
I think what is being said in this thread is the old half full, half empty routine.
A pea sized dollop of soldering paste will really clean up the old Lyman 65 pot. I get no dross/metal but do remove the black dust/crud from the pot. I don't cover the melt with anything so that I can read what the melt is doing. Stir it with a wood stick.
There is no doubt the melt is clean when using acid core solder or soldering paste. I will accept no less than blemish free boolits.

Life is good