[Ruby351]

Hello Ruby,

sorry about the PCB, I thought you'd mentioned one earlier?

Solder is a subject in itself, the vaying alloying ratios and their uses. You are probably aware that solder was used to 'wipe' the joints of lead water pipes. This is a high lead to tin ratio which gives it a broader plastic range, i.e. the range in which it is soft and workable, which is opposite to that used for general soldering. High voltage cables many years ago were lead sheathed so a similar technique was used when jointing such cables. Today, even for old lead cables resin jointing kits would be used. There are YouTube videos of high voltage cable jointing or splicing, surprisingly complex.
You probably know that Jaguars (and other cars of that era) used 'lead' as a body filler, this is actually solder as used in plumbing.


Alec

Hello Alec,

Actually I didn't know the first thing about PCBs, but I know a bit more about them now

I have spent a week learning about fluxes and haven't really started on solder as such ... what a topic this is, 100% engaging - so much so, this is the first time I have been on the forum since I replied to you on the 12 Feb - crazy eh?

I wasn't aware of the lead water pipes but actually that's interesting, as I did become aware of the ratios re lead and tin in solder when buying some myself and of course the first lot was the wrong type - no surprises there then

Nowadays the ratio of the two metals in the solder is generally in favour of the tin as opposed to the lead with 63% tin : 37% lead and 60% tin : 40% lead or even even stevens at 50 : 50%.

So much information coming from you Alec, I can't keep up, splicing high voltage cables and solder in Jaguars, all news to me and great stuff, I shall be occupied until Christmas at this rate

Gina

 

[Ruby351]

Stained glass windows next, Ruby...?

Now there's a thought

 

[Ruby351]

I work with subsea robotics, and have done plenty of soldering.

Now and then we have to make up subsea cables or 'whips' as we call them.

We always solder the wires together, using a small blade type solder tip. We use Weller 51 soldering Station with variable heat control. Strip 5mm of insulation and tin the wires. Get your heatshrink over one of the cables to be joined. Splice the tinned wires together - if done right you only have a 5mm gap that cannot be pulled apart. Make sure you have no spikes of solder sticking out- cut or file off the spikes. Slide the heatshrink over and shrink over the joint.

If doing multiple joints on a multicore wire, stagger the splices to stop having a bulge where all the joints meet in the same place.

To waterproof, we slide a larger piece of heatshrink over the whole set of soldered joints, shrink one end, and pour in a two part compound that usually sets within an hour and be used down to 4000m within two.

Fantastic Rigger and you can't get better than that

I have watched how to tin wires many times and seen the first part of your method done on YT only once I recall, but the removal of any spikes is a new one, personally I have used forceps in the past to flatten out wires and bring them in line after manual splicing - still haven't used done any soldering as yet.

Good tips about the staggered splices, and additional heatshrink, although I don't know how much call there will be to have the two part compound for the benefit of withstanding 4000m.

 

[Ruby351]

I have got a fair bit of information to share, but I guess some will be interested and some won’t, so the first bit is about fluxes in a nut shell so to speak, and the rest is all fascinating to me, but if it’s not your cuppa tea, I’ll totally understand if you just walk on by.

c) Flux
A brief description:

In order for the solder to form a good bond it must be metallurgically compatible with the metal it is bonding to, there should be no oxides present and all surfaces must be clean, i.e., free from grease and dirt etc. and this is where flux comes in.

Most metals form oxides the instant they are exposed to oxygen in the air with gold being an exception, and this process occurs even faster with higher temperatures, but soldering becomes harder or not possible where oxides exist.

The role of flux is to:

• Spread itself over the wire surfaces effectively ‘wetting’ them in preparation for soldering
• Remove oxides, grease, dust, grit and grime and thus clean the metal surfaces and keep them clean, mainly by preventing any further oxidation or corrosion taking place.
• Encourage the flow of solder by reducing the surface tension and viscosity when molten, thus improving wettability and allowing for better coverage of the wire(s) or connection

Basically there can be said to be 3 types of fluxes with the main uses as follows:
1) Rosin Fluxes – electrical and electronic soldering
2) Organic Acid Fluxes – electrical and electronic soldering
3) Inorganic Acid Fluxes – high temperature soldering, welding, brazing

‘No-Clean’ fluxes exists which are of the inorganic kind generally speaking, but some would say the name does not accurately describe the flux as in most cases, especially if used on PCBs the residue should be cleaned off to prevent corrosion, conductivity and reliability problems and even fires.

In more detail:

The topic of fluxes is quite complicated and has taken me quite some time fathoming out mainly due to issues like similar use of terms, there are a number of names applied to the same thing and there is an overlap of factors in certain categories. Not only that but I found different articles, put a different slant on things according to their view point, contradictions, audience they are directed towards and country of origin and what’s more, it took me a good while to realise there are at least 4 standards used to specify/classify fluxes, so my being able to explain it in a post just ain’t that simple.

A metal must be free from oxides before it can be soldered and flux removes the metal oxides, stops them reforming and improves solder wettability.

In general then, a flux will consist of acids known as ‘activators’ to remove oxides and something to coat the surfaces which are called solids, vehicles or rheological additives, and these prevent reoxidation from immediately taking place where the oxides have been removed. When you have a liquid flux, this consists of acids, solids plus a solvent which is just there to make for easier application and it is very often Isopropyl Alcohol that is used.

When talking about the acids in fluxes, they may not start out as such but become so with a rise in temperature, as with rosin flux which is inert as a solid but acidic when molten. Then there are organic acids which contain carbon and inorganic acids which are compounds of hydrogen with a non-metal:

Looking at acid strength next, this will depend on the number of hydrogen ions present, the more there are, the stronger the acid is. In relation to deoxidation, the hydrogen of the acid, combines with the oxygen taken from the metal oxide, giving you water and the metal salts. So the stronger the acid, the more hydrogen there is and the greater the force to attract the oxygen which generally occurs both faster and in larger amounts than weaker acids comparatively speaking.

On the face of it, you would think that using a stronger acid would be the best bet in choice of flux for all soldering tasks, but sadly things are not that simple. The problem is, that acid residues carry an electric charge being said to be ionic, so the stronger the acid to start with, the stronger the electrical charges present and consequently the residue ends up being more conductive and with a higher possibility of corrosion. This all boils down to there being a reduced reliability effect associated with an increase in flux acid strength.

In principle the reaction that occurs when the acid deoxidises the metal is you end up with a neutralised, salt plus water e.g., copper oxide (CuO) which is a base, and hydrochloric acid (HCl) reacts to give you copper chloride (CuCl₂) salt plus water (H₂O):

CuO (s) + 2HCl (aq) → CuCl₂ (aq)+ H₂O (l)


Halides and Halogens

The addition of other activators to flux e.g. halides, can have a positive effect by speeding up deoxidation process along with the negative impact of leaving behind conductive and corrosive residue. What happens here is the halides react with the water that occurs as a result of the deoxidation process of metal oxide + acid, to give a metal ion and a halogen ion. The halogen ion then speeds up the deoxidation process by robustly removing oxygen from the metal thus supporting the acid as an activator.

Halogens are the five toxic, non-metallic elements in Group 17 of the Periodic Table i.e., fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine and astatine. The name "halogen" comes from a Greek background where hal- is "salt" and -gen is "to form": thus giving us "salt former" where halogens form salts when they react with metals, the most common of which is sodium chloride aka table salt. Halogens are the most electronegative elements with fluorine being the highest scoring 4 and the trend seems to be the nearer an element is to it, the higher the electronegative number it has - with the exception of the noble gases in column 18 of the periodic table.

Alkali metals are the Group 1 elements and are placed in the first column of the periodic table consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, caesium and francium and they are the most electropositive elements and will bond ionically with the most electronegative elements of the periodic table.

The alkali metals are soft and easily cut, and I found a YT clip you may like of experiments with a few of them, first thing for me was I had never seen a lump of lithium before, plenty of talk oh yes, but never seen the stuff itself and the next thing was you could well recognise one of the blokes in the clip. It took right me back to my school days and the chemistry lab experiments, no not the first part with you know who, but the ones in the little dishes, if you can stick it to the end, it certainly makes a splash.

 

[Ruby351]

When halogens form compounds with metals they are known as the alkali metal halides and labelled fluorides, chlorides, bromides, iodides and astatides which are all soluble and acidic in water (except lithium fluoride). Being very soluble in water, even condensation or moisture from the environment especially when humid can become a real problem with electronics, and lead to possible failings and this explains malfunctions can occur when they get wet.

These issues can occur and link in with fluxes as remember that halides can be added to them for their activator properties in support of ‘solids’, but it is their residues, which once they turn out to be electrically conductive and are actively involved in a process called electrolysis, that the risk of problems arise.

Electrolysis basically involves a substance (electrolyte) containing positively and negatively charged ions and two contact points (electrodes) with a current passing between, creating an electric field, through which these electrically charged ions can move (electromigration). So in applying this to fluxes I think it is easiest to use a PCB as an example, as there are plenty to see on line to illustrate the effects. The substance then, is the residue left by the flux after soldering containing the ions, plus water/moisture, with an electric field created by a current passing between contact points/soldered parts on the board these being the electrodes.

In principle what will happen is this, the:
* Cathode which is negatively charged attracts the cations which are positively charged ions
* Anode which is positively charged attracts the anions which are negatively charged ions

When electrolysis occurs, what is going on at the cathode is reduction to give commonly hydrogen gas or, pure metal from the metal ions and it is the formation of the metal, where things start to go wrong.

The + IVE metal ion (cation) is attracted to the – IVE charged cathode becoming pure metal

The passage of ions is called electromigration and the build-up metal at the cathode can eventually start to form dendrites, which are needle or branch like structures etc. If these dendrites grow large enough to extend and connect to another contact point, this is where issues of corrosion, conductivity and reliability come into play either with intermittent or permanent malfunction or could even ignite and cause a fire.

Why have I told you all this you may well ask? I would answer because I find the information fascinating, enlightening and I want to share it with you, but perhaps a better reason is this: some fluxes are labelled as ‘No-Clean’ and the above I think gives a pretty good reason as to why this is a misnomer and that perhaps it is a good reason to clean all residues from in particular PCBs or sensitive electronics where flux is used and where cleaning is possible.

Once you decide to clean away any residue, the next big thing is accessing it, especially when components are attached so close to the PCB. Things all rely on surface tension, i.e. with the flux, and cleaning agents like solvents etc.

Commonly used alcohol-based fluxes are able to easily flow over an area penetrating small gaps, crevices and low-lying components, due to their very low surface tension. The cleaning agent is water, but water has a high surface tension and this can stop access to the intricate areas as described.

If you use ordinary tap water, this itself contains ions, so can also affect the circuitry, but deionised water has a greater surface tension that tap water … things seem to be getting worse here eh? There is help on hand though, in the form of surfactants, and when added they will reduce the water wash surface tension, however the solution’s surface tension is still higher than that of the flux.

Other methods are used to access the nooks and crannies like ultrasonic vibration, but I’m not sure how many households would go that far with the PCBs. In the end though, there is still no guarantee that the circuit board is 100% clean, so you just do what you do until you are happy with the result I suppose.

Fluxes containing halides have high conductivity and corrosive residues, so only those stated as containing less than 0.05% halide by volume relative to the flux contents and not including the solvent if applicable, can be said to be Halide Free.

Less than 0.5% halide by volume is Low Activity, less than 2.0% is Medium Activity and for High Activity the fluxes contain 2.0% or more halide.

The activity levels may be seen as one of six levels where 0 indicates halide-free, and a 1 is within the stated limits: 0, L0, L1, M0, M1, H0, and H1.

 

[Ruby351]

Now to the 3 main flux type themselves which can be solid, paste, gel, or liquid and they are:

(I) Rosin Flux (ii) Organic Flux (iii) Inorganic Flux

(I) Rosin Flux

Flux is available in many types and forms and is one of the oldest and seemingly most popular for electric wires is rosin, which comes from pine tree sap (and elsewhere) and is used in its purest form or modified to give a better performance.

Why rosin and not resin, well actually rosin is a resin, as is a semi-solid/solid gooey substance that is produced by a chemical process as in industry e.g. with synthetic plastics and nylon resin. So when it comes to this viscous stuff seeping out of trees and subsequently solidifying, it too is called a resin or more appropriately ‘oleoresin’.

You can get rosin flux in liquid, paste, block form etc and also running through a central core of the soldering wire itself. I bought the paste as I thought it might be easier to handle but I haven’t tried it yet, having said that, liquid has been quoted by several as being the most efficient. The block type is actually ‘pure’ Roisin/resin and apparently does give off a whiff, but several reviews have quoted it as being an ‘old fashioned’ flux, the type their dad used to use, and others have found it good for electronics.

What I found when looking to purchase flux, way before I started reading about it, was you have a choice of what they have and the details on the products seem minimal. I now know of course, this was down to my lack of knowledge to a great extent, so as usual the way I go about buying things, is to start with the number of purchases and what reviewers say and then check things out further on the internet learning about them along the way. What I didn't notice however, were the letters on products which are in some cases abbreviations and in others codes of ‘standards’ used to categorise fluxes. Furthermore, along with these, what looks to be innocent descriptive wording could actually be telling you a good deal more, e.g. 'Rosin Flux' and No-Clean' has more to offer than first meets the eye, which I will try to explain shortly.

Rosin has good flux properties e.g., it is non-corrosive, has a low melting point and does not leave residue after soldering, which can cause issues such as reduced heat transfer, decreased conductivity and short circuits. If you did want to clean the area, this can be done with a brush, clean cloth or using a compatible solvent. Rosin fluxes are said to help the solder flow more easily and evenly over the metal surface giving a reliable stronger bond and it can be used in a number of fields such as electrics, electronics, and jewellery etc.

Natural rosin can be used as is or for an enhanced product it can be chemically modified, and although it is not naturally soluble in water and generally thought of as being an alcohol-based flux, actually rosin can also be converted to a water-based based flux. Rosin is also used for a vast array of situations including, on the bows of stringed instruments, the hands of rock climbers, gymnasts, ballet dancers shoes, and in archery, fine art, acrobatics and pole dancing etc.

At room temperature, rosin is a glassy looking solid that is inert and non-corrosive, but when a liquid it becomes weakly acidic being predominantly abietic acid.

The melting point of rosin is 172° to 175°C (342° to 347°F), which is just below the melting point of the solder (183°C).

When molten it is mildly reactive and able to dissolve thinner layers of metal oxides e.g., copper, without the use of additional additives known as ‘Activators’. However, the use of additional activators can be useful where there are heavier surface contaminants present and/or to speed up the soldering process.

The activators used with rosin fall into two groups, which you will find may pop up with the flux products, information and in standards:

• Halide Activators – organic halide salts
• Organic Acids – e.g., formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid

These ‘activators’ are corrosive and as such should be removed from circuit boards to prevent the possibility of damage.

Rosin flux is considered safe to leave after soldering, although some say that it is advisable to clean off the residue, as the sticky substance can attract dust and contaminants and suggest using so using a solvent or water with saponifier (a form of alkaline chemical to make the water soapy). However, others say leave it alone, it’s designed to stay there, trying to remove it can be a waste of time and resources, using a brush/cloth/solvent just thins it out and spreads the residue further afield and apparently the one solvent that was effective i.e. trichloroethane has now been phased out throughout most of the world due to its environmental and health issues, there is nothing that is currently available that can match and those that are available are expensive.

The recommendation is, rather than clear up afterwards, don’t create the residue in the first place, so the thoughts are – be aware of the ‘solid’ content in the rosin flux, as it will be these that are left in the residue. For example, avoid dark brown liquid fluxes at 40% solid by volume, and go for a lighter rosin liquid flux which they are producing nowadays with far less solid content of 5% or less by volume, which will leave very little residue.

With Rosin Grades of Activity are designated by L, M and H:

L = Low M = Moderate H = High

But you can find greater detail and other standards I was saying before, and one applying to rosin flux grades is the now discontinued but still in use USA Military Standard - MIL.

 

[Ruby351]

3 rosin fluxes you will most likely come across more frequently are R, RMA and RA so here is a little more information on them:

Rosin flux (R) - This is the mildest form of rosin flux, it can be used for larger wires and is best suited for soldering clean wires and easy to solder metal surfaces like, copper wires, PCBs and semiconductor materials and surfaces.
Because it has a low level of activity there is no ‘harmful’ residue produced during soldering and what residue found is moisture and fungus resistant, non-conductive and non-corrosive.
However, even though in its solid state rosin is hard and inert if the temperature increases sufficiently to liquify, it then becomes mildly acidic. Given this, it could be worth cleaning surfaces on e.g., PCBs before there is a possibility of any damage occurring.

Rosin mildly activated (RMA) - consists of rosin, solvent and a small amount of activator.
A low ‘activity’ flux best used with easy solderable surfaces. RMA flux is often non-corrosive and non-conductive, with any cleaning if required, depending on the flux activity and the product in question regarding the choice of suitable solvent to use.
RMA fluxes are suited to surfaces with a higher level of contamination and suited for use with electronics, and general use electrical wires.

Rosin ativated flux (RA) – consists of rosin, solvent, and aggressive activators. Higher ‘activity’ than RMA and best for use on oxidized surfaces
RA flux is corrosive so sensitive assemblies really should be cleaned as soon as possible with a compatible solvent or risk damage to electrically conductive performance.

NB: Glycols are alternative resin fluxes, and unlike rosin, these are water soluble and colourless, leaving little visible residue following soldering and can be easily cleaned away using water if required, but although this may be deemed positive points, it does not particularly indicate high reliability.

 

[Ruby351]

(ii) Organic Flux / Organic Acid Flux

One of the more common fluxes is water-soluble organic acid flux which consists of common weak acids such as citric, lactic, and stearic acids, combined with solvents like isopropyl alcohol and water to improve their performance.

This Flux is used mainly for soft soldering processes - electronic and electrical work. This type of flux is stronger than rosin and is known for its high activity and fast cleaning ability, making it suitable for high-speed automated soldering processes as well.

Organic fluxes, being water soluble, mean that any excess flux on a PCB for example, can be washed and wiped off with hot water, but it is best to use deionised water to do so and not tap water … some say add a little detergent.

Distilled and deionised water are both forms or ‘purified water’, but why use deionised water and what is the difference with that and distilled water?

Well basically with distilled water some minerals remain but all bacteria and viruses are killed and with deionised water most minerals are removed but bacteria and viruses remain.

Distilled water: imprities removed by distillation process where water is boiled, steam condenses to water collected into a clean sterilised container. Salts, most minerals and impurities removed with solid contaminents remaining. Used as cooling agent vehicle engines, brewing beer, soap making, canning fruit and veg etc. Costs more as the process takes longer and more costly to run.

Deionised water: passing running water through an electrically charged resin where hydrogen and hydroxide ions become disolved minerals which recombine to form deionised water. Most mineral ions like sodium, calcium, iron and chloride are removed but most bacteria and viruses remain. Uses are in cosmetics, cleaning industrial machines and aquariums etc. Cheaper to purchase as easier and faster to produce.

 

[Ruby351]

(iii) Inorganic Flux / Inorganic Acid Flux

Inorganic acid fluxes form stronger and better bonds than organic acid fluxes and are used in soft and hard soldering processes, plus ‘selective soldering’ as well as for welding and cleaning work with copper, brass and stainless steel. This is the type of flux used by plumbers, for soldering copper pipes.

Inorganic flux is more often used for hard soldering which is also known as ‘silver soldering’ as with brazing and other high-temperature applications. This flux contains chemicals which will act as both activators and vehicles e.g., borax, fluorides and chlorides. It is known for its high-temperature resistance and strong cleaning power, making it suitable for harsh environments and high-temperature soldering applications.

High-activity activators are mineral acids most commonly hydrochloric acid and less so phosphoric acid, which are often together with halides, amines, water or alcohols.

I have already gone into great depths as to the cleaning or not of flux residue after soldering, but to add to the argument on the no clean side, is the fact that inorganic fluxes have low-solid content.

Regarding the clean / no clean camps, I have come across some very conflicting views with some stating the residue is non-corrosive and is safe to leave it where it is, while others vehemently state the contrary and I can tell you I have been a bit more than discombobulated over this one. It is these inorganic fluxes that are also referred to as No-Clean fluxes.

Having said that, inorganic fluxes used for electronics will nearly always have rosin in the flux, and the purpose of this is to envelope any unreacted ionic material to help ensure electrochemical stability and reliability.
For a sense of fair play, another factor in the ‘clean’ camp is that, residues if left may reduce the adhesion potential of any future coating.

Cleaning can be a simple solution of water and a soap/saponifier (grease buster) but you may be well advised to follow manufacturer’s instructions where you can get access to them.

Although I personally have no idea or experience about what working on a PCB entails, for me given all I have read about fluxes thus far, it seems that regarding residue after soldering using inorganic (No-Clean) fluxes, the most sensible thing is to clean and remove them as best you can, or even better is to not use inorganic fluxes in the first place.

Regarding a true No-Clean flux if you can find one, I guess it should have the following attributes and maybe others you can think of:

• Have non-corrosive, non-conductive residues
• Have a non-tacky residue that does not collect dust or contaminants
• Must not degrade equipment and be safe
• Allow penetration of probe pins for electrical testing allow visual inspection of joints
• Allow for excellent solderability

Not in a million years ...

You don’t have to go with commercial fluxes if you don’t want to, as for many years folks have been using alternatives and by far and above the most effective and popular has been good old Petroleum Jelly. Apparently given it contains waxes and minerals it’s an antioxidant, has anticorrosion properties and doesn’t harm the solder what you are soldering, hence it being a good soldering flux, which is readily available and cheap too.

Another alternative non-commercial flux is lemon juice, and if you have access to a pine tree, you can make your own home-made fluxes too, all easy-peasy lemon squeezy as they say and here’s the link for more info …

Homemade Solder Flux: Cheap Eco-friendly Alternatives (weldlover.com)

I like this short YT video on how to make your own liquid flux as for one thing, the demonstration of soldering doesn't involve a PCB, which up until now, most of the things I have been looking at do. By the way, you can see quite a few clips like this if you want more on the subject, but the alcohol he is using as in the others I have seen, is Isopropyl alcohol, and the link below is a clip where the gent also uses glycerine, just a drop mind, as this apparently makes the flux more stable and keeps it from burning.

DIY solder flux with rosin and alcohol - YouTube

 

[Ruby351]

Health & Safety

As you probably know when soldering fumes are given off sometimes, added to this and the ones you are most likely to see come from the flux. There has been quite a push over the past few years regarding the removal of lead from several products, as in fishing and weights, airguns and pellets, and soldering etc.

When it comes down to soldering and fluxes, this is especially important with regards to the increase in prevalence of asthma. The effort is to reduce exposure to noxious fumes these products give off during the soldering process and thus reduce the effect they can have, which is made worse by high and/or prolonged exposure. This type of occupational asthma used to be called colophony disease where colophony is the name of rosin.

Another obvious risk which can be easily over looked is that of burns, and while molten solder is less likely to stick to organic substances, flux is quite the opposite. Molten solder can be easily shaken off, molten flux has the heat and consistency rather like molten hot glue and can cause serious burns.

* Other health issues involve developing sensitivity issues and low but still present risks of cancer. However, the biggest risk comes from handling the lead solder and it stands to reason then that sensible precautions are taken such as:

* Safety glasses

* Gloves

* Keep your work piece steady – use a support like helping hands various types being available

* Work in good light

* Don’t get complacent while working

* When handling lead solder avoiding eating, drinking, smoking and touching your mouth to prevent the possibility of particles entering the body and you cannot put too much importance on the need to wash your hands afterwards.

* Ensure adequate ventilation – fume extractor, fan, open windows or working outside etc.

This YT video gives an idea about the type of 3 filter fume extractor, but the gent is obviously selling his product, and I don't agree that the carbon only filters are a waste of time and money, as in my opinion at the very least they are drawing the solder and flux fumes away from the source and preventing you from breathing most of them in. the clip is also American but it looks to me to be very similar to the one on the right of the pictures above and I got all these images from the Amazon website where they have more fume extractors beside these. Fans are the sort of thing most of us have, and while not filtering anything from the fumes, at least they can blow the fumes away and hopefully towards an open window.

 

[Ruby351]

Hello Ruby,

You are probably aware that solder was used to 'wipe' the joints of lead water pipes. This is a high lead to tin ratio which gives it a broader plastic range, i.e. the range in which it is soft and workable, which is opposite to that used for general soldering. High voltage cables many years ago were lead sheathed so a similar technique was used when jointing such cables. Today, even for old lead cables resin jointing kits would be used. There are YouTube videos of high voltage cable jointing or splicing, surprisingly complex.

Alec

Hiya Alec,

finally got around to checking out some video on the topics you mentioned, but it does seem that as with a lot of things nowadays, techniques have changed, all very interesting and I have put up a couple of short clips, and a link to a longer one. The lead wipe was a lead to brass join and a lot has to be said for health and safety for sure, but I couldn't help watching the chap with his what I call make do and mend out look, we used to have a great friend in the Forest of Dean who was just like him, and he could turn his hand to anything, sort of person I could follow around all day and never tire of their company. The clip is quite long but the leading bit starts around 23 minutes.

Thanks for the heads up - very enlightening

Gina

How to do a Lead Wipe - YouTube

 

[piman]

Hello Ruby,

solder is a compound that adheres to very many metals, the one common exception being aluminium.
Perhaps it is an age thing but I am very sceptical; about the real extent of the hazards claimed of such as lead.
It is a matter of perspective and low or occasional exposure reults in low hazard. I remeber at science class playing with mercury. As an aside to that, a very interesting device is a mercury arc rectifier and if there are any YouTube videos of one in operation it is quite surprising and entertaining.

Alec

 

[Ruby351]

Hello Ruby,

solder is a compound that adheres to very many metals, the one common exception being aluminium.
Perhaps it is an age thing but I am very sceptical; about the real extent of the hazards claimed of such as lead.
It is a matter of perspective and low or occasional exposure reults in low hazard. I remeber at science class playing with mercury. As an aside to that, a very interesting device is a mercury arc rectifier and if there are any YouTube videos of one in operation it is quite surprising and entertaining.

Alec

Hello Alec,

Well you could be right about lead and as far as the sport world, construction workers/roofers and soldering etc. I don't think folks take much notice in the main, as that that is the material they are used to working with and it's harder to change habits when well established.

Just watched a few videos on mercury arc rectifiers, talk about mesmerising, never heard of them before and awesome to see. Link below is to a YT clip but it is quite long at just under 17 minutes, worth watching though as it of a mercury arc reducer that hasn't seen the light of day for 50 years and it still works.

Testing The 50 Year Old Mercury Arc Rectifier - YouTube

The one I put up below explains what they are, as of course I was absolutely clueless.

All good stuff and thanks again, one big learning curve

Gina

 

[Ruby351]

Would you Christmas eve it, look what's coming to the shelves of Lidl tomorrow and bong on topic too. Here are a few of the goodies on offer and lots of others besides, in case you feel like having a dabble/ I think the heat gun looks good value and it is £8 less that my choice of the one I just bought on the big 'A'.

The gas soldering kit looks good too, although not something I would use, a quick check on price came up with the comparison as shown, so price wise is good, but of course, quality is another thing.

DIY Heroes from Sunday, 05.03. at Lidl UK - www.lidl.co.uk

On thing that I would give some advice against getting though, based on what I have read and the many YT videos seen, is the crimping tool and accessories they have are not necessarily the best you can get, in that you will be perhaps limited to what crimps they take and the overall efficiency of that kind of tool per se, not that I have any sort of personal experience myself of course.

Anyway this is one type of crimper tool that I wouldn't buy myself and wouldn't recommend to others either:

What I would recommend however are these, both are very popular online, and with the number of Amazon purchases and reviews.

The first I do have trouble with wires only because I don't have the knack, wrist or shoulder strength ... I, know, I know, but it's fine with crimps.

The second one (yellow) I bought not all that long ago and it is brilliant at stripping wires - yes really!


IRWIN VISE-GRIP Multi-Tool Wire Stripper/Crimper/Cutter, 2078309, 8-inch : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

STANLEY FATMAX Automatic Wire Stripper, Strips 10-22 AWG wire with Spring loaded handles, Comfortable grip annd Adjustable wire stop : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

 

[Ruby351]

I have just spent the past week learning about the fascinating subject of solder, and I do get that for some the subject is probably right up there with as being as stimulating as watching paint dry, but old Ruby here, has never been one for following the crowd, as you have probably gathered by now, so if you feel in the mood for a little refresher or even some enlightenment of this awesome topic, come join me as I share some of the bits 'n' bobs I have picked up along the way.

Oh yes and by way of a sort of get out here, you might now from the start, this is not really aimed at those who are all knowing and masters when it come to soldering, but rather folks like myself, who new a bit, but might like to know a bit more.

b) Solder

Solder is where a metals or metal alloys consisting of a combination of metals when heated up will melt and join two other metals together once cooled and solidified. The process is known as soldering and the robust bond formed will have also created an electrical bond with regards to electrical and electronic soldered joints and/or connections.

Soldering is used on various applications e.g.

• Fixing and manufacturing electronics including circuit boards
• Creating and repairing jewellery, stained glass and metalwork.
• Home maintenance, DIY, construction workers, builders and roofers, auto trade, plumbers, and electricians etc.

Soft Soldering: melting point below 450 °C (840 °F) electrics, electronics, plumbing & sheet metal work

Hard Soldering: melting point above 450 °C (840 °F) also known as "silver soldering" used for brazing.. Alloys of copper with either zinc or silver are the most common.

Types of Solder:

Solder Wire:
This type of solder is available in a vast array of sizes/gauges and both as a solid or with a hollow core filled with a flux, that can be either single core or multicore fluxed. Wire solder is mainly used for electrical and electronic applications

If you see a solder with a flux core labelled as ‘Ersin’, this is one that has had a specific quantity of flux ‘activator(s)’ added, usually dissolved in the rosin base.

Use smaller gauge solder as you can control it better.

Using Big/thick wire of solder on to the joint it can suck the heat out of it, because the actual effect of the solder melting absorbs a lot of heat that is present and you could end up with a cold solder. On the contrary, use a thin/narrow solder wire and apply more gradually the heat remains more constant, as the SI is able to keep up with the soldering process, and it is not so likely to be drawn away by the melting process.

The size of solder wires is about the same as that of electric wires, and this is measured as the diameter of the actual wire itself and not any plastic coating etc., that might be covering it. The smallest size starts from 30 gauge which is about the thickness of a strand of hair, and the largest is 0 or 00 gauge which is about 1/4 inch or ~8.5mm

You will often see SWG or AWG when looking for the size of solder or wires with a number after the abbreviation which gives the size or gauge of the wire that is:
SWG means Standard Wire Gauge which in itself is an abbreviation for British Standard Wire Gauge. Other names for the same thing are Imperial Wire Gauge or British Standard Gauge.
AWG mean American Wire Gauge.

Solder Bar:
Often used by plumbers, this solder comes in various thicknesses, is often weighed in pounds/kilograms rather than ounces/grams. and can be a pure metal or a combination of various metals, both lead and lead-free types being available.
The flux is applied separately with bar solders many plumbing-suitable soldering fluxes are too corrosive (or conductive) to be used in electrical or electronic work.

Solder Paste:
A solder paste is essentially powdered of small balls of solder varying in size, suspended in a flux paste. It is the density and tacky effects of the paste that enable components to be kept in place while the solder melts.

 

[Ruby351]

Liquid Solder:
Liquefied solder used in larger quantities with the use of some sort of container and external heating device to keep it molten at ‘steady’ temperature, can be used for a number of purposes, e.g. to solder, tin wires and desolder.

Solder Pots are available at a very reasonable price and from the YT clips I have see, I guess the best way to feed them is using the bars of flux.

Rods – Brazing & Welding:
The rods are available in various forms and can be used to ‘solder’ joint many types of metals e.g., bronze, brass, stainless steel, mild steel and cast iron and a number of nickel alloys too.

Silver brazing rods are a very popular choice when brazing.

Silver solder plays an important role in industry when joining stainless steel to stainless steel, with a good example being the manufacture of bikes and motorbikes, in that the thin walled tubing, is prevented from collapsing under the weld heat, given that the rod containing silver, has a lower melting point that the stainless steel.

Other rods, i.e. copper phosphorous, are used mainly to joint copper and brass.

Solder Preforms:
Preforms are ready made shapes of solder, specifically designed for where it is to be used and fit for the specific purpose that is required of it. The most common way to make preforms is by stamping out the shapes, and those that have the flux, may do so externally as a coating or internally, being inside the preform.

Jewellers Solder:
Jewellers often use solder, and will make their own solder pieces from ‘waste’ jewellery or can buy it in thin sheets, which they cut into snippets.

 

[Ruby351]

 

[Ruby351]

 

[Ruby351]

 

[Ruby351]

HEALTH & SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

The European Union Waste Electrical And Electronic Equipment Directive and Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive were taken on board in 2003 and came into effect on the 1st July 2006, which restricted lead being present in most consumer electronics sold in the EU, with a knock on effect worldwide.

Regulations: restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
“In Great Britain and in Northern Ireland many types of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) are regulated to control the levels of certain hazardous substances and chemicals they contain, with the aim of protecting human and animal health.”

Commercial use has vastly increased mounts of solder used compared to hobbyists use far less by comparison, therefore regulations are not as stringent regarding the use of leaded solder. Similarly speaking, if the hobbyists has decreased use, they will also have decreased waste, over the same period of time.

With this is mind, health and safety take on two roles with regards to soldering, one being that of care while caring our the process and the other being to take care on how to dispose appropriately of any waste products associated as a result of the soldering process.

The possibility of health issues arising depends on many factors, and is different for each individual, but obvious things like the type of solder and flux used, environment, duration, frequency of the application and predisposition of existing sensitivity/respiratory conditions etc, can all play a part.

LEAD SOLDER
The World Health Organisation (WHO), gives exposure methods that can result in lead poisoning as e.g., a burning old building with lead-based paint which emits toxic lead fumes into the air, the ingestion of food grown in lead contaminated soil or lead dust and drinking water coming from lead-soldered pipes etc.

Lead is readily absorbed and harmful to body, it can enter via skin, mouth or nose and can accumulate from small but prolonged exposure, with lead poisoning being a neurotoxin.

It is thought that the amount of lead in solders is in the main insignificant to cause severe health problems, but I believe all things are relevant and sensible precautions are the best way to work with it.

LEAD-FREE SOLDER
Has risks from exposure to harmful fumes which can cause serious health issues if inhaled, not least of which, can cause eye irritation or blurred vision.

The issue with lead-free solder is the high temperatures needed to melt it, this means more intoxicating fumes are produced as a result. Not only that, but the flux required is also heated to higher temperatures and this also produces more harmful gases.

With both lead and lead-free solders and the use of fluxes, I understand that solder fumes are among the top 8 causes of occupational asthma i.e., from work-related causes. The symptoms are e.g., chest pain, coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath etc. Rosin based solder and rosin fluxes can also impact on other health issues such as irritation of the sinus, eyes, and throat, headache dizziness, plus skin allergies and dermatitis, chronic bronchitis and chemical hypersensitivity too.

Taking a different perspective, and we are still talking work related soldering here and not the so-called hobbyist, the overall effect that soldering has on the workforce be it lead or lead-free solder, has a profound impact in relation to exposure, health related issues, work absence, staff turnover and damage related litigation.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) & PRECAUTIONS

Store fluxes, solder, isopropyl alcohol etc., away in sealed containers that are labelled in long hand and kept well out of the reach of children.

Always ensure that you have proper air management with good ventilation and use sensible PPE when soldering.

If possible, work in a well-ventilated area, by an open window, use a fume extractor or fan etc., to keep fumes away from your face and avoid breathing them in – filters in fume extractors may also be beneficial.

I understand that the lead soldering process, can produce hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide, both toxic if inhaled, endorsing the importance of having fume extraction and/or a well-ventilated work area.

When handling lead be extra vigilant, in not eating, drinking, smoking of touching your face before or after soldering without proper washing of hands first, to avoid exposure to or ingestion of lead.