What Type of Solder?

[laz 57]

Jim, I didn't know you were supposed to use flux until about five years ago.  Must have missed that day in shop class.

Theres NO excuse for that.  You'ld get an F for the day in my class(wink).

laz57

[Buckeye Riveter]

Jim, I didn't know you were supposed to use flux until about five years ago.  Must have missed that day in shop class.

[Jumijo]

Thanks, boys. I'll get the solder with flux and sleep easy.

2500+ posts and you'd think the guy would know how to solder! 

Jim 

[Buckeye Riveter]

Flux with solder is fine, I wouldnt use anything else. Its a resin based flux which isn't acidic. The acid flux that people warn against is mainly used for plumbing and car body work (rarely) and it comes in a bottle, you wouldnt mistake it for anything else. 

Sometimes you'll see small round flat tins of a grease like flux, I use that a lot, its clearly marked as non acid for electronics work. Its very good for keeping your iron bit clean and for jobs where the metal is greasy or dirty. Flux is a cleaning agent that helps solder 'stick' better.

The secret to good soldering is to have everything as clean as possible, to use adequate heat for the job and to tin the parts beforehand.  If you are soldering anything that might be damaged by the heat flowing through the metals, such as small electronic parts or plastic melting, try to use needle nosed pliers or small clamps as heat sinks to soak up the heat AFTER the join so it travels no further.

A bit of practice and you'll soon get the hang of it, soldering is really quite easy as long as one is careful and methodical.

  CLEAN is the key word.   Good description, Thor.

[thor]

Flux with solder is fine, I wouldnt use anything else. Its a resin based flux which isn't acidic. The acid flux that people warn against is mainly used for plumbing and car body work (rarely) and it comes in a bottle, you wouldnt mistake it for anything else. 

Sometimes you'll see small round flat tins of a grease like flux, I use that a lot, its clearly marked as non acid for electronics work. Its very good for keeping your iron bit clean and for jobs where the metal is greasy or dirty. Flux is a cleaning agent that helps solder 'stick' better.

The secret to good soldering is to have everything as clean as possible, to use adequate heat for the job and to tin the parts beforehand.  If you are soldering anything that might be damaged by the heat flowing through the metals, such as small electronic parts or plastic melting, try to use needle nosed pliers or small clamps as heat sinks to soak up the heat AFTER the join so it travels no further.

A bit of practice and you'll soon get the hang of it, soldering is really quite easy as long as one is careful and methodical.

[Jumijo]

I want to pick up some solder at Radio Shack tonight on the way home. I noticed that they have several different types. I saw some that were 60/40, and some that were 60/40 with flux already added. Does the one with flux benefit me? Someone here at work said it might be too acidic. I'll couch this by saying up front that I'm a novice to soldering. Trying to expand my hobby horizons. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Jim