For the guys soldering things to circuit boards, what size, type of solder do you use and i see videos of guys using a thin clear flux, i dont know what to get.
I have 3/32 37% lead solder and no flux..
I have a 27w and 60w soldering irons.
Ive done small wiresand diods before, leads on batteries and the likes..
Also find it very hard to solder anything to a copper disc to be used as a heat sink.. dont have enough heat or need the flux ?
I have settled with the Kingbo RMA-218: https://de.aliexpress.com/item/2045172724.html
Or if you need more: https://de.aliexpress.com/item/32715859123.html
I am happy with it, I tried some other cheaper fluxes and none of them were as good as the Kingbo. I did never try expensive flux, though.
I use this for reflow soldering as well.
Solder - I use generic leaded solder that I bought 10+ years ago on a 500g spool for then ~25ā¬. I bought the best solder available to me, too, but didnāt really notice any difference.
For the copper - the copper transfers the heat away too fast, to you need to either have more power or heat the copper up beforehand or while soldering
For something large, I would recommend a hotplate or a small torch. Especially if you are trying to solder multiple discs together.
For Solder and Flux, I prefer name brand stuff like Chip Quik or Kester and I prefer the No Clean variety so I donāt need to worry about leaving a little flux residue behind.
Right or wrong I trust the smoke that burns off the name brand stuff to be less toxic.
For solder Iāve been quite satisfied with this Kester 63/37. For sure easier than lead-free stuff.
I use this FirePower stuff I got from two jobs ago, still havenāt went through half of it. It works well enough that I have to looked for an alternative.
As for solder paste I only use ChipQuik SMD291AX, if there is a better alternative Iād like to try some, but this stuff has been great. A bit expensive though.
Wasnāt asked but Iāll answer: thermal paste I used Arctic Silver Ceramique 2, then the more expensive and less viscous Arctic Silver 5. Iāve settled on Arctic Silver MX-5 Arctic MX-4 (may not be the same brand as the former two pastes?), which feels between the other two in consistency, although the Ceramique isnāt conductive like the other two, which contain silver powder IIRC. Havenāt had any issues, seemed like the Ceramique dired out faster maybe.
Iām definitely open to recommendations as well
Solder paste.
ChipQuik Leaded No-Clean Solder Paste Sn63Pb37.
Flux.
AMTECH NC-559-V2 (be careful of counterfeits)
Solder.
Kester 245 No-Clean, 63/37 Activated Rosin Cored Leaded Solder
I had this laying around for a while, but hadnāt used it so far, but due to you mentioning it I gave it a quick try yesterday and so far I really like it (for a ācheap Aliexpress fluxā); the amount of smoke produced was reasonable, no extreme chemical smell and really easy to clean residue afterwards with isopropanol.
After some searching last year, I finally found an affordable leaded solder on Aliexpress that I really like, and has a huge amount of possitive reviews: Kaina (brand) leaded solder
Unfortunately is has become quite a bit more expensive since last time that I bought it, but you get a decent-isch discount when buying 2 rolls. It flows really well, adheres good and gives nice an shiny joints. I find it a really nice solder to work with.
I know next to nothing about soldering, but had to do some for this project - there were 4 diodes involved. I managed, but it wasnāt pretty - low power iron, some random solder wire from a local hardware shop.
What solder should I be looking for to make it easier next time? Lower melting point, composition that likes copper more?
Leaded solder (good old Sn60 Pb40) makes it a little easier, but most important is flux and the right technique.
The flux removes oxidation and creates an inert environment. Most solder wire for electronics already contain a flux core, which is sufficient for parts in good shape. To work properly, the flux must reach the heated part. So heat it up with the soldering iron first, then touch it with the solder wire. The process shouldnāt take longer than a few seconds.
For strongly oxidized parts you might need extra flux. Donāt use flux intended for plumbing because it is too acidic and will corrode your electronics away in no time. Use proper electronics flux.
Also good practice to keep your soldering tip in good condition, by regularly tinning it, let the solder ācoatā the tip again and clean of the excess solder.
I often see people soldering with completely crusted/oxidized tips and in my experience it solders so much worse.
One thing that NASA soldering school taught me was to wrap a new tip in lots of solder, turn on the heat and keep the tip wet while it heats. Too often if you donāt do this the tip will oxidize and will then never hold solder properly.
I forgot to do this recently with a new tip. I ended up throwing it away. It was useless.
Exactly.
When I start soldering I always wrap the tip in fresh solder at a lower temperature, sometimes in between to, certainly if I solder on a higher temperature and the tip gets dry and discolored and most of the time when Iām done with soldering (for the day), again a bit of fresh solder on the tip, clean the exces off and itās ready for the next time.
