On 12/1/2010 10:32 AM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
"Jeff wrote in message
...
On 11/29/2010 12:26 AM, wrote:
How do you know when your soldering iron is tinned?
I keep mine plugged in for 5-10 minutes then when I try tin it, the
solder beads up and just drips offs. It doesn't seem to "wet" the
tip.
Is it suppose to wet the tip of the soldering iron?

I'm using non lead solder, 95%Sn, 5% Sb (Tin/Antimony).
Rosin core.

This is plumbing solder, get some designed for electrical. Something
fairly small. 60/40 tin/lead (or is it the other way). Use the right
solder for the application.

If you have trouble tinning it is either because you can't get the
solder hot enough or the tip is not clean enough. Sounds to me that you
are using the wrong solder, too large and wrong type.


This 95 SN 5 SB stuff may be the European solder. From what I have read
they have gone lead free in the electronics soldering. Also you are not
suspose to mix the two when repairing the equipment as they do not work well
together.

I don't even like that sn/sb for soldering pipes. I still have a couple of
pounds of the 50/50 tin/lead solder for my pipes if I need it.

About 30 years ago my wife and I were watching tv about the moonshine
makers. They mentioned the lead in the pipes and I told here one day the
trr huggers would say not to use the lead solder in the pipes. Sure enough
, they have.


Moonshiners were/are using car radiators to distill their product which
was imparting all sorts of toxic substances into their mountain dew.

TDD