Solder Problems (PDP-8/m related)

From: Mike Ford <mikeford_at_socal.rr.com>
Date: Fri Dec 3 16:32:07 1999

>Tony Duell wrote:
>> Another warning. There's a stuff called 'silver solder' used by
>> engineers. This is _NOT_ the same stuff at all -- it's high melting point
>> (you can use it on small steam engine boilers, etc). I'm not sure it even
>> contains silver.
>
>I believe it does contain silver indeed. It is _very_ expensive.
>And you need acethylene+O2 in order to use it.

I have a spool (1 lb?) sitting behind me of 96 SN silver solder, wasn't
"too" expensive and melts with a slightly hotter tip in my weller. What I
was told to watch out for in silver solder is that it is indeed commonly
used for mechanical instead of electrical work so much of it is acid core.

Perhaps it was this list, but I have just read about solder removal alloy.
Its a solder looking stuff used to remove complex multipin chips. You melt
it onto the existing solder and it forms an alloy with a VERY low melting
point so the chip can be removed with much less heat, ie wave a heat gun
and it drops off.

I used to make silver jewelry, mostly sterling (92.5% AG), but some fine as
well (99.9% AG) and I can assure you a butane/air torch will melt silver
solder, and silver. The spread must not be too great, because I did the
latter many many times. Very pleasurable work though. Given silver is less
than $4/oz no alloy that we ever used exceeded that cost by more than 25%
regardless of the shape etc. except for cast parts and they by no more than
50%.
Received on Fri Dec 03 1999 - 16:32:07 GMT