Testing Room Thread, Solder in Modelling; I don't know if many of you have tried soldering brass etched "bits" together to make something up. It's easy ...
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Solder
I don't know if many of you have tried soldering brass etched "bits" together to make something up. It's easy to finish up with a great blob of solder.
I have recently taken to using solder paste. Just apply it with the tip of a screwdriver ( or old brush) and the grey gunk turns into a thin film of solder as you apply the iron.
The drawback is that it is not cheap, about £20-£25 for a 125mL pot. The good news is the pot will last a long, long time.
The stuff I am using is Fryolux Solder Paint, manufactured by Alpha-Fry Technologies, and should be available at a good specialist hardware shop. Not your B&Q or a pots & pans hardware shop
Last edited by KenP; 12-02-2005 at 07:04.
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Useful tip that Ken,sounds a little similar to the older Flux pastes,dont forget to neutralise the acid content of these solder pastes,to do this mix up some bicarbonate of soda and apply with a stiff brush,then flush the joint with running water,this will get rid of the harmful corrosive qualities of all these types of fluxes,otherwise suddenly one day you could find the joint badly corroded.
Someone once did a field solder paste,all that you did was light a match and offer to the joint for a swift temporary repair.Hobbies of London used to sell the stuff.
Last edited by wonwinglo; 12-02-2005 at 06:43.
Reason: Addition.
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Solder

Originally Posted by
wonwinglo Useful tip that Ken,sounds a little similar to the older Flux pastes,dont forget to neutralise the acid content of these solder pastes,to do this mix up some bicarbonate of soda and apply with a stiff brush,then flush the joint with running water,this will get rid of the harmful corrosive qualities of all these types of fluxes,otherwise suddenly one day you could find the joint badly corroded.
Someone once did a field solder paste,all that you did was light a match and offer to the joint for a swift temporary repair.Hobbies of London used to sell the stuff.
I still have a card of Multicore Emergency Solder [melts with a match] in my work box :coffee:
George's Gallery
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Originally Posted by
BigJBB On the topic of Solder. I have a question for all of the learned fraternity. About 20 years ago i bought a 500g reel of flux cored solder. Can anyone tell me the shelf life I should have expected please? When I went to use it on Thursday, when making a joint (silicon wire/solder tag on a motor) there was a black gungy residue left and no solder = no joint

Changed the solder for a 25g new packet

Result

The joint was sound. Unfortunately me being an Aberdonian I do not want to just throw out this old ree. So if anyone can give mae a little advice I would really appreciate it.
thanks
Jim :music_too :music_too
***Well Jim in my toolbox is a very old tin of Fluxite ! the contents are discoloured and gungy,but the paste still seems to work,however who knows the shelf life of some of this material as you say ? it could be that there has been some reaction within the solder to make it do that ? as these things are acetic/acid/caustic based products that work chemically when heat is applied it could be that those qualities have been destroyed with time,try using a piece further on within the coil to see if that does the same ? just a thought.
Failing that it will make some useful ballast weight ! :poster_oo
wonwinglo's Gallery - Name:
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Solder etc

Originally Posted by
wonwinglo ***Well Jim in my toolbox is a very old tin of Fluxite ! the contents are discoloured and gungy,but the paste still seems to work,however who knows the shelf life of some of this material as you say ? it could be that there has been some reaction within the solder to make it do that ? as these things are acetic/acid/caustic based products that work chemically when heat is applied it could be that those qualities have been destroyed with time,try using a piece further on within the coil to see if that does the same ? just a thought.
Failing that it will make some useful ballast weight ! :poster_oo
I am using a solder flux which looks like axel grease in colour but there are no problems with the joints other than my own.
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Thanks for the input so far. Ballast.......hmmm now there is an option. I'll let you know how the inner part of the reel fares. if no bettere then ballast it will be.
cheers
Jim
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Good new, I cut the first foot off of the reel and it workrd soooooooooooo..... much better. Still a little gunge and once again I cut off another foot and this time no gunge. I guess I'll be looking for ballast elsewhere 
cheers
Jim
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Originally Posted by
BigJBB Good new, I cut the first foot off of the reel and it workrd soooooooooooo..... much better. Still a little gunge and once again I cut off another foot and this time no gunge. I guess I'll be looking for ballast elsewhere
cheers
Jim
*** I think that we will put this one down to 'Deterioration of the extreme sections of material caused through exposure to climatic and molecular changes in the physical & chemical properties of soft metals' !!!
wonwinglo's Gallery - Name:
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...or in the same language for an aeroplane crash "a rapid energetic disassembly".
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