I am going to recap an old Hallicrafters. I have some Kester sn96.3 ag3.7
solder. Can this be used on joints that already have old lead solder on them?
I'd like to get away from lead products, but don't want bad solder joints
either. Is this new Kester solder a good replacement for lead solder on new
projects? Any advice appreciated.

Been enjoying the spirited bidding on August Link's eBay Command set rarities
as well as the equally spirited debate regarding the morality? of it all. Good
theater if nothing else. If they go any higher someone in China will start
making counterfeits.

I scoured a lot of surplus places in the 60s and although I have memories of
literally tons of unused ARC 5 gear, I never once saw even one of the rare
sets he found. As late as 1975, Standard Surplus on Market St in SF CA would
give me a free NIB ARC 5 xmtr with every $20 purchase if I politely asked Abe,
the crusty old owner. He had big stacks of them in the rat infested dungeon
like basement. Getting a box with knaw marks was part of the experience. The
good old days.

Thanks,
Mark

I've tried the "new" solder and as far as I'm concerned, it isn't worth spit on
electronics. Kester still makes the old stuff and says they will continue to do
so, esp for the electronics industry. I did, however, acquire one of those smoke
vacuum filter units for the bench. I used to just hold my breath when the plume
of smoke went by...hi! I'm a bit more high-tech now!!

BOEING377 wrote:

I am going to recap an old Hallicrafters. I have some Kester sn96.3 ag3.7
solder. Can this be used on joints that already have old lead solder on them?
I'd like to get away from lead products, but don't want bad solder joints
either. Is this new Kester solder a good replacement for lead solder on new
projects? Any advice appreciated.

BOEING377 wrote:
I am going to recap an old Hallicrafters. I have some Kester sn96.3 ag3.7
solder. Can this be used on joints that already have old lead solder on them?
I'd like to get away from lead products, but don't want bad solder joints
either. Is this new Kester solder a good replacement for lead solder on new
projects? Any advice appreciated.

No, that stuff also takes MUCH higher temperatures. Just use 63/37 stuff.
Lead solder is fine. There's no lead in the fumes, so as long as you wash
your hads after handling it and keep the work surface clean, you won't have
any worries.

I scoured a lot of surplus places in the 60s and although I have memories of
literally tons of unused ARC 5 gear, I never once saw even one of the rare
sets he found. As late as 1975, Standard Surplus on Market St in SF CA would
give me a free NIB ARC 5 xmtr with every $20 purchase if I politely asked Abe,
the crusty old owner. He had big stacks of them in the rat infested dungeon
like basement. Getting a box with knaw marks was part of the experience. The
good old days.

There are still a lot of them out there, and they are fun project rigs. Not
so useful stock, but they were cheap (and many models still are), and are useful
as starting points for homebrew stuff.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

On 6 Feb 2004 22:41:37 -0500, (Scott Dorsey) wrote:

BOEING377 wrote:
I am going to recap an old Hallicrafters. I have some Kester sn96.3 ag3.7
solder. Can this be used on joints that already have old lead solder on them?
I'd like to get away from lead products, but don't want bad solder joints
either. Is this new Kester solder a good replacement for lead solder on new
projects? Any advice appreciated.

No, that stuff also takes MUCH higher temperatures. Just use 63/37 stuff.
Lead solder is fine. There's no lead in the fumes, so as long as you wash
your hads after handling it and keep the work surface clean, you won't have
any worries.

I scoured a lot of surplus places in the 60s and although I have memories of
literally tons of unused ARC 5 gear, I never once saw even one of the rare
sets he found. As late as 1975, Standard Surplus on Market St in SF CA would
give me a free NIB ARC 5 xmtr with every $20 purchase if I politely asked Abe,
the crusty old owner. He had big stacks of them in the rat infested dungeon
like basement. Getting a box with knaw marks was part of the experience. The
good old days.

Just curious -- was that the place at the foot of Market,
between Spear and Steuart?

There are still a lot of them out there, and they are fun project rigs. Not
so useful stock, but they were cheap (and many models still are), and are useful
as starting points for homebrew stuff.
--scott

Scott Dorsey wrote:
BOEING377 wrote:

I am going to recap an old Hallicrafters. I have some Kester sn96.3 ag3.7
solder. Can this be used on joints that already have old lead solder on them?
I'd like to get away from lead products, but don't want bad solder joints
either. Is this new Kester solder a good replacement for lead solder on new
projects? Any advice appreciated.


No, that stuff also takes MUCH higher temperatures. Just use 63/37 stuff.
Lead solder is fine. There's no lead in the fumes, so as long as you wash
your hads after handling it and keep the work surface clean, you won't have
any worries.

My 2c.
I was working at a job site and had to do a few days of repairs to some
older gear while there. Since I was without my own tools they supplied
me with a soldering pencil and some of this solder.
I thought it handled well and for what I was doing I didn't notice the
temperature issue but nor did I have any 63/37 to compare to.
It made very nice shiny connections with ease and my only gripe would be
the fumes which are wicked, at least they were with whatever brand it
was that I was using.
I've heard about the pending doom where anything with the letters
L-E-A-D right down to fishing sinkers will be outlawed and don't have an
opinion on how this might effect electronic solder. My one brief
experience with the sn/ag stuff leads me to think that plain old sn/pb
is going to remain as a favorite by popular vote if for no other reason
than the fumes created by the 'safer' alternative.

-Bill

I've heard about the pending doom where anything with the letters
L-E-A-D right down to fishing sinkers will be outlawed and don't have an
opinion on how this might effect electronic solder. My one brief
experience with the sn/ag stuff leads me to think that plain old sn/pb
is going to remain as a favorite by popular vote if for no other reason
than the fumes created by the 'safer' alternative.

I wonder if lead tin solder will become like Freon 12, still in demand but now
15 dollars or more a can instead of 99 cents just a few yrs ago. Maybe its time
to stock up on few rolls of old style solder before it becomes a hoarded
overpriced item.

BOEING377 wrote:


I wonder if lead tin solder will become like Freon 12, still in demand but now
15 dollars or more a can instead of 99 cents just a few yrs ago. Maybe its time
to stock up on few rolls of old style solder before it becomes a hoarded
overpriced item.


Hehe...I did that a couple years ago and now have a bunch of old stale
solder :-) I'm one of those nutty people who notices that "out-of-date"
solder just ain't as good as fresh.
My understanding is that lead based solder has been nixxed for plumbing
work already and I suppose that makes some sense. Dunno if that gave
rise to the rumour that electrical solder would suffer the same destiny.
Does anybody know for sure?

-Bill M

There's a big push to stop putting lead solder into landfills, particularly
in Europe. They tried making manufacturer's take their stuff back but it
didn't work, so now they're trying to eliminate lead from solder.

I suspect that there will be quite a long grace period where the military,
avionics and medical systems people will be able to continue using lead
solder on reliability grounds.

Does solder really get that stale? I'm still using the roll I got 25 years
ago as a gift (it's a big roll) -- I don't have any problems with it, nor
does my boy, 10, who's just learning to solder.

Perhaps you could pack it with dessicant?

"- - Bill - -" wrote in message
...
BOEING377 wrote:


I wonder if lead tin solder will become like Freon 12, still in demand
but now
15 dollars or more a can instead of 99 cents just a few yrs ago. Maybe
its time
to stock up on few rolls of old style solder before it becomes a hoarded
overpriced item.


Hehe...I did that a couple years ago and now have a bunch of old stale
solder :-) I'm one of those nutty people who notices that "out-of-date"
solder just ain't as good as fresh.
My understanding is that lead based solder has been nixxed for plumbing
work already and I suppose that makes some sense. Dunno if that gave
rise to the rumour that electrical solder would suffer the same destiny.
Does anybody know for sure?

-Bill M

Tim Wescott wrote:
There's a big push to stop putting lead solder into landfills, particularly
in Europe. They tried making manufacturer's take their stuff back but it
didn't work, so now they're trying to eliminate lead from solder.

I suspect that there will be quite a long grace period where the military,
avionics and medical systems people will be able to continue using lead
solder on reliability grounds.

Does solder really get that stale? I'm still using the roll I got 25 years
ago as a gift (it's a big roll) -- I don't have any problems with it, nor
does my boy, 10, who's just learning to solder.

Perhaps you could pack it with dessicant?

The solder doesn't get "stale", the flux does.

Easily fixed with a bottle of flux.

--
Jim Pennino

Remove -spam-sux to reply.

The push to eliminate lead has nothing to do with it getting "stale". It
is considered to be a toxin that effects intelligence (although according to
Emsley, the chemistry community is not sure about some of the research to
that effect - kinda' like the mercury scare).
There is a big push to eliminate Lead in everything including electronics.
Major elec. manufacturers are already working to reduce it wherever they
can.

"stale"solder:
If solder is left in a humid environment, possibly with oxidants such as
sulfur as well, it can degrade. Generally, the "duller" it looks, the worse
its condition. I don't know the chemical reaction(s) (both tin and lead are
generally quite un-reactive) , just that some solder from the 1940's (like
in Dad's garage) can be "dirty" on the outside. and difficult to use. I
would keep it in sealed plastic bags.


"Tim Wescott" wrote in message
...
There's a big push to stop putting lead solder into landfills,
particularly
in Europe. They tried making manufacturer's take their stuff back but it
didn't work, so now they're trying to eliminate lead from solder.

I suspect that there will be quite a long grace period where the military,
avionics and medical systems people will be able to continue using lead
solder on reliability grounds.

Does solder really get that stale? I'm still using the roll I got 25
years
ago as a gift (it's a big roll) -- I don't have any problems with it, nor
does my boy, 10, who's just learning to solder.

Perhaps you could pack it with dessicant?

"- - Bill - -" wrote in message
...
BOEING377 wrote:


I wonder if lead tin solder will become like Freon 12, still in
demand
but now
15 dollars or more a can instead of 99 cents just a few yrs ago. Maybe
its time
to stock up on few rolls of old style solder before it becomes a hoard
ed
overpriced item.


Hehe...I did that a couple years ago and now have a bunch of old stale
solder :-) I'm one of those nutty people who notices that "out-of-date"
solder just ain't as good as fresh.
My understanding is that lead based solder has been nixxed for plumbing
work already and I suppose that makes some sense. Dunno if that gave
rise to the rumour that electrical solder would suffer the same destiny.
Does anybody know for sure?

-Bill M