Quote:
Originally posted by Wally Joe
What type and size of solder will get most studio jobs done? I'm working with high quality snakes, switchcraft/neumann connectors, and dsub.
And as far as soldering irons go, I have a Radio Shack 40watt. Will this suffice? |
You want solder that's a reasonable size for the work you're doing. I typically buy .022" diameter solder for PCB work. It'll work fine for cables too, though you might develop a preference for thicker stuff if you're doing a lot of cables. That's not terribly important. You can get solder that's a 60/40 tin/lead alloy that's standard plumber's stuff or you can get 63/37 which flows a bit better for electronics work. Then there's 62/36/2 which adds 2% silver and that's essential if you're using gold- or silver-plated connectors. If you're not, you can still use it but it doesn't really do anything for you. There are other alloys out there too, including some lead-free formulations which are a good idea if you're working in an environment where there are children. Lead poisoning is a much bigger risk for kids than adults, though it isn't good for any of us. But as long as you wash your hands after handling it and don't eat while working, you should be okay. It helps to have a fan blowing across the desk while you work but that's for the flux fumes, not the lead.
The much more important consideration is that you want to buy rosin-core solder. Rosin is a flux that makes the solder flow well. You can also use plain solder and dip it into a container of flux, but that's superfluous hassle and mess when rosin-core solder is readily available. There are other kinds of flux, but rosin is probably what you want. It can be removed with a chemical solvent, but doesn't hurt anything if you leave it there in most cases. There's also "organic" flux which washes off with plain water, but it's an acidic flux which will slowly destroy the copper if you don't wash it off thoroughly.
As for soldering irons - you want a temperature-controlled iron. If your iron plugs directly into the wall, it's not temperature-controlled. It keeps getting hotter and hotter the longer you have it plugged in, until it eventually burns itself out and you have to buy a new one. It's also difficult to get the hang of soldering if the iron temp keeps changing. Temperature-controlled soldering irons have a "control" box between the iron and the power cord and usually have a knob to control the temperature. Some even have a digital read-out of the actual tip temperature, which is probably overkill for your needs. You should be fine with a simple knob for "more" hot. The important thing is that whatever temperature the tip is at, it should stay there. The Weller WLC100 is a 40W station that I see all over the place. We had one here until I lost it. Jameco sells them for $49.95. It's probably the cheapest "decent" usable soldering station I've seen. It also has a built-in stand to hold the hot iron securely so you don't burn the house down when you accidentally leave it on overnight.