Soldering 63/37 solder

[greaser_au]

wtcpn - there must be irons these days that don't get as hot a handle, especially in australian summers. and have a better power connector.
I have the same one I bought ~1980. except for the lead. and the switch. barrel. element. tips. but it's still my favourite.
who were you wave soldering for in the 80's, greaser?

yes, the power connector is a flaw- but a small price to pay - a fine scriber is a useful tool to keep on hand. As I recall, there was an optional black slip-on handle that made it a bit larger and cooler to use if you're working with it for hours at a time. They are so simple to operate & maintain (part of my job for a while) for the girls on the line. I've used PACE (now that was deluxe gear), Australian made ROYEL,  and HAKKO on the bench also.

I won my wtcpn as a prize (at TAFE) in 1992 for my design project. and like yours it's had a new switch, barrel and element over the years. If it failed outright, I'd buy another in a heartbeat.

I worked for EMI - everything from hand PCB work,  to machine soldering  (wave, drag and vapour phase - including silkscreening solder paste), chemical lab stuff,  to stores, to QA  (when things were  quiet) and (later) as a technician, over about 9 years. About the only thing I didn't do was cleaning,  and of course, management

david

[duck_arse]

the pace desoldering machine. I used to stand next to that all day in case someone used it, because it would need a complete clean after three joints.

solder joints. I started work with ex-emi engineers and techs.

[greaser_au]

We had the large PACE repair station with rotary tools,  soldering & desoldering systems, thermal strippers etc..  I had to maintain that for a while... always kept the desoldering  tips clean and watched the reservoir glass loading.  The vane pump needed a bit of TLC over time, but as long as a *small* amount of oil was used it would go for ages between cleans.

I used to repair platethough holes with PACE board eyelets, excavate & repair tracks inside multi-layer boards (not my favourite thing)!

I see mektronics are now PACE distributors

david

[davent]

I'm using up the last of my 60/40 solder and have a roll of Kester 245 (63/37) to use next. Going to be any issues with reworking old 60/40 joints with the new 63/37 solder?
dave

[R O Tiree]

Nope - I have large rolls of both and use whichever I find first. Re-working isn't a problem.

[davent]

Thank you Mike.

[greaser_au]

I found a (simplified) phase diagram I wanted to show earlier in this thread:   http://www.chemguide.co.uk/physical/phaseeqia/snpb.html

The section relevant to davent's comment: 'Thinking about changes in the composition of the liquid'

david