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Solder - 1/4lb Spool (0.032") Special Blend
We don't want to hype this solder TOO much, but this could possibly be the best solder in the world. There, we've said it. This is a special blend made specifically for us and we love it. It all started as a quest to find the best solder to use in our production process and ended up being the best we've tried. The best part is that it's lead free and has a water-soluble flux core.
This package contains 1/4lb of solder and has a diameter of 0.032" (0.8mm).
Mix: 96.35% Sn (Tin), 3.0% Ag (Silver), 0.5% Cu (Copper), 0.15% Sb (Antimony).
Solder - 1/4lb Spool (0.032") Special Blend Product Help and Resources
Core Skill: Soldering
This skill defines how difficult the soldering is on a particular product. It might be a couple simple solder joints, or require special reflow tools.
Skill Level: Noob - Some basic soldering is required, but it is limited to a just a few pins, basic through-hole soldering, and couple (if any) polarized components. A basic soldering iron is all you should need.
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Customer Reviews
4.9 out of 5
Based on 7 ratings:
2 of 2 found this helpful:
I like this stuff
It is lead-free which is kind of a must for cosumer products these days, and the water soluble flux is awesome. I have PCBs soldered in bulk and I need a fast way to clean the flux off of them, and using water is a lot faster and more convenient than using alcohol in my experience.
3 of 3 found this helpful:
For RC aircraft this is the BEST solder available..
For micro RC aircraft this is not only the BEST solder available.. it's the only solder I know of that works as well. It's lightweight but easy to use like leaded solder and is a better conductor where less solder is desirable to save weight and one gram makes a noticeable difference. Great solder without the problems other unleaded solder suffer from. Thanks Sparkfun for making available... John Hendry^^
4 of 4 found this helpful:
Buttery Pb-Free Solder
Sparkfun's special blend leaves the one other lead-free solder (a random spool bought at Radio Shack - RIP) I've used in the dust! Not sure if it's the Antimony or the lux-Silver, but this alloy melts easier*, is less prone to unintentional bridging and cold joints, reworks like a charm, and doesn't leave as much oxidation on the soldering iron. Flux residue is easy to remove with IPA, haven't tried using deionized H20 yet.
One caveat - at 0.032" this spool is pretty thick (why it gets 4 stars, not 5), so go with the 0.020" spool for general purpose prototyping (it's worth the extra $5) unless you need to solder big wires/connectors.
FYI the soldered connections have a 'frosty' finish, so gotta retrain your eye for what a 'good' connection looks like if you've been using old-school leaded solder.
- using a Hakko FX888D set to 750 degrees with a T18-B tip.
As good as Lead free is going to get
First time user of lead-free solder. Right up front, let me say I prefer the leaded solder. This solder is lead free. I requires a little more heating to get that luster. But once heated up, this is probably the best lead free solder you can buy. Very thin wire, which makes it perfect for SMD components. I would recommend you give this one a try.
Finally a Lead Free Solder I Can Live With
I've been hesitant to stop using leaded solder because I wasn't able to find lead free solder that flowed well enough and was easy to use. This solder changed all that. It's now my go to solder.
Made going lead-free easy
I've soldered with the leaded stuff for 50 years and was delaying switching to lead-free because of the warnings that it didn't flow well and was generally difficult to use. No way. I found this solder to be just great. The springiness of the stuff feels different, like when you pull a yard or so off the spool and coil it up. This solder flowed fantastically for me though perhaps at a slightly higher temperature. Don't hesitate to use it.
Happy to move away from lead
I'd always used lead solder but I wanted to move away from having lead bits all over my shop. This solder has served me very well. There was a bit of a learning curve as it isn't quite as forgiving but it's pretty darn close. I miss the smell of the rosin flux as this water soluble one does not smell pleasant but that's okay.
This is not usable for reflowing LEDs, I've wasted dozens of em trying to use this as a substitute for paste. Also appear to be quite a bit harder to remove excess from PCBs.
What is the melting temp for this special blend.
Text say it have a diameter of '0.032" (0.5mm)' but in fact it should be '0.032" (0.81mm)", some 60 percent larger.
The product photo btw say a different value 0.031" or 0.79 mm, which is probably what should be in the text.
A word of caution about water soluble flux. If not cleaned off with water (preferably hot) it will leave residue on your PCB that can eat away at the copper and cause trace and component faults. It is even more noticeable on fine pitch SMT components. When I used it in the past we always ran boards through a dishwasher but you can't have non sealed parts on the boards like pots etc.
I bought this, but I haven't really been able to enjoy it because it won't flow with my iron. What's the melting point of this solder, or I guess my real question should be what temperature does my iron need to be? I have a pretty nice old Weller iron with (according to my dad) a 700 degree (Fahrenheit) tip. I see that the copper has the highest melting point of 1,984 degrees, and the silver next in line at 1,763 degrees. Does that mean the tip has to be 2,000+ degrees, or is the concentration low enough to not matter?
I have had similar problems with my Weller when the tip gets oxidized. The readout says it's heated to temp, but the temperature at the tip is actually much, much lower. Try changing out the tip and see if that fixes it.
Made in the USA, huh? I might just have to buy some to support whomever manufactured this merchandise.
Is there a recommended temperature for this variety?
Change text from "diameter of 0.020 (0.5mm)" to "diameter of .032 (0.81mm)"
Just letting you guys know that the MSDS sheet link is broken.
Hi Antimony is toxic according to Wikipedia - but I see this solder is ROHS approved.
Is the problem of lead in solder (and car batteries and whatever else) ending up in land fill and leaching into the ground water for many thousands of years to come just being changed into another problem? What do hobbyists do with globs of solder? Bin?
This solder rocks! Love it! Best I've used...
Please post the flow temp. of your special blend!
Why does the MSDS state it has lead in it?
"The best part is that it's lead free..."
The MSDS states the lead (and other components) composition of a variety of products made by this company. This particular product is lead free. MSDS can be confusing at times, give it another look.
Noob needs guidance! Some of my joints appear to have a milky white residue after setting. What is the proper way to clean them to a shiny finish? I wasn't too successful with water and a sponge. Thanks in advance.
I use warm water and an old toothbrush (but be sure you don't use it as a toothbrush again!)
If it's lead free, it should be fine to continue brushing your teeth with, no? I find that the flux helps break down tartar in some of those hard to reach places.
The Antimony will be a problem though.
This package contains 1/4lb of solder and has a diameter of 0.032 not 0.020"
Is this rosin core, or water soluble?
Scratch that, just saw the label >.<
Water wash solder, sweet!