I recently bought a roll of Weller solder from Bunnings. It's 60% tin /40% lead. Is this a good mix. It seems to be far superior to the Jaycar solder. Much easier to use!

When I was at Jaycar the same people that banned light globes banned lead solder!
Both items were supposedly going to cause the planet to implode or cause all newborn babies to have two heads.
Threats were made to suppliers like Jaycar with huge fines attached if the ungodly lead solder was offered, same with light globes.

Ok having got sarcasm out of the way, Jaycar introduced the two types (and light globes) using weasel words in the various legalisations (there is always a way around words).

1/ real solder with 60 tin and 40 lead plus rosin cored.
2/ fake solder from your government with 99.3 tin and 0.7 copper.

1/ wets nicely at normal iron temperature actually joins clean wires together.
2/ doesn't work with an iron, needs a blowtorch to get to run and wont wet on any known surface.

Back then real solder for valve work was cat NS3015, crap solder was NS3096.

Just buy 60/40 rosin cored and all is sweet.

Fred.

There was some info on the NASA site re "Tin Whiskers". It was well realised before WW2 that Tin was among a few, like Silver, that grew whiskers and these would cause a short, especially in some Silver Mica capacitors.

This whisker growing phenomena, is essentially why lead was used, as 3% or more would stop it. Now as part of built in obsolescence, we have this crap solder that needs more heat, is a nightmare to use, and in about three years, is liable to destroy the device. Sometimes if you can get at it. A stiff brush, with no electrostatic properties, may clear the whiskers.

Marc

Interesting points about solder.

The crap from Jaycar frustrated me, I kept changing my tips as I thought it was the tip not getting enough heat.

My soldering iron was an old weller fixed temperature after replacing the heater element twice I retired that iron a month ago.

I bought another Weller iron from bunning with temperature control. I use the 60% tin and 40% lead with the rosin core, though I am running low it is good to know that bunnings stocks it. (thank you Carl)

Question as I am still getting use to my new iron what temperature for valve radio work should I set it at?

I have been running it at 295 C, any advice on what is optimal? Using the 60/40 rosin core solder.

George

Use a lot 60/40 CAgroup solder whenever possible although at 3.2mm it is a bit thick for some purposes. Believe it is Aust made.

Watch out for the 50/50 solder which I accidentally bought. The spools are near identical to the 60/40.

Both solders bought from Bunnings and run my Weller iron at 35C which solders well.

The solder that Jaycar (and most suppliers) sell is simply lead-free solder. It has its benefits but some downsides too, such as requiring more heat and the fact that it sets too quickly because the lead has been replaced with copper and/or silver.

Personally, I prefer the old stuff. It just works better on radios.

run my Weller iron at 35C which solders well

I guess you meant to type 350C.

There is no set temp other than more than the melting point of the solder and sneaky things called thermal inertia and dwell time

A melt on a printed circuit irrespective of the temp takes less time, a melt on a tube radio where it could be 50/50 solder in a real old one, and most have a lot of solder, then it takes more heat & time to melt it. The metal chassis often needs the the old 1968 120 Watt or it 80watt iron elements to cover the heat loss from the metal.

A haemostat is good as heatsink for components and fingers when removing components. Main soldering unit is temp controlled & for tube radios & solid state: valve over 400 degrees.

Marc