Re: Lead Free (was Re: CD MMC caps from DigiKey...)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: Terry Fritz <vardin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi Mark,

At 08:21 PM 12/15/2005, you wrote:
> I've been using the 96/4 lead free solder from Radio Shack (see link 
> below) for 6 years now, almost exclusively.  So long as a decent 
> soldering iron is used, I've never had any difficulties.

I got some Radio Shack 64-025 and gave it a try.  It is not bad at 
all!  It is higher temp, non-eutectic, little more brittle, has a 
higher wetting angle, and does not flow quite as well.  But those are 
fairly minor things only someone odd would notice right off.  It is 
perfectly usable for most stuff!!  One would have to watch out for 
the higher temp on sensitive parts but other than that no much 
difference!  I guess I won't have to by a lifetime supply of Kester 44 RA ;-))

The silver might have a problem with surface mount caps and things 
like that which are really sensitive to migration and them little 
wiskers, but for most hobbyist stuff it is not a big deal.

Hopefully this, or better stuff, will appear in reasonable 1 pound 
spool sizes soon since RS is sort of expensive ;-))

The silver will be a problem for mil/med/auto that has to stand super 
cold, hot, humid, dry, cycling, very long term, etc. issues.  But 
that is "their" problem ;o)  And they will have a LOT of problems...

Some parts like, palladium surface mount stuff and apparently 
something in Tektronix scopes has a problem with leaching (gold 
plated pads?) where the molten lead will dissolve the gold or 
something without silver in there to prevent that (high level alchemy 
stuff...).  Some silver plated contacts might have trouble without 
lead in the solder too but it is hard to believe that would be a 
problem give the shear size of the scopes rotary switch 
assemblies...  If the parts were ceramic (alumina) substrates, then 
the pads were fired on palladium silver which will definitely(!!) 
dissolve with ordinary solder!  But that stuff is rare for the normal 
person to run into.

So it looks like Tesla coiling will be able to survive the Lead Free 
thing :-)))  I suppose the race is on to make the first "lead free" 
Tesla coil :o))  I guess we should now add the following abbreviations  :O)))))

DRSSTC-F
OLTC-F
SSTC-F
...

:o))))))

Cheers,

        Terry