Radio Shack solder

[throbscottle]

Cheap...

 

[throbscottle]

I once made flux (as an older sized child) by collecting pine resin from trees, and distilled it. So I got a small amount of turpentine and a hard residue, which when ground up made a usable flux, albeit not a very good one. Interesting.

 

[Mikebits]

I once made flux (as an older sized child) by collecting pine resin from trees, and distilled it. So I got a small amount of turpentine and a hard residue, which when ground up made a usable flux, albeit not a very good one. Interesting.

Wow, that's interesting and pretty industrious. So were you a chemist at one time? What did you use to distill it, do you make moonshine in your garage? How did you know how to do that? Well, pretty cool, more trouble than I would be willing to do, but cool nevertheless.

 

[Mikebits]

I gave lead free a go. Soldered alright but I didn't really like using it so didn't get any more. Gone back to good old 60/40 now. Never tried anything else. Nigel's comment about flux makes sense, I used some old Multicore solder (the sort that used to come in an aluminium canister) a couple of weeks ago - ahhhhh just love that smell! Soldered better too. I often find modern solder is helped by extra flux. Dread to think what I'm breathing in from it, but I go on the principle it's not much and not often...

For home hobby use, I see no reason to use it, other than maybe your concerned about breathing lead fumes. I been using lead solder all my adult life and I never got dain bramage.

 

[GromTag]

Solder is some risky stuff as with many other directions whatever they may be.

No worries about lead fumes releasing unless the solder boils considerably at very high temps, just the usual Rosin/Flux fumes and other chemicals. I assume this is known all ready.... Anyhow,

Sinus problems for me as of solder fume related issues have resulted in the daily supplement of Stinging Nettle to help with histamine. Interesting stuff that Nettle.

As for lead free solder, it's a mess more than any thing else even tho I've only used one batch thus far, going back to Flux core Silver when I find a decent batch that isn't an arms worth.

 

[granddad]

Mrdeb excuse off topic...

Interesting stuff that Nettle.

It did wonders for my back pain ( sciatica like ) some years ago... added them to a hot bath, and got in !

 

[throbscottle]

Wow, that's interesting and pretty industrious. So were you a chemist at one time? What did you use to distill it, do you make moonshine in your garage? How did you know how to do that? Well, pretty cool, more trouble than I would be willing to do, but cool nevertheless.

No, none of those, I just knew that rosin is made from pine resin, so I thought I'd try it. Didn't use anything special

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

For home hobby use, I see no reason to use it, other than maybe your concerned about breathing lead fumes. I been using lead solder all my adult life and I never got dain bramage.

As I've mentioned before here, I was once tested as a subject in a University study by the H&S (Health and Safety) Executive about soldering. As such I enquired about the reasons, which were to do solely with the flux, there were no health concerns about soldering from the lead in the solder. In fact even the flux concern was only to do with the possibility of the flux fumes triggering asthma attacks in asthmatics, and they admitted they weren't able to find a single asthmatic TV engineer in the UK

As far as I'm aware the study confirmed there were no health risks from soldering on a service basis, and even less from a hobby basis - however, on a production line where you solder all day every day, fume extraction was required.

 

[MrDEB]

Now that Radio Shack is gone and in need of some perfboards but boy for what you get they are expensive compared to designing and having some made.
Looking for suggestions for what people mostly want in a prototype circuit board (copper clad on one side and bus traces).
My last board purchased just barley fit a 40 pin socket to solder the pins to.
I was considering one with pin #1 for MCLR but not everyone uses pics.
any input towards design??

 

[tcmtech]

Now that Radio Shack is gone and in need of some perfboards but boy for what you get they are expensive compared to designing and having some made.
Looking for suggestions for what people mostly want in a prototype circuit board (copper clad on one side and bus traces).
My last board purchased just barley fit a 40 pin socket to solder the pins to.
I was considering one with pin #1 for MCLR but not everyone uses pics.
any input towards design??

Unfortunately when a cheap source disappears and another fails to materializes it may be worth pursuing the aspects of setting up your own DIY systems to produce your own stock.

 

[MrDEB]

I have made numerous DIY circuit boards but found ELECROW manufacturing easier and way better quality. Thus design a multi use circuit board (perf board) that would simplify hobbyist etc. to cobble together a circuit for testing. Heaven knows I have lots of test circuits, infact I am looking at the one I used for testing the band led project, complete with 20 leds. The aforementioned circuit is soldered to a R.S. board I purchased several weeks ago.
One issue is the grid barley fit a 40 pin dip thus design a new board to accommodate what I want plus made from quality materials.
A better bus layout, smd of pull-up resistor for Mclr if desired as well as connections to each port pin or other device.

 

[throbscottle]

So you mean a kind of dedicated perf board that has the connections you always use ready made? Sounds like a good idea!
I got curious about looking at different styles of perforated board - I found a few:
Oh look, Radio Shack perf board: **broken link removed**
But why not get one like these, they're pretty similar: **broken link removed**
**broken link removed**
**broken link removed**
This one can take some SMD's: **broken link removed**
There's also this, if prototyping with SMD's is your thing: https://schmartboard.com/schmartboa...e-and-surface-mount-schmartboard-201-0013-01/

Uhhh, I'd better stop there, I've just been reminded to get some pcb pins...