"Volker Tonn" wrote in message
...


Frank Dresser schrieb:


Hi Frank.
You didn't see my smilie? Hmmm?

Of course not! :-)

In germany soldering for copper is somewhat 70/30 tin/lead -much more
tighter than 50/50. 50/50 is only used for repairs on old lead-pipes
wich are no longer used for new pipes since decades here and it has the
flux core in it and looks like VERY thick electronics solder. It's very
tricky to solder this over head. I learned to handele this more than 20
years ago... :-)

Lead pipe hasn't been used in the US for decades, either. Except in
Chicago, where it was required by code for the hook up from the underground
water main to the house. Chicago dropped the lead pipe requirement less
than 20 years ago.

I'm a bit surprised that lead alloy solder is still used in Germany for
drinking water pipes. I thought the Europeans had been more agressive in
their concerns about lead. As far as I know, lead base paints had been
banned first in Europe, and there is more concern about disposing electronic
items with lead alloy solder there.

The bismuth alloy plumbing solder I've used was solid core.

The 50/50 solder you describe sounds exactly like the kind of acid flux core
solder we kitbuilders were warned not to use.

On copper we use acid flux with very fine solder gravel in it wich is
brought to the copper skin with a brush before putting the copper things
together. You will have the copper tinplated when heated only without
adding any additional solder.


Yes, that sort of flux is commonly available here. It works well. And
copper pipes are always cleaned, then fluxed with external flux before
soldering. Solid core solder is prefered for plumbing because it doesn't
feed in so quickly, but acid core solder produces just as good a joint.
Acid core solder is better for general purpose work, such as soldering sheet
metal with a torch. If a handyman has only one roll of solder, it's
probably acid core.



For electronics I prefer thin electronics solder with 0.5mm (0.02") in
diameter with my temperatur regulated soldering station. Also have 1.0mm
in use for bigger parts like cable connectors or repairs on car-electrics.

Volker


For rosin core, I just buy the thin stuff. I don't like having extra spools
of solder around. Good thing I read the warning about acid core solder!

Frank Dresser