Solder, does it go off?

[Multigauge]

I've often found soldering wires to things a hit and miss affair; and of late more miss that hit.

No matter what I do to increase the chances of adhesion, often the solder just doesn't seem to adhere to anything other than the wire itself.

They say a bad workman blames his tools, but I was wondering if solder has a shelf life? I've had mine for eons.

 

Btw, I have no idea how I've changed the text colour half way through and can't get it back to black.

 

MG

[Dave John]

I'd suspect the issue is flux rather than the solder itself. I have a lot of drums of standard 60/40 cored but I always use fluxite or bakers fluid, no issues  with brass kits or wire to ns rail. For electronics I make sure things are very clean and use it straight. Hot iron, 400 + deg. 

 

Very old reels can get a layer of grey (lead oxide ? ) on them. Just pull a length through a folded bit of emery, removes it. 

[DCB]

I was wondering exactly the same thing earlier as I tried to solder some droppers to rails outside using some elderly resin core solder.   It wouldn't melt then suddenly turned into a useless blob.  Sandpaper trick to be tried tomorrow.    I have preferred older solders pre EU compliant as they seemed to melt that bit cooler, as in before the rail chairs not after them....

[peterm1]

I scrape the rails and use 'no clean flux' to solder. 350 degrees with  60 watt iron, tinning the wire conductor before attempting to solder it. 60/40 resin cored solder is, as far as I know, still quite legal to use for the home. It certainly is here in Oz.

[kevinlms]

34 minutes ago, peterm1 said:

I scrape the rails and use 'no clean flux' to solder. 350 degrees with  60 watt iron, tinning the wire conductor before attempting to solder it. 60/40 resin cored solder is, as far as I know, still quite legal to use for the home. It certainly is here in Oz.

And 100% legal to buy at retailers. Jaycar offer Lead and Leadfree with a $10 surcharge for the latter - no thanks.

[kevinlms]

6 hours ago, Dave John said:

I'd suspect the issue is flux rather than the solder itself. I have a lot of drums of standard 60/40 cored but I always use fluxite or bakers fluid, no issues  with brass kits or wire to ns rail. For electronics I make sure things are very clean and use it straight. Hot iron, 400 + deg. 

 

Very old reels can get a layer of grey (lead oxide ? ) on them. Just pull a length through a folded bit of emery, removes it. 

Even some kitchen paper roll to pull the solder through helps.

Remember any oxide, AKA dirt, is never going to improve soldering.

[jonhall]

I have a few rolls of my Grandfathers solder (that should last me until the middle of next century) since some of it is already 50+ years old I've found the outer layer on the roll has oxidised and is therefore rather prone to 'slag' like deposits, so I clean that off before use, and have wrapped the remainder in cling film to try and reduce air contact,

 

Jon

[Enterprisingwestern]

1 hour ago, jonhall said:

I have a few rolls of my Grandfathers solder (that should last me until the middle of next century) since some of it is already 50+ years old I've found the outer layer on the roll has oxidised and is therefore rather prone to 'slag' like deposits, so I clean that off before use, and have wrapped the remainder in cling film to try and reduce air contact,

 

Jon

 

Try a Kilner jar.

 

Mike.

[Multigauge]

Thanks for the comments folks

 

[RAF96]

If it does it takes a long time. I am still using a roll of multi-core I liberated from RAF stores in the mid 70s.