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Silver Soldering Teach Me

JohnnyAudio

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Feb 17, 2024
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An Elekit TU-8400 is on the way and it comes with silver solder.
I know how to lead/tin solder but have never silver soldered.
Please tell me what you know so I can do a good job.

Thank You!
 
Solder as before ... it is, at least, silver in low percantage besides long used soldering ingredients, so just go on.
 
My experience with silver solder (and lead free one) is that it does not flow so nice as the old good lead/tin one which I still use. You should try different solder tip temperatures for a good connection.
 
Assuming that it's 2% silver or thereabouts, no special techniques are needed. The silver is not intended to enhance the sonics, so much as prevent leaching from silver plated items such as diodes and switches.

My standard solder for new construction, or for servicing ROHS-era (~2005 and newer) items is this product from Sparkfun:
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10243
Need to remove the flux residue afterwards, but an old toothbrush moistened with denatured alcohol makes short work of it, and the results look fabulous.
 
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Just use regular solder. Throw away the silver solder.

The guy might be living in a nanny state like Australia which has banned regular solder because of lead. I find silver solder to be totally annoying, it is more difficult to melt, and it doesn't flow as well so I sometimes have to flux the joint.
 
The guy might be living in a nanny state like Australia which has banned regular solder because of lead. I find silver solder to be totally annoying, it is more difficult to melt, and it doesn't flow as well so I sometimes have to flux the joint.
Europe does also not allow lead/tin solder for products. Myself grew up with lead/tin and I have enough NOS for rest of my life. Silver solder did I use upon the wish of a friend who wanted this in a DIY phono MM preamp which I built for him. I don't use silver solder or lead free solder. With my Weller digital readout temperature setting I can very good adjust for proper solder joints.
 
Europe does also not allow lead/tin solder for products. Myself grew up with lead/tin and I have enough NOS for rest of my life. Silver solder did I use upon the wish of a friend who wanted this in a DIY phono MM preamp which I built for him. I don't use silver solder or lead free solder. With my Weller digital readout temperature setting I can very good adjust for proper solder joints.
Leaded solder feels easier to use
 
An Elekit TU-8400 is on the way and it comes with silver solder.
I know how to lead/tin solder but have never silver soldered.
Please tell me what you know so I can do a good job.

Thank You!
All of you convinced me to use lead/tin solder.
The silver solder that comes with the kit is made in Japan, like the Elekit.

Thank you all for the wealth of knowledge!
 
All of you convinced me to use lead/tin solder.
The silver solder that comes with the kit is made in Japan, like the Elekit.

Thank you all for the wealth of knowledge!
For health reasons, I would absolutely advise you against soldering with lead-containing solder. The fumes are poisonous and it is a really stupid idea to inhale something like that. Once there is damage, it is too late, unfortunately I know what I am talking about.

Lead-free solder is also of higher quality, as lead has a very high resistance. I have been soldering with lead-free solder for over 25 years and in the audio sector only with Sn95.8AgCu0.7, Sn95.5Ag3.8Cu0.65 or Sn95AgCu0.7. A good integrated flux is important.

You need a 30-40° higher temperature on the soldering tip and a soldering station that can replenish the heat quickly enough. Quality is more important than quantity here, my old Ersa Analog 60 was always sufficient, even with large capacitors and 6qmm cables. The right soldering tip is also important.

It is important not to be timid, make good contact with the component using the soldering tip and solder quickly.
The soldering points are more stable, have lower resistance and are more mechanically resilient.
 
For health reasons, I would absolutely advise you against soldering with lead-containing solder. The fumes are poisonous and it is a really stupid idea to inhale something like that. Once there is damage, it is too late, unfortunately I know what I am talking about.
I don't doubt your information and am interested in putting the details to sleep. I read that lead does not vaporize till ~1200F and so it is safe for soldering but the rosin is bad when soldering.
 
Hmmmz... I googled a bit about leads vaporization point and it is much higher than I thought.
Screenshot 2024-10-31 155759.png

and this states 900F fumes are released.
Screenshot 2024-10-31 160146.png
 
I don't doubt your information and am interested in putting the details to sleep. I read that lead does not vaporize till ~1200F and so it is safe for soldering but the rosin is bad when soldering.
Yes and no, but it's a little more complex.

First of all, you should never breathe in the fumes when soldering (keyword: extraction with carbon filter) and definitely not solder in the bedroom or kitchen, as the fumes also settle.

Lead alone would not evaporate, but as it is very finely dissolved in the tin, together with the flux, lead is also found in the fumes. Technically speaking, this is a fine abrasion that is carried along by the steam and not a process like evaporation.

You can also find the same abrasion of lead and tin as a slightly grey and silvery deposit on circuit boards, work environments and on your hands. This abrasion is absorbed by the skin because it is really very fine and we humans tend to touch our faces, e.g. eyes/mucous membranes, nose, mouth. This means that even more lead abrasion gets into our bloodstream.
But it gets worse. Many DIYers eat something casually without washing their hands thoroughly and touch the food, and it gets really bad with wet fruits like bananas or apples. When you lick your fingers, you get a full load of lead. Smoking and pulling the cigarette out of the pack by the filter beforehand or rolling it yourself is also great.

In workplaces where lead-containing solder is used, there are very strict regulations on occupational health and safety, so this kind of thing doesn't happen.
And that's exactly why DIYers, and not just in that area, poison themselves much more often.

Incidentally, this metallic abrasion is much less with lead-free solder, even on the hands.
 
Yes and no, but it's a little more complex.

First of all, you should never breathe in the fumes when soldering (keyword: extraction with carbon filter) and definitely not solder in the bedroom or kitchen, as the fumes also settle.

Lead alone would not evaporate, but as it is very finely dissolved in the tin, together with the flux, lead is also found in the fumes. Technically speaking, this is a fine abrasion that is carried along by the steam and not a process like evaporation.

You can also find the same abrasion of lead and tin as a slightly grey and silvery deposit on circuit boards, work environments and on your hands. This abrasion is absorbed by the skin because it is really very fine and we humans tend to touch our faces, e.g. eyes/mucous membranes, nose, mouth. This means that even more lead abrasion gets into our bloodstream.
But it gets worse. Many DIYers eat something casually without washing their hands thoroughly and touch the food, and it gets really bad with wet fruits like bananas or apples. When you lick your fingers, you get a full load of lead. Smoking and pulling the cigarette out of the pack by the filter beforehand or rolling it yourself is also great.

In workplaces where lead-containing solder is used, there are very strict regulations on occupational health and safety, so this kind of thing doesn't happen.
And that's exactly why DIYers, and not just in that area, poison themselves much more often.

Incidentally, this metallic abrasion is much less with lead-free solder, even on the hands.
Interesting. It's important we get this right and use the proper safety procedures and so I am going with your safety details because over ~3000F seems very high. My brother worked in a lead refinery with huge vats of molten lead, lots of lead dust and the associated fumes for many years and he would get leaded. When tested to be leaded he would receive weeks off from work on leave until his lead tests where within some kind of parameters. When leaded he would sleep for long extended periods. I grew up in that area and inhaled a lot of smog (Read: Thick sulphurous acid laden nasty air from the operations.) that made my lower teeth hurt from the fumes acquired when playing soccer etc and having high rates of respiration. They put in huge Dacron filter bags for the smokestacks and that helped a lot but the damage was already done to the surrounding area as was indicated by huge swaths of old dead forests with dried out trees with no leaves and no bark. Nothing grew on that land. So I appreciate your seriousness in this matter and think a proper warning should be provided here at ASR. :D
 
A good integrated flux is important.
In medical device field where things went into the body we used the lead free Kester brand solders and fluxes.
 
In medical device field where things went into the body we used the lead free Kester brand solders and fluxes.
I used lead free high temp solder and Kester flux in high temp downhole tools rated to ~177C calibrated and found the cooling time of the high temp lead free solder to be different than the usual 63/37 leaded solder. The high temp with SMD and wiring required a very careful approach and a steady hand to ensure the solidified result was not mottled too much and appear as if with microfractures<?>. I used a lot of flux to ensure the mission critical tools where as good as could be. I also used silver solder for very high current connections and found it to be even fussier than lead free high temp solder.
 
Much is right in the above writings. To make it clear, I do not recommend to use lead/tin solder, it was just my personal experience. Of course the work place must be cleared from fume with a ventilation to the outside. And general rule was and still is that handling with lead needs hand washing after and no eating in between. These rules were taught I think before WW2 already and a professional knows it.
Lead free solder may have a bit of less electrical resistance but I doubt that this will make any audible difference in audio circuits. One of the backdrafts is that with higher tip temperature a PC board like in the Elekit will be damaged if one has not good experience in soldering. So professionals differ from DIY kids.
 
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Lots of flux! I spread a lot of flux on the parts and the silver flows fine. I think it also has a higher melting point so watch you don't fry those delicate parts. Really this shouldn't matter as the solder is just meant to hold the pieces together, it's a poor conductor. The electrical connection should come from a solid mechanical connection between the parts. Silver solder also has a tendency to creep over time, I don't know the proper term, so it will form burrs from the solder point and could short the component if it grows too long.

And if you're soldering make sure to use a flux cleaner on the business when you're done.

Have fun!
 
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