Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: Homebrew PCBs

I have been reading comments abut plating circuit boards and types of
fluxes used. I have always been told, and firmly believe that the only flux to
ever be used on a PC board is Rosin, and I have seen the corroded results
of plumbers solder. But remember I started before the Lead free solders,
so I don't have anything to say about those materials.

It has been years since I made PC boards, but for 55 years, I repaired
them.
The only solder I will use on any PC board, is about an .030 solder with a
rosin core. the small diameter is easy to handle, and control the amount of
solder being deposited. I will admit all of the solder I still use, and
still have is a LEAD based solder. I absolutely hated the non lead solder.
When I tinned the traces, I was usually repairing a broken or burned trace,
and would deposit a nice thick film of solder for the extra current
carrying ability.
At times I would drag a piece of Solder wick with my iron on the top and it
would leave a nice clean trace, as the wick filled up I would feed in more
wicking under the iron, at times I would have 1-2 inch piece of wick
saturated with solder.
If you want to use just plain copper braiding, flatten it, then drag the
braid across a piece of rosin, and it will absorb solder much better.
I would use a wedge shaped iron, and the results would be a nicely tinned
trace that was shiny, which is an good indication that it is clean.

Just a bit of thought from a 77 year old man. To show my age, I taught
all of the Fire control systems on the F-100, later I held a 2 nd Class FCC
license when it meant something, and passing that test was an indication of
your technical knowledge.
I had been working for years before CB's came out. It was an exciting
time, with Heathkit, Allied Radio, Lafayette, and many others all offering
kits. I have a Lafayette KT 320 4 band radio I built in Nov 1963 from a kit.
I was doing an alignment on it, when the first station came in with the
announcement of Kennedy's Assassination. What a shock, no more alignment that
day, stayed glued to that one station. PS, it still works.
Enough rambling,
oldman

But that was Then, and we are here Now.

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