Correct solder to use when replacing parts

[Bortron]

I'm considering replacing the pickup and pots in my Sire P5R and Squier Jazz '54, but I've never soldered anything in my life. There are loads of decent soldering kits out there, but most of what I see online in terms of the solder itself recommended a 60/40 tin-lead mix with a rosin core.

Is that absolutely vital to getting the best soldering joints? Finding any with lead content in the UK seems to be tricky.

I also want to get plenty of practice in before ever attempting to solder pickups and pots, so if anyone has any easy practice tips then let me know!

 

[ardgedee]

Finding any with lead content in the UK seems to be tricky.

The US (maybe also Canada, not sure) is much more slack regarding lead content in consumer products than Europe and the UK are, so most English-language advice about soldering advocates lead solder. I wouldn't mind if the rest of the world caught up with the EU in this respect because lead is insidious stuff, but this is how things are right now.

There are decent and not-overly-expensive lead-free solders available these days which are easier to work than older products. Hopefully somebody can chime in because I don't have first-hand knowledge of what's current.

Principally what you want is solder intended for electronics. Solder for plumbing and other purposes can damage electronics.

Learning how to cleanly remove solder from joints is as important a skill as learning how to make clean solder joints, so be sure to practice both.

 

[Aloe]

not that vital, but leaded solder is easier to work with. 63/37 is easier to work with than 60/40.

if you’re planning to solder to the back of pots, a 60w iron worth it over lower powered ones. a soldering station with a temperature setting is a step up.

practice a bit before re-working your instrument. get a pot or a switch and a couple of wires. strip, tin and solder in the wires, verify they won’t tear off. then solder them off, clean the pot/switch, not destroying it with overheating.

 

[Aloe]

p.s. also please note that some asian instruments are drilled for metric pots (slightly smaller holes than common pots use), so you might need to widen the holes so the new pots fit. I’ve had to do it on a Yamaha and an Ibanez.

 

[Phreaky Phriday]

Avoid lead whenever possible, long term health is much more important than a slightly easier soldering joint

 

[Gopherbassist]

Use leadless. You don't need lead in your lungs.

 

[Thumpin6string]

I only use leaded solder. Seen too many joint failures with lead free. I also keep a jar of rosin handy. It helps getting stubborn old solder to melt and helps with tinning wires.

 

[tubedude]

Use leadless. You don't need lead in your lungs.

Lead is heavy and doesn't fume. After soldering you should wash your hands well though. The danger is the halogenated gasses in the burning flux. Use respiratory protection with all solders. Exhaust fan/filters are advised.

 

[Ekibnur]

Leadless solder is a bit trickier to use, so practice a little. It works fine though, especially for these kinds of products. Like tubedude said though, there's a lot of other hazardous stuff involved, so when you're working wear respiratory protection and work in a well ventilated area. I installed a fume hood in my garage workspace to do electronics work and it's been much nicer than the old machine shop days with crap everywhere.

 

[ardgedee]

Use leadless. You don't need lead in your lungs.

The danger of lead during the soldering process is the accidental ingestion that can eventually occur after you get lead on your hands and then touch other things. Soldering temperatures are far too low to evaporate lead. The flux/rosin does aerate, though, and that stuff is toxic after heating.

The main concern about lead is the long-term exposure risk after the fact. Once that joint is soldered you've got lead exposure potential for years and decades.

 

[Ostie]

There are previous posts about soldering on TB. I would read them because there is a lot of good info there.

 

[mikecd1]

Precautions with lead are well founded and for me the biggest difference working with unleaded solder is that you need to use more heat so I prefer being careful and using the leaded solder. Some components can be ruined with too much heat so there are various things to consider to do the job safely and also correctly.

 

[S-Bigbottom]

Purchase and use Rosin FLUX on the surface. This is something a lot leave out and especially for beginners it makes a big difference.
Even if you got the Rosin core that has flux in it. Use Flux.

 

[Jay2U]

Lead isn't a requirement. A good tin solder with flux (rosin) core will do the job. I've been soldering for over 50 years.
First practise with some copper wire.
Be sure te clean surfaces before soldering.

 

[logdrum]

ROHS certified Lead free -- is fine plus why not do something good for the environment. , just get a Weber or Hako that can do 450 or so. You'd work faster too even if you insist with lead. Flat tips work well on soldering pots.

 

[1String]

It's generally discouraged to use lead free solder to repair a lead joint and vice versa. Bad metallurgy, so ... to answer your question, in theory, the correct solder to use for your "repair" depends upon what kind of solder is already there. In practice it probably makes little difference except for perhaps, as others noted, the higher temperature needed for lead free solder increases the risk of destroying parts if you've never soldered before. Not glue, it's MOLTEN METAL!

 

[ardgedee]

It's generally discouraged to use lead free solder to repair a lead joint and vice versa. Bad metallurgy, so ... to answer your question, in theory, the correct solder to use for your "repair" depends upon what kind of solder is already there.

There is no lead solder in those basses, otherwise they could not have been legally sold in Europe/UK within the past 20+ years.

 

[Paul New]

Soldering was often a big part of my job, and sometimes I spent multiple weeks of 12 hour shifts doing nothing but soldering and always with lead soldderr, annd miy mentill heeelth izaz gguung ass anyhbdools hiihbbvvx

 

[tubedude]

The danger of lead during the soldering process is the accidental ingestion that can eventually occur after you get lead on your hands and then touch other things. Soldering temperatures are far too low to evaporate lead. The flux/rosin does aerate, though, and that stuff is toxic after heating.

The main concern about lead is the long-term exposure risk after the fact. Once that joint is soldered you've got lead exposure potential for years and decades.

For contact though, not the lungs. And contact should rare, only be when you're inside fingering the board.

 

[MovingPitchers]

If you're worried about damaging the pots with the heat from the soldering iron, don't. Potentiometers can take a massive beating and will still work. Obviously there's a limit but a normal soldering session won't destroy the parts at all.