[Karinochka]

Alright... you've all been warned in the title - major bitching to follow!

I use Tin/Lead solder in my electronics work. About 10 years ago, I laid in a good supply (about 10 or 15 one-pound rolls) at an average cost of about $7 per pound. Well... you guessed it... I burned through my last roll on Friday, I have just a few feet left... so I went online to price out another few pounds.

HOLY ^#%€£##%!!!!!

The average going rate right now is about $45-60 per pound!

I did a bit of digging, and found out that due to BS "environmental" regulations, solder containing Lead is now pretty much illegal/phased out in China and Europe, and production is being phasing out in the U.S. accordingly. As a consequence, the price is skyrocketing, and the "lead-free" solders that have replaced it are all total crap from the reports I'm reading, and most of those contain silver and/or rare earth elements so they are even more expensive than the Lead-containing solder they're replacing! Hoarding/stockpiling of Lead-based solder is on the rise as a consequence.

FUCK!!! How the hell's a guy supposed to make a living in this completely retarded clusterfuck of an environazi "civilization "?

I'll be buying about $200 worth of solder on Tues... the cheapest brand/type I can find... probably the last I'll be able to find/afford...

To hell with 'em! I am pissed pissed Pissed PISSED PISSED!!!!!

[gimffnfabaykal]

How about mixing your own?

[Karinochka]

How about mixing your own?

Not possible... I need fine-gauge flux-core solder, NOT a do-it-yourself proposition.

[Precturge]

Lead has Always been the OTHER precious metal.

[janeemljr]

you want some wine to go with the bitching ... you kidding right about the price , dam that high

[6Rexw51X]

I have been using the solder that is lead free but been pre-treating with a lead flux solder compound. Not sure about any benefits on electrical circuts, my son says it's fukt but with it I can make prestine solder connections so far.

[Mappaindy]

...you kidding right about the price , dam that high

Mick, I wish I was kidding... check this shit out:

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...name=KE1109-ND
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...name=KE1303-ND
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...name=KE1400-ND

Here's a "cheap" one:

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...name=82-119-ND

[oxixernibioge]

Not possible... I need fine-gauge flux-core solder, NOT a do-it-yourself proposition.

http://www.alltronics.com/cgi-bin/it...ad-Free-Solder

Alltronics has 1/2 pound, i think it's resin core, for $18. not sure if that's a good deal.


i used to sell pound rolls of solder at the flea market for $5.

makes me wonder if i should collect the solder off old circuit boards. never thought of it as valuable but JEEZ !


the US government & their environmental protection laws. it's not like they give a hoot about the environment - or our health. they're spreading depleted uranium around the Iraqi countryside by the hundreds of tons. they put rat poison (sodium fluoride) in public drinking water.

must be some other motivation. such as control.

when i was younger i used to love the smell of rosin coming off the end of a soldering iron. sort of like "geek incense".

[funnyPasds]

FUCK!!! How the hell's a guy supposed to make a living in this completely retarded clusterfuck of an environazi "civilization "?

...YOU AREN'T...

...but you already knew that!

really drives the point home though, don't it?

[Karinochka]

http://www.alltronics.com/cgi-bin/it...ad-Free-Solder

Alltronics has 1/2 pound, i think it's resin core, for $18. not sure if that's a good deal.

That's still around $35 per pound, and it's "lead-free" solder... which based on the reports I've been reading needs a hotter iron, tends to de-laminate the PCB, doesn't "flow" as well, and often results in "cold solder joints". No thanks... I'll find a decent price on some Leaded stuff somewhere by Tues.

BTW, I also enjoy the Rosin smell...

[Anavaralo]

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/21-1845&t=1

Larger gauge tho.

[Mappaindy]

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/21-1845&t=1

Larger gauge tho.

Thanks... I'll probably pick up a pound or two of that.
I typically use 0.015-0.020" diameter though, so you're right - the stuff you found is a bit "thick" by comparison!

[janeemljr]

Gaillo, I smell an opportunity.

If you could get lead cheap, by the 1000's of pounds...how can you turn that lead into $45 a pound solder?

Basically, how do you make the solder? If we could figure out how to turn cheap lead into solder, we could make a killing.

if you have the money to set up all the tooling you would need it would be ok

[Anavaralo]

Thanks... I'll probably pick up a pound or two of that.
I typically use 0.015-0.020" diameter though, so you're right - the stuff you found is a bit "thick" by comparison!

Smt?

Surface mount?

[Savviioor]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SN60-PB40-1-...item4aaaf2eed8

ten available at $16 a roll ... 1 lb rolls .023. Don't know if it is rosin core though but would suspect it is.

The only other place I would suspect you could beat the price is any hamfest.

[enencephoth]

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/produc...151-2-/21-1106

http://www.futureelectronics.com/en/...ro:10,Nea:True

[Karinochka]

Smt?

Surface mount?

Yep. Usually nothing finer than SOIC, but I occasionally do a bitch of a QFP or two... getting too old and shaky for that shit!

[Karinochka]

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/produc...151-2-/21-1106

http://www.futureelectronics.com/en/...ro:10,Nea:True

Still $38-$55 per pound!

[Anavaralo]

Yep. Usually nothing finer than SOIC, but I occasionally do a bitch of a QFP or two... getting too old and shaky for that shit!

Steady hands and working under mag, did it for years. Bracing hands helps.


Edit: To add , solder wick is your friend!

[Karinochka]

Edit: To add , solder wick is your friend!

Couldn't function without the stuff... which reminds me, I'm running low on that too... I'm almost afraid to check what THAT's priced at these days - it was never cheap to begin with!