Sal Ammoniac (WAS: [Elecraft] Hakko 808 tips)

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Steve, AA4AK wrote:
Although it has been a very long time since I've built a Heathkit, I'm 
pretty sure recalling that Heath had a disclaimer that both acid core 
solder or a soldering iron cleaned with sal ammoniac would void their
warranty.

It is enough of a concern that I would not use it on an Elecraft product 
unless Elecraft says it is OK.

As for the harm it might do, I note that another poster has addressed that.

----------------------------------

Thanks, Steve. I agree with your concerns. Elecraft makes specific solder
recommendations, and any deviation from those recommendations should only be
done with full knowledge of why certain solders are recommended.

I wasn't asking about the fumes! That's obvious. Indeed, rosin fumes should
not be inhaled either, and as long as we're using solder with lead in it,
ALWAYS wash your hands after handling it before picking up food! And wash
them anyway because lead migrates through the skin.

But the idea of a gas being able to contaminate a surface so that it's not
safe to use for soldering later, long after the gas has dissipated - that's
what I found odd. Normally the process of cleaning and tinning an iron does
not leave any trace of the cleaning agent on the tip after it's done, even
if liquids or pastes are used. Indeed, the whole idea is that all that
remains on the tip is a thin coat of solder. 

There are Sal Ammoniac based fluxes that are used in plumbing, and as others
pointed out they must NEVER be used for electronic soldering because the
flux stays active at room temperature! 

The beauty of rosin is that it is totally inert at room temperature. Indeed,
it's inert until it gets nearly hot enough to melt solder. So the rosin
cannot hurt anything (except the aesthetic sensibilities of those who hate
to see a little rosin residue) unless the circuit gets hot enough to melt
the solder. In that case, I suspect other component failures will exceed any
damage the hot rosin could ever do <G> 

Along that same line, there are some new fluxes sold specifically for
electronic use that are advertised at "no clean" that are also very
dangerous. These fluxes, like acid fluxes used by plumbers and the like,
remain active at room temperature. They are sold for use in mass production
where the boards are thoroughly washed after soldering to remove the
remaining flux immediately. Most of these fluxes are water-soluble so the
washing doesn't involve dangerous chemicals, but it's absolutely critical
that be done, and done thoroughly and properly. If not, the joints will be
eaten through by the flux after a few months, destroying the entire circuit
board. The message is that not all 'electronic' solders are safe to use on
the bench.

Personally, I stick with the lead/tin rosin-core solder, and I've got
equipment that I built half a century ago that still functions just fine. I
might make the transition, with care, to lead-free solder one day if leaded
solder becomes hard to find in the USA. We'll see <G>. 

Ron AC7AC