[Nospam]

For those of you looking for silver-bearing solder,here's the best price I've seen for the Kester 44 version (62% Tin, 36% Lead, 2% Silver).

Their part number is: TMT-09-02018

This is for a 1 lb roll.

With tax and shipping, it came out to roughly $30.

 

[tct823]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nospam /img/forum/go_quote.gif For those of you looking for silver-bearing solder,here's the best price I've seen for the Kester 44 version (62% Tin, 36% Lead, 2% Silver). Their part number is: TMT-09-02018 This is for a 1 lb roll. With tax and shipping, it came out to roughly $30.

Best

 

[Tokenganjaclan]

There is an ebay seller who sells the same stuff for $10.50 plus 6.95 shipping.
That's his all day price, well it's $12 or best offer. His best offer is automated so it's will come back $10.50

 

[FS2]

Nice find. But I shudder to think what international shipping would cost, if they even offer it.

 

[JamesL]

Has anybody compared silver-bearing solders with the more standard 63/37 eutectic alloys?

The small percent of silver is supposed to help when soldering silver, or silver-plated leads/wires, but if that isn't the case, I wonder if the standard 63/37 makes a better solder joint.

 

[FS2]

Nope, but what I have heard is the silver in the solder helps against leaching of the silver from the plated stuff into the solder which weakens the joints.

I've also heard that silver solder is harder than regular stuff, but IIRC that was for a tin-silver mix and not tin-lead-silver. The big advantage of 63/37 is it melts at a single temp, unlike 60/40, which can lead to a better joint if the two parts to be soldered might shift while the 60/40 stuff was solidifying.