Does the type of soldering flux used matter at all? I have a tube of this water soluble lead-free flux that came with some solder I bought and was wondering if it would be fine for use. I have checked to make sure that it is indeed for use on electronics and not plumbing or anything of that sort.
It is best to use 63/37 leaded solder and RA flux for easier use. But should cleaned with good flux remover or alcohol when finished.
A couple reasons why 63/37 is recommended (to my knowledge. please correct me if i am wrong)
- It has the lowest melting point, so you don't have to heat up the pcb too much.
- Its 'wetting' temperature range is the narrowest, so you are less likely to mess up your solder job if you are not careful. [
ref]
- The solder recommended has a rosin core, so you don't have to worry about flux at all. Other than cleanup...
In contrast, a lead free solder is much harder to work with because it requires a much higher temperature and has a larger wet temperature range.