Author Topic: How far does a 1 pound spool of solder go?  (Read 8136 times)

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Offline garage_logician

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How far does a 1 pound spool of solder go?
« on: Tue, 04 October 2016, 13:00:48 »
I bought a 1lb spool of the Kester 44 (63/37 .02) and was curious, approximately how many keyboards could one assemble with a 1lb spool?

Thanks!

Offline tjcaustin

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Re: How far does a 1 pound spool of solder go?
« Reply #1 on: Tue, 04 October 2016, 13:02:55 »
So many.  I bought a spool of .02 about 18 months ago and I'm only about a quarter through it.  My .031 lasted me a bit over 2 years, though.

Offline Charger

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Re: How far does a 1 pound spool of solder go?
« Reply #2 on: Tue, 04 October 2016, 13:03:45 »
I bought a 1lb spool of the Kester 44 (63/37 .02) and was curious, approximately how many keyboards could one assemble with a 1lb spool?

Thanks!
I feel like you are going to have a hard time finding someone that has gone through a full spool on just keyboards lol

Offline OfTheWild

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Re: How far does a 1 pound spool of solder go?
« Reply #3 on: Tue, 04 October 2016, 19:52:30 »
You'll also have to give a number of keyboards built over that 18 months too... I've had a 1lb spool of solder for 25 years, doesnt mean squat.

You could probably figure out an exact number if you took the following:
1. solder a pad and measure how long of a piece you needed to make a good joint
2. cut another piece off that is that size and weight it on a postal/kitchen scale. (too light? multiply your length, weigh, and then divide)
3. now you know how much each solder joint weighs... multiple by number of joints (2 per switch).
4. now you know how much each keyboard costs in weight from that 1lb spool... divide and win


So just a quick guesstimate would be i'm going with say 4" of solder per joint, guessing that weight (lead is heavy) at 1gram (paperclip weight). Google tells me at 208 joints/grams (full size 104 keyboard, no LEDs) thats .458 lbs.... so I would get 2 fullsized keyboards from a 1 lb spool of .031 
« Last Edit: Tue, 04 October 2016, 19:57:55 by OfTheWild »
-Dana

Offline Charger

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Re: How far does a 1 pound spool of solder go?
« Reply #4 on: Tue, 04 October 2016, 20:34:10 »

So just a quick guesstimate would be i'm going with say 4" of solder per joint, guessing that weight (lead is heavy) at 1gram (paperclip weight). Google tells me at 208 joints/grams (full size 104 keyboard, no LEDs) thats .458 lbs.... so I would get 2 fullsized keyboards from a 1 lb spool of .031
I cant tell if your guess is intended to be a joke or not but I would like to see someone use half a pound of solder on a single keyboard.

Offline hkf

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Re: How far does a 1 pound spool of solder go?
« Reply #5 on: Tue, 04 October 2016, 20:49:43 »
4 inches of solder per joint rofl that is actually hilarious

Offline tjcaustin

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Re: How far does a 1 pound spool of solder go?
« Reply #6 on: Tue, 04 October 2016, 21:13:30 »
You'll also have to give a number of keyboards built over that 18 months too... I've had a 1lb spool of solder for 25 years, doesnt mean squat.

You could probably figure out an exact number if you took the following:
1. solder a pad and measure how long of a piece you needed to make a good joint
2. cut another piece off that is that size and weight it on a postal/kitchen scale. (too light? multiply your length, weigh, and then divide)
3. now you know how much each solder joint weighs... multiple by number of joints (2 per switch).
4. now you know how much each keyboard costs in weight from that 1lb spool... divide and win


So just a quick guesstimate would be i'm going with say 4" of solder per joint, guessing that weight (lead is heavy) at 1gram (paperclip weight). Google tells me at 208 joints/grams (full size 104 keyboard, no LEDs) thats .458 lbs.... so I would get 2 fullsized keyboards from a 1 lb spool of .031

And you're trying to lecture me on "how many keyboards that is" and how my statement "doesn't mean squat" when you have 0 clue, but hey, be flippant.  A gram might be more accurate for an entire kb.  In that 18 months, I've put together at least 15 keyboards and around 1000 cables (which I'd call the equivalent of 4 switches soldered each.  4000 switches - just over 37 keyboards) and used less than a quarter pound.

I'd assumed, considering most of my business came from GH, it was common knowledge that I make cables, keyboards and the like and that the connection would be made that "Oh, 1 lb of solder must be a lot if the guy that sells keyboard assembly doesn't go through a quarter of that in a year"

Offline OfTheWild

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Re: How far does a 1 pound spool of solder go?
« Reply #7 on: Wed, 05 October 2016, 00:50:19 »
I'm simply giving an example of how one might go ahead and figure this out. How long you have used a roll is not a factor in how many boards you can solder using 1lb of solder. Don't be so sensitive. :rolleyes:



-Dana

Offline OfTheWild

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Re: How far does a 1 pound spool of solder go?
« Reply #8 on: Wed, 05 October 2016, 01:06:30 »
Ok I actually did the numbers with actual solder and actual joints and heres accurate numbers.

I averaged out 10 joints of Kester 63/37 .020 solder at about 2.5" lengths (65mm for you over there laughing in AUS) came out to .030oz of solder on my postal scale. So .003oz per joint x 208 joints in a fullsized board = .624oz per board
16 oz in a lb / .624oz per board = 25.6 boards per 1lb spool of Kester 63/37 .020 solder.

that look better?
-Dana

Offline suicidal_orange

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Re: How far does a 1 pound spool of solder go?
« Reply #9 on: Wed, 05 October 2016, 04:50:34 »
Your method is sound and 25 is definitely a better estimate than two :))  Only question is how accurate are your scales at low weight?  Any slight error will be magnified when multiplied...

To add to the problem of working out how many boards are you planning to just solder switches, or diodes as well?  What about LEDs (and resistors)?
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Offline Data

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Re: How far does a 1 pound spool of solder go?
« Reply #10 on: Wed, 05 October 2016, 06:24:38 »
2.5" of solder per joint?

Got damn!  :eek: I must be doing it wrong.

Offline Fictiouz

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Re: How far does a 1 pound spool of solder go?
« Reply #11 on: Wed, 05 October 2016, 06:33:06 »
2.5" of solder per joint?

Got damn!  :eek: I must be doing it wrong.

2.5" per 10 joints.
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Offline Data

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Re: How far does a 1 pound spool of solder go?
« Reply #12 on: Wed, 05 October 2016, 06:39:40 »
2.5" of solder per joint?

Got damn!  :eek: I must be doing it wrong.

2.5" per 10 joints.

Well that would make a lot more sense but that detail is totally not clear in his post.  It reads like the average per joint is 2.5" out of 10 total.  Or he went through 25" of solder in 10 joints.   :)

Semantics, I guess.  :P

Offline OfTheWild

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Re: How far does a 1 pound spool of solder go?
« Reply #13 on: Wed, 05 October 2016, 09:50:34 »
we're talking .020 sized solder... 2-2.5" of solder comes out looking like this:

Is that not what others get from .020? I'm guessing most people are using .031 or larger. Regardless, its the OP who should be doing this with his own process and figuring out the answer to his question. I dont think anyone that doesnt build boards for a living will go through a spool.

Update: I just soldered a ducky switch with LED and only used 2.5" for the whole switch (2 reflowed joints and LED contacts)... so double what I had initially estimated on the sentraq above. As with anything, your mileage may vary.
« Last Edit: Wed, 05 October 2016, 23:44:01 by OfTheWild »
-Dana

Offline OfTheWild

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Re: How far does a 1 pound spool of solder go?
« Reply #14 on: Wed, 05 October 2016, 10:01:00 »
Your method is sound and 25 is definitely a better estimate than two :))  Only question is how accurate are your scales at low weight?  Any slight error will be magnified when multiplied...

To add to the problem of working out how many boards are you planning to just solder switches, or diodes as well?  What about LEDs (and resistors)?

postal scale "should" be most accurate between .01 and 1oz weights thats why i balled up 10x what i was thinking would be used. I would say more accurate would be if i actually soldered 10 joints and measured what was used... or better yet soldered a whole board and weighed the spool before and after.
-Dana

Offline HoffmanMyster

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Re: How far does a 1 pound spool of solder go?
« Reply #15 on: Wed, 05 October 2016, 10:19:04 »
A 1 lb spool of solder will go a long way

I purchased this solder (qty unknown, but compare to this image from a google search of 1lb spools) from geekhackers two years ago, have assembled ~10 keyboards and other various devices, and have plenty of solder left on the spool.  As outlined in the geekhackers link, the flux in the solder has a shelf life of only 2 years, which is why the 1lb spool is generally massive overkill for a hobbyist.  The solder will almost certainly "go bad" before you consume it all.

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Re: How far does a 1 pound spool of solder go?
« Reply #16 on: Wed, 05 October 2016, 10:34:08 »
A 1 lb spool of solder will go a long way

I purchased this solder (qty unknown, but compare to this image from a google search of 1lb spools) from geekhackers two years ago, have assembled ~10 keyboards and other various devices, and have plenty of solder left on the spool.  As outlined in the geekhackers link, the flux in the solder has a shelf life of only 2 years, which is why the 1lb spool is generally massive overkill for a hobbyist.  The solder will almost certainly "go bad" before you consume it all.

It should have been ~1 ounce of solder, I bought mine 2 years ago, still have some left. Have worked on dozens of boards but soldered at least 6 completely.

Offline MandrewDavis

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Re: How far does a 1 pound spool of solder go?
« Reply #17 on: Wed, 05 October 2016, 10:53:10 »
At what point does solder "go bad"?
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Re: How far does a 1 pound spool of solder go?
« Reply #18 on: Wed, 05 October 2016, 10:57:32 »
At what point does solder "go bad"?

I would say it is more like it doesn't work as good, specifically with rosin core as it can degrade over the years. It has been mentioned in the past that kester rosin overtime will actually eat through the solder because it is so corrosive so YMMV.

See discussion on this page https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=42824.675

But it is like anyone thing else you'll have 5 people who say their sodler is 10 years old and works like new and 5 others who have only had their solder for 6 months complaining it spatters to much or is brittle.

Having said all that, my kester worked fine last time I used it and I've had it over 2 years not sure when it was manufactured but I tried using some MG Chemicals solder I'd bought off ebay and it was horrible so I'm assuming it was 'bad' due to age but it didn't have a date so no idea how old it was.
« Last Edit: Wed, 05 October 2016, 11:18:05 by SpAmRaY »

Offline Data

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Re: How far does a 1 pound spool of solder go?
« Reply #19 on: Wed, 05 October 2016, 16:40:06 »
I actually hadn't heard that about solder. It seems really strange for it to have a shelf life. Very interesting.