Used solder from desolder pumps, etc...

[eccerr0r]

What do you guys do with it?

Currently I've got all of my used solder that got sucked up from the desolder pump melted into a ball... It's about an inch in diameter now, maybe more. Since I dont desolder that much, and growth diameter would be the square or third root of how much solder I put on it, its growth is now very slow unlike when it was first conceived.

Basically when I clean out all the solder from the solder chamber I melt it together with the ball and round it off. Why I do this? I don't know...

Unfortunately this ball is probably a mixture of lead and leadfree solder, it's hard to tell what the mix percentage is. But it definitely has lead in it, hence I don't toss it in the trash.

I wish that someday I could just draw it back into wire and reuse it for fill solder if needed, as long as no more flux is needed.

[SteveNielsen]

Re: Used solder from desolder pumps, etc...

When I was a kid I saved used solder blobs and bits and reused it later because I couldn't afford to buy any.

[stj]

Re: Used solder from desolder pumps, etc...

Henry eats mine!

[eccerr0r]

Re: Used solder from desolder pumps, etc...

I don't know how I collect a significant amount of solder in the collection tube - it's not little drops, it actually is quite a bit, maybe it's just because I was parting a board or cleaning excess solder that there's so much collected in it.
Enough gets collected I need to remember to empty it before it clogs... and if it does clog I'd need to replace the collection tube which I have no idea where to get...

[clearchris]

Re: Used solder from desolder pumps, etc...

Twist, by hand, a thin drill bit through it. The solder will come right out.

[SteveNielsen]

Re: Used solder from desolder pumps, etc...

Liquid flux is easy to make for a little money. Violin rosin is well purified and when dissolved in IPA makes a very good liquid flux. Crush it and mix with IPA. It will completely dissolve into the alcohol within one to a few hours, depending on how fine it was crushed and how much alcohol was used. I haven't tried to make a paste with violin rosin yet.

[eccerr0r]

Re: Used solder from desolder pumps, etc...

The collection tube is about 6" long. Finding a 4" drill bit that's narrow enough is difficult (the 3/64" bits tend to be short...)

[stj]

Re: Used solder from desolder pumps, etc...

Liquid flux is easy to make for a little money. Violin rosin is well purified and when dissolved in IPA makes a very good liquid flux. Crush it and mix with IPA. It will completely dissolve into the alcohol within one to a few hours, depending on how fine it was crushed and how much alcohol was used. I haven't tried to make a paste with violin rosin yet.

there is a guy on ebay selling tins of russian rosin from poland *very* cheap for people to make flux.

[fbuth]

Re: Used solder from desolder pumps, etc...

Finding a 4" drill bit that's narrow enough is difficult (the 3/64" bits tend to be short...)

http://www.ohiodrill.com/vent_drills