# Buying Electric Solder at the HD



## Bkubiak (Oct 20, 2013)

SO today I decide that I want to treat myself to one of those wiz bang wire stripping tools that cost 25.00 and pick up some electric solder at the same time, since all the solder and flux that I have is for plumbing work

off I go to the Home Depot and into the electrical department and I find the tool and grab it. Then I start to search for the solder, after 15 or 20 min of looking around an expert finally shows up and I ask the question, where is the electric solder, and he says we don't have it here, try the plumbing dept. they have solder.

So I go to plumbing and take a walk up and down the aisles, until I finally find solder, it's the same stuff I already have, so I seek out another expert and am told that I should try the electric dept, when I said I did and they sent me here he said, sorry and helped another customer. So I said screw it I am gonna buy some plants for our planter.

While out in the Plant dept I was seeking some 1 qt containers with flowering plants that we have that are not doing to well, could not find any and so I sought out an expert and she said we don't have any more of what you want but we do have a 6 pack of smaller plants that you can put in larger pots at home, So I grabbed a 6 pack of the correct color and a bag of potting soil and I mentioned the issue I had with the other two dept's trying to find electric solder and she said OH I know where that is, follow me and she said leave your cart here it will be OK and I did and I followed her all the way to the other side of the store to the dept that sells welding equipment and butane touch's and she points to a peg hook with, "you guessed it", "Electric Solder" with a resin core flux or something for 3.99

What a waste of time, if it was me running that store, I would have a peg hook of that stuff in the electric dept and also in the plumbing dept. and triple my sales of electric solder. 

So I went back to my cart and left with my new tool, my tube of electric solder, a 6 pack of plants and a bag of potting soil


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## fcwilt (Sep 27, 2013)

Ya' should of used the link I gave ya.


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

Ha ha ha, that's pretty funny. 'specialy the part about seeking out the experts.


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## riogrande (Apr 28, 2012)

I have a wiz bang, I guess, wire stripping tool I got years ago - it cuts wire on the end and has different size cut outs in the handle for stripping different size wire, comes in very handy. Last few weeks I'm in the phase of soldering wire to the rails of the upper yard and hopefully soon to the bus and will be able to start test running trains. I bought a Weller pencil style solder iron since my old Radio Shack 30 year old 30 Watter finally wasn't doing the job any more.


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## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

My Home Depot is 25 miles away. I go on line first to see if they have what I need in stock. When you click on an item that is carried in the store, it tells you what aisle and what bay it is located in. That saves me a lot of time.

Also, sometimes they don't have something in stock, but I can order it for store pick-up. Checking on-line saves me a wasted trip.


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## Bkubiak (Oct 20, 2013)

MtRR75 said:


> My Home Depot is 25 miles away. I go on line first to see if they have what I need in stock. When you click on an item that is carried in the store, it tells you what aisle and what bay it is located in. That saves me a lot of time.
> 
> Also, sometimes they don't have something in stock, but I can order it for store pick-up. Checking on-line saves me a wasted trip.


Mine is only two miles away but staffed by.........not experts, You can get I dunno, or not my Dept. or it 's in another dep't. it's hard to find that one or two people on duty that actually give a damn


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## Gwpapa (Dec 6, 2014)

Bkubiak said:


> Mine is only two miles away but staffed by.........not experts, You can get I dunno, or not my Dept. or it 's in another dep't. it's hard to find that one or two people on duty that actually give a damn


Lots of these stores have a very young workforce that don't even know what solder is used for. Most of the time if you can find an older worker they will help you. Thank goodness I know my way around and don't need their help.


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## riogrande (Apr 28, 2012)

Young and daft, thats what my wife says!


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Gwpapa said:


> Lots of these stores have a very young workforce that don't even know what solder is used for. Most of the time if you can find an older worker they will help you. Thank goodness I know my way around and don't need their help.


Most of the time, when I go to HD, I am the expert. On my last trip, I asked one of the whiz kids if they carried face frame, inside mount, 1/2" overlay cabinet hinges. He looked at me like I had two heads. The third guy he asked for help finally knew what I was talking about, and walked me over to the right aisle.... only to pick up, study, and hand me a pack of OUTSIDE mount, 1-3/8" overlay hinges. Sigh. Finally found the right ones after a couple more minutes of searching in the same area (various types of cabinet hinges were inexplicably separated from one another by various other hardware items).

Now granted, they have A LOT of inventory... but shouldn't they be required to know the basics before they are turned loose on the sales floor?


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## Bkubiak (Oct 20, 2013)

riogrande said:


> Young and daft, thats what my wife says!


My Brother refers to them as Young, Dumb and full of C__ and only one thing on their minds, you know


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

You're not the only one who has trouble getting what they want from HD. A very famous Texan has the same problem: http://youtu.be/LslP6YiOxEk it's the fourth one in, couldn't find it on separate clip.


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## Bkubiak (Oct 20, 2013)

Cycleops said:


> You're not the only one who has trouble getting what they want from HD. A very famous Texan has the same problem: http://youtu.be/LslP6YiOxEk it's the fourth one in, couldn't find it on separate clip.


The link does not work


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

Works fine for me, here it is again:http://youtu.be/LslP6YiOxEk


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## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

We have a HD and a Menard's MAYBE 1/8th of a mile from each other. I generally go to Menard's because I can never find what I want at the HD. Nothing against the store, I just can't find anything in there!:dunno:


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## Gwpapa (Dec 6, 2014)

flyboy2610 said:


> We have a HD and a Menard's MAYBE 1/8th of a mile from each other. I generally go to Menard's because I can never find what I want at the HD. Nothing against the store, I just can't find anything in there!:dunno:


That may be my problem. I've been there too many times and know where everything is. :stroke:


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## Bkubiak (Oct 20, 2013)

Cycleops said:


> Works fine for me, here it is again:http://youtu.be/LslP6YiOxEk


Funny as hell, all of it, the kid in the store was sorta what I was faced with


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

The best bet for resin core solder suitable for eletronic/electrical
uses is Radio Shack. We still have 3 or 4 here. Maybe there's
a survivor near you.

Don


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

I don't know if anybody realises but there seem to be two types of solder on the market. Increasing we are now being offered the ' sanitised' type with all the nasty stuff taken out but I can still get the old 'full fat' version down here coming from China. I have to say the latter performs rather better. Anybody else have any thoughts?


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

I would expect the "full fat" version to perform better, given that it contains lead. Unfortunately, melting the stuff may release lead vapors, which are known to cause brain damage.

I don't know about you, but I can't afford any more damage to the old noodle.


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## fcwilt (Sep 27, 2013)

Cycleops said:


> I don't know if anybody realises but there seem to be two types of solder on the market. Increasing we are now being offered the ' sanitised' type with all the nasty stuff taken out but I can still get the old 'full fat' version down here coming from China. I have to say the latter performs rather better. Anybody else have any thoughts?


Need more information. What do you mean by "sanitised"?

There are many kinds of solder formulations.

For example:

http://www.kester.com/products/product/44-Flux-Cored-Wire/

Even when you allow for all the different sizes listed you can see you have lots of choices - and this is just the Kester line of 44 flux products.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Tin/Lead is the "full fat" they speak of. Lead-free solder is the stuff that has less desirable characteristics when it comes to actually using it. 

I use 63/37 Tin/Lead rosin core solder, it's a eutectic material which means that it changes from a liquid to a solid at a single temperature, not a temperature range. This makes it easier to avoid cold solder joints by moving the parts as the solder solidifies. It's also has the lowest melting point of the tin/lead solder types at 361°F. 

Lead-free solder also is more brittle than tin/lead solder in common formulations.


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## fcwilt (Sep 27, 2013)

Thanks for the information.

I've never heard the term "full fat" before in relation to solder.

Doesn't exactly explain itself.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

fcwilt said:


> I've never heard the term "full fat" before in relation to solder.
> 
> Doesn't exactly explain itself.


I haven't either, but in context I knew what it must mean.


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

fcwilt said:


> Thanks for the information.
> 
> I've never heard the term "full fat" before in relation to solder.
> 
> Doesn't exactly explain itself.


I wouldn't have thought it's too much of a leap of imagination to know what's meant. Full fat foods and high lead solder = bad for you. 

As for 'sanitised' I did explain that in the same sentence. Come on, pay attention!


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## fcwilt (Sep 27, 2013)

"Full fat" (meaning high fat???) foods are bad for you? I refuse to accept that. 

Seriously though while for production lines the lead in solder can represent a real risk I don't think the small amounts you might be exposed to in this hobby are too much of a worry.

Particularly at my age.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

If I die from something, I suspect it won't be lead poisoning.


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## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

Leaded solder for years have I been using. It hasn't done not affected any me at all. Please me excuse, the purple dragons through the living room flying are they again. Catch them must I.:lol_hitting:


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## fcwilt (Sep 27, 2013)

flyboy2610 said:


> Leaded solder for years have I been using. It hasn't done not affected any me at all. Please me excuse, the purple dragons through the living room flying are they again. Catch them must I.:lol_hitting:


Like I said likely no problems and here we have some evidence to back that up.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> If I die from something, I suspect it won't be lead poisoning.


Dying doesn't scare me. Being alive without my full mental capacity does. Hence my fear of things like lead (I should probably quit eating paint chips!).


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Cycleops said:


> I wouldn't have thought it's too much of a leap of imagination to know what's meant. Full fat foods and high lead solder = bad for you.
> 
> As for 'sanitised' I did explain that in the same sentence. Come on, pay attention!


You were not out there in left field, my friend, as my response above shows. Perhaps all these people still using lead-based solder are more affected by it than they're willing to admit!


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## Bkubiak (Oct 20, 2013)

CTValleyRR said:


> You were not out there in left field, my friend, as my response above shows. Perhaps all these people still using lead-based solder are more affected by it than they're willing to admit!


Up through the eighties there was lead everywhere, gasoline, paint, water, solder, thermos bottles soldered with led solder, the air, remember the smog in California, exhaust fumes from leaded gas etc etc and on and on I think it takes rather large quantities to do any real damage. Just had a full cardiologist work up at 76 including running uphill on a treadmill at full speed and all she could come up with was that my co pay was 25.00, other then that I should live to be a 100 or at least until I send the 25.00 check


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Bkubiak said:


> Up through the eighties there was lead everywhere, gasoline, paint, water, solder, thermos bottles soldered with led solder, the air, remember the smog in California, exhaust fumes from leaded gas etc etc and on and on I think it takes rather large quantities to do any real damage. Just had a full cardiologist work up at 76 including running uphill on a treadmill at full speed and all she could come up with was that my co pay was 25.00, other then that I should live to be a 100 or at least until I send the 25.00 check


Yes, and it was only in the '70's and '80's that studies started to show what a real health hazard lead was.

While I'm glad your heart is healthy, what you've said is like saying "my car runs great, so I should have no trouble watering my lawn." The two are unrelated. To the best of my knowledge, lead has never been linked to heart diseasse. Rather it is linked to dementia and other neurological and mental disorders. Moreover, cardiacahealth can be improved, even at an advanced age, by lifestyle changes (diet, exercise, and sleep habits); neurological damage amd degeneration is generally permanent. 

My father quit smoking at age 53 after being told he would probably not live to 65 and made major improvements to his lifestyle. 23 years later, he succumbed to leukemia. With no history of it in the family, we have no idea what caused it.

Perhaps more importantly, exposure to environmental hazards results in an "increased incidence" of medical problems. In other words, not every smoker will get lung cancer or emphysema, but they're much more likely to.


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