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6
Mastering the Art of Soldering
Most of the times, the solder wire also has a rosin core. The rosin core’s role is to help
eliminate oxides and dirt and to make the solder flow nicely on the component’s terminals
and pads.
Rosin Core Solder
There are four common types of rosin cores:
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R - Rosin: pure rosin with no activators, mildest
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RMA - Rosin Mildly Activated: contains mild activators
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RA - Rosin Activated: rosin with strong activators
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AC - Non Rosin Activated
The molted rosin is acidic and it is able to dissolve thin layers of oxides even without other
additives. We suggest that you usually use RMA, as it features a good balance of cost,
availability and cleaning performance.
There are two main types of soldering wires: tin-lead based soldering wire (SnPb) and lead-
free soldering wire. From a technical point of view, the lead-based soldering wire is the best
in terms of performance, as it has a low melting point and it flows nicely on other metals.
However, the lead-free soldering wires have gained traction mostly due to environmental
concerns, since they are environmentally clean. The lead based solders usually melt at
about 183 °C (361 °F). The lead free alloys have a higher melting point.
As a reminder, you should always take the necessary safety precautions presented in the
beginning!
3.4. The Desoldering Pump
As its name indicates, the desoldering pump is used for sucking the solder so that you can
desolder the electronic parts easier. The tip is usually made from a thermoresistant material.
In order to use the desoldering pump, press the piston, then place the desoldering pump tip
near the soldering joint and push the trigger button in order to suck the solder.
