5 ms·

Flows better, cracks less, doesn't grow whiskers. On every dimension other than safety it is by far the superior product. Noticeably so, even with practice and

Flows better, cracks less, doesn't grow whiskers. On every dimension other than safety it is by far the superior product. Noticeably so, even with practice and good JBC irons. I recently made the jump to tin, so the difference is fresh in my mind. I have a bench full of uwave equipment from the 80s on account of the price being 1/10 to 1/100 of newer equivalents -- how much of it would still be alive if they had used tin solder? Would my hobby still be economically viable? Quite possibly not.

yjftsjthsd-h 9y ago
> how much of it would still be alive if they had used tin solder? Tin ages poorly?
- jjoonathan 9y ago
  "Tin whiskers" is the term to google. Makes for an especially visceral image search. There are many mitigation strategies, but lead was a miracle cure, and it will take substantial time and effort to approach its efficacy, especially on the multi-decade timescale. My guess is that companies won't bother. Reliability beyond planned lifetime impacts their bottom line negatively, if at all.
  - pault 9y ago
    Apparently there is a brewery named Tin Whiskers. I would like to meet the founder, I bet we would get along. :)
    - Stratoscope 9y ago
      Now I wish I lived near St. Paul! Not only is it named Tin Whiskers Brewing Company, but their beers have electric references in their names and schematic symbols for logos: https://twbrewing.com/beers https://twbrewing.com/beers I think my favorite names are Barrel Shifter Porter (an oak-aged porter) and Wheatstone Bridge (a wheat beer, of course). It's worth a visit to that page for anyone interested in clever product names and visuals. More background on their "Who are we?" page: https://twbrewing.com/who-are-we https://twbrewing.com/who-are-we They even use circuit boards for tasting flight holders.
  - yjftsjthsd-h 9y ago
    Link for the lazy: https://nepp.nasa.gov/WHISKER/background/index.htm https://nepp.nasa.gov/WHISKER/background/index.htm Eugh. Yeah, connections randomly bridging to their neighbors is a nightmare.

yjftsjthsd-h 9y ago

> how much of it would still be alive if they had used tin solder? Tin ages poorly?

jjoonathan 9y ago
"Tin whiskers" is the term to google. Makes for an especially visceral image search. There are many mitigation strategies, but lead was a miracle cure, and it will take substantial time and effort to approach its efficacy, especially on the multi-decade timescale. My guess is that companies won't bother. Reliability beyond planned lifetime impacts their bottom line negatively, if at all.
- pault 9y ago
  Apparently there is a brewery named Tin Whiskers. I would like to meet the founder, I bet we would get along. :)
  - Stratoscope 9y ago
    Now I wish I lived near St. Paul! Not only is it named Tin Whiskers Brewing Company, but their beers have electric references in their names and schematic symbols for logos: https://twbrewing.com/beers https://twbrewing.com/beers I think my favorite names are Barrel Shifter Porter (an oak-aged porter) and Wheatstone Bridge (a wheat beer, of course). It's worth a visit to that page for anyone interested in clever product names and visuals. More background on their "Who are we?" page: https://twbrewing.com/who-are-we https://twbrewing.com/who-are-we They even use circuit boards for tasting flight holders.
- yjftsjthsd-h 9y ago
  Link for the lazy: https://nepp.nasa.gov/WHISKER/background/index.htm https://nepp.nasa.gov/WHISKER/background/index.htm Eugh. Yeah, connections randomly bridging to their neighbors is a nightmare.