Leaded solder vs non leaded solder

[bnw]

I'm going to try my hand at this and get one or the other from Eastwood. Any thoughts on this will be appreciated. Much more bang for the buck with the leaded solder kits.

 

[RonR]

It depends on what you are going to solder.

The reason lead-free solder is more expensive is because it contains silver.

 

[Andrew Mace]

It depends on what you are going to solder.

The reason lead-free solder is more expensive is because it contains silver.

For autobody work, the "lead free" solders are an alloy of tin, copper and zinc.

For example, here's a Technical Bulletin on the topic from Johnson Manufacturing Company.

 

[bnw]

Thanks for the TSB. Johnson seems to like it alot. Anyone have any experience using either one? Having used plenty of plastic in the spare tire compartment and the body tub, I'd prefer to "lead" the external rust repairs.

 

[TR3driver]

I have not tried it for body work, but I found lead-free to be significantly harder to work with in plumbing applications. You can make a good joint with it, but the copper has to be very clean and the lead-free solder doesn't seem to wick into the joint or spread as easily as the old lead/tin did.

 

[Deleted member 8987]

And, lead-free takes a whacking amount more of heat...and, it's brittle when done. That is why Aerospace (and NASA) have an exemption (or did) from mandated use of lead-free solders.
I won't use the stuff.

 

[AEW]

Just my opinion.... I found lead repair harder than it looks, and that was with bars of the real thing. (I came across a few old bars of body lead in a forgotten box) I tried to level out a small ding around the scuttle vent on the 57. I watched a bunch of internet videos on how it's done but still couldn't get acceptable results. Even when I could get the temperature right to paddle it out I was not comfortable that the 'tinning' under the leaded area was 100%. The final smoothing now is just Featherlite on that spot, and Metal to Metal (from Eastwood) on a few other places on the car where a really hard material seemed needed.

 

[Deleted member 8987]

My neighbor taught himself how to do it for his 41 Lincoln.....not easy at all. My Jag used it to smooth seams and overlaps, and it always fails (MK2's, worse spot always seems to be upper LH corner of grille). Jag restorer's tell me when you strip the paint, use a torch, melt it all out and use spot filler.

 

[dklawson]

I have done a few lead repairs on various cars. It does require patience and I have only used body solder with lead. I reserve the use for areas where the repair needs to flex a bit. In most locations I just use plastic filler.