A couple of months ago or so,there was a light discussion of the pros
and cons of paste solder. There were it’s advocates and opponents. As
one who has recently ( a couple of years) begun to use paste solder
for certain applications and like it, I also know it can be a pain
sometimes. Early on I was told not to buy more than I could use in 6
months,because it tends to get old and somewhat hard and stiff.
Stubborn as I am, I bought too much. It has lasted about two years
and is just now beginning to get stiff and hard to press out of the
syringe,requiring two hands and thumbs.Stubbornly refusing to discard
it and admit that I should have listened better, I just had to find a
way to bring some life back into it. I have a very small travel type
hair dryer that I keep in the shop for various uses,and I thought
,“what if I heat it slightly,just prior to using it,would it soften
it without harming it or making it useless?” Like a charm. I applied
light pressure on the syringe as I heated it,as soon as I felt the
paste “give”, I removed the heat. It came out of the syringe just
like the day I got it,with light pressure, and it melted and flowed
perfectly.
Just thought I might not be the only
one, hope this helps someone, best to all John Barton, Images By JJ