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I keep seeing people use the wrong solder for basic board work

For the last month, I've been fixing a stack of old game consoles from a local shop, and I keep finding the same bad repair. Someone used plumbing solder, the thick stuff with acid core, on the main boards. It eats through the traces over time. I found three Sega Genesis units with green crust around the joints and dead power sections. The shop owner said a guy did them cheap about two years ago. You need the thin rosin core solder, 60/40 or lead free, for electronics. It flows right and doesn't damage anything. Has anyone else run into this, and how do you explain it to a customer without sounding like you're just knocking the last guy?
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2 Comments
pipergonzalez
But @miles_roberts22, maybe that crust just means the solder formed a protective seal.
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miles_roberts22
Show them the green crust, it explains itself.
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