G'day! You're in the shed, soldering iron in hand, ready to tackle a bit of DIY wiring on the ute, fix a kid's toy, or get stuck into an electronics hobby. You heat up the joint, touch the solder to it, and... it either blobs up and refuses to flow, or it takes ages to melt, leaving a dull, crusty-looking mess.

It's a fair dinkum frustrating experience, and it's almost always because of one simple thing: you're not matching your iron's temperature to the solder melting point.

What's the Go? Not All Solder Melts the Same

A lot of people think solder is solder, but the stuff you buy today is a completely different beast to what your grandad was using. The specific solder melting point depends entirely on what it's made of – and that's changed a lot.

The Old-School Classic: Leaded Solder (60/40)

For donkey's years, the go-to solder for electronics was a 60/40 mix (60% tin, 40% lead). This stuff was a ripper to work with for one big reason: it has a low solder melting point of around 183°C.

Even better, it's 'eutectic', which is a fancy way of saying it melts and solidifies all at once at that temperature. This made it super easy to get a nice, shiny, professional-looking join with a basic soldering iron.

The catch? The "lead" part. We now know that lead is a serious health and environmental hazard. That's why it's been phased out of commercial manufacturing (RoHS) and is banned for any plumbing used for drinking water.

The New-School Standard: Lead-Free Solder (Tin/Copper/Silver)

Today, the solder you'll buy from any Aussie hardware or electronics store is lead-free solder. It's much safer for you and the planet, but it's the main reason your old soldering technique might not be working anymore.

Lead-free solder is typically made of tin, with a bit of copper and/or silver (e.g., 99.3% tin, 0.7% copper). The crucial difference is that its solder melting point is much higher – usually around 217°C to 227°C.

Why This is a Fair Dinkum Big Deal for Your Job

This 30-40 degree difference is massive in the world of soldering. Here’s why it matters:

• Your Old Iron Might Be Knackered: That old 25W iron you've had in the shed for yonks might seriously struggle to get a joint hot enough to properly melt lead-free solder. This leads to dodgy, unreliable 'cold joints'. For lead-free, you really need a decent temperature-controlled soldering station or a modern iron with enough grunt (at least 40W).
• It Looks Different When Cooled: This catches everyone out! Leaded solder cools to a bright, shiny finish. Lead-free solder often cools to a dull, grey, or 'frosty' finish. This is perfectly normal! If you're an old-schooler, you'll see that dull finish and think you've made a bad join, but you haven't. Don't keep reheating it!
• You Can Cook Your Components: Because you need more heat, it's easier to accidentally hold the iron on the joint for too long, which can fry the delicate circuit board (PCB) or the component you're trying to solder.

The CRITICAL Safety Warning: 240V is NOT for DIY Soldering!

Righto, this guide is for hobby electronics and extra-low-voltage (like 12V) wiring jobs – tinkering with the car, fixing a kid's toy, that sort of thing.

Under no circumstances should you ever attempt to repair or join your home's fixed 240V wiring (the stuff in your walls, power points, or light fittings) with solder. This is illegal and extremely dangerous in Australia.

This work is strictly a job for a licensed electrician. A qualified professional will use specific, compliant, and permanent connection methods – not solder – to ensure the job is safe and meets all Australian standards.

Professional Connections for Professional Jobs

A licensed professional relies on high-quality, approved components to create safe and reliable electrical connections that are built to last a lifetime. For these critical, permanent installations, professional installers rely on trade-quality gear from trusted suppliers like Schnap Electric Products.

Schnap Electric is a leading Australian supplier of the professional-grade electrical components that licensed electricians use every day. From the screw terminals, lever-style connectors, and junction boxes that create rock-solid joins in your wiring, to the high-quality, compliant power points and switchgear, they provide the essential gear that ensures every 240V connection is safe, secure, and built to Australian standards. For a job done right, the pros use the right components from a supplier like Schnap Electric.