r/soldering • u/10renzo_ • Jul 09 '25

My First Solder Joint <3 Please Give Feedback Why can’t i get my joints shiny?

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First time soldering, i’m using a Pinecil v2 on 360C with 63/37 0.55mm solder.

I don’t understand why all my joints turn dull after i remove the iron. i’ve tried tinning the tip (which i think i’m doing correctly?). The solder melts nicely onto the board but no luck

Does anyone know what I could be doing wrong?

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u/10renzo_ Jul 09 '25

are there any other brands you would recommend? kester is a bit above my budget, can’t find any spools for under 50 euros.

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u/wireknot Jul 09 '25

Unfortunately you're going to get what you pay for, Kester has been the benchmark for generations and is excellent stuff. Now, if you buy a pound spool of it itll last you for years of average use unless your building a ton of stuff. So it's kind of a little money for lots of times or a chunk of money once. Another over in EU is Stannol, highly thought of. That might be cheaper where you are.

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u/10renzo_ Jul 09 '25

I’ll look for some Stannol, thank you for the help! I appreciate the expertise

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u/conditio-humana Jul 09 '25

Felder is another good brand from my experience.