I would suggest getting 63/37 solder as it has no plastic (semi-solid) state and so is less prone to "cold" joints.🤓

Hi, your soldering job looks great, well done. What I have found with soldering, as with brazing etc as well, is cleanlyness of the components is paramount. Also, if you tin both parts, put in place, and apply the heat it will flow nicely. Not sure on the age of solder so I suppose if it doesn't work when all parts are clean then it looks like a bin job. Cheers Ian

Beautiful work Greghiltz
Here is some of my soldering, now painted.
Little push tug has a mile of ladders and rails.

I will look into Antex, thank you
😎

You can't go wrong with an Antex they are available in lo voltage or mains and are well supported.
https://www.antex.co.uk/store
Not sure on US distribitors.

Thanks to everyone for some interesting replies.

Yes, many of the small parts on my ships, ie. railings are made of brass and soldered with a small butane torch. That almost always works. I use soldering paste, which is as old if not older than the solder (50 years?) My favorite soldering iron is also ancient, I would like a new tip but the old one is not coming off. If it ever had a name that is long gone. ( may have been a Radio Shack) I have a couple of cheap soldering irons that I picked up here but there they are not as good as the ancient one with the rotting and stuck tip.😀😀
Does anyone have any suggestions for a new one? Anyone think I need fancy variable temperature electronic job? 🤓

Couple tips from an old school solder guy who loves to work in brass -Your very old dollar is probably the best quality actual soldervyou have and is simply oxidized from age and exposure to the elements. Just run it through a piece of Steel Wool before use, and make sure your work pieces are very clean. I also use plumbers acid flux Padre even on Rosin core solder.
Much of newer solder is Chinese, and foes not work well, requires high heat and Soper clean surfaces.
I dare sayvi have over 20 brands and types of solder, and often need to try a couple for it to flow properly. It is very important to use a very high capacity electric soldering gun, not a pencil type 30 - 40 watt jobbing, use a good 120 to 140 watt one, or a good micro torch, as you really need to heat the fluxed mating surfaces to allow the solder to flow directly to the surfaces.
Hoping this helps , and ask away with further questions if wanted.
Couple photos to justify my credit.

How old is your soldering iron tip, I find they age a lot quicker than solder. Like others I have many reels left over from my father, which I still use with no problem. Is the iron is too hot, it can cause the solder to ball up, as can a contamonated tip, like when someone has used it to melt plastic or burn wood!!!😊

Hi I use rosin cored solder mainly for electrical connections, but I also use solder paste which I find very good for most other jobs. For railing for example I apply the paste with a tooth pick then heat with a soldering iron. On almost every other job I apply the paste and heat with a butane gun. I have achieved great results using this method. I use only lead based solder paste purchased via Aliexpress, but you can get lead free. When browsing the cheaper lead free paste seems to come up first but you will find the lead based product if you look.

When my Dad passed, I found rolls upon rolls of partially used solder in his tools and supplies. Many of them at last 60-70 years old (I remember them from my youth).

I'm successfully using them still. I went out and bought a small container of fresh paste flux, and use it on everything before soldering (I was taught to do that anyway).

Like has been mentioned, if anything goes bad it is the flux core. The lead alloy doesn't age.

Dave B

Get a tin of Bakers Fluid flux...

Yes rosin can get old, but I am using stuff that is 10-15 years in an open container right now and it works fine.
If your solder is balling up than I would make sure that the pieces you are trying to solder are really clean. I use a fine, 180-220 grit sanding stick on my pieces and then wipe them with lacquer thinner to clean them. Don't use fingers to handle them after that. Also. be patient and make sure that the pieces are heated sufficiently. One way to do that is to tin each piece before you put them together. Then heat themwhile they are joined.

Sticker Shock!!!! The price of solder is out of this world.
So maybe finding some liquid rosin flux may be the answer.

Also the newer lead free, no clean, or water clean type solders may require a higher temperature soldering iron.

Good luck,
Chris

Yes, the flux in solder can get old and not have the wetting action which makes the solder ball up and yield cold solder joints.
Throw your old stuff away, and get some new fresh solder.

You can purchase rosin solder flux on its own, but it is probably more expensive that route, then just investing in new rosin core solder.

Chris