[TR] anti-rusting rubber dip?, driveway cleaner?

[triumph at 2simpleusa.com]

I think you created you own version of killed spirits (Zinc Chloride) flux, which works well (in both home grown and commercial versions) as an acid based flux for soft soldered joints.  

Flux is intended to assist in the cleaning process and to reduce the risk of oxidization of the joint being soldered.  Acid flux is more agressive than the Rosin-based flux in that role, so it does help the novice make the joint more easily ... however, the acid flux leaves an acidic residue on the joint.  Not a problem if you can just pick up the assembly and bung it in a big water tank and wash thoroughly  .... there really isn't any easy way of washing of that residue under your dash.

Electrical solder is Rosin cored so that it behaves benignly after soldering: there is no need to do anything more.

I think you may be storing up a problem that will reappear after a few months, when you have experienced some humid and damp days ... just wait for the gauge gremlins .... don't ask me how I know!!!!

Tony Gordon

>  -------Original Message-------
>  From: dorpaul <dorpaul at bellsouth.net>
>  Subject: [TR] anti-rusting rubber dip?, driveway cleaner?
>  Sent: Jul 09 '08 18:57
>  
>  My soldering is very bad plus I've been told that wiring in  cars ought not be
>  soldered.  Soldering does not allow minute vibrations of the connection thus
>  yielding broken wires.  However, on a particular connection on the back of my
>  console, I resorted to soldering 'part' of the wiring on a connection.
>      First, I used a tiny amount of (driveway cleaning grade) muriatic acid
>  poured over galvanized sheet metal (for the zinc).  This reaction gives off a
>  dangerously fuming boil, but it will clean metals allowing the soldering to
>  work.  Most likely, this is not a preferred method, however, it worked!  The
>  problem now is that the tiny steel/brass terminal looks like it will rust.
>  Although this may not happen to the brass, I was wondering if coating a
>  connection with 'rubberized dip' will halt the rusting?
>      I later made up another quart-size batch of muriatic acid/galvanized metal
>  solution.  When it  began the rolling boil-like-reaction, I threw it on a
>  portion of the driveway which was completly rust and oil stained.  I was
>  amazed at the brand new appearance of this section of the driveway and plan to
>  do it on a larger scale soon.  It might work slightly better if one threw it
>  on wet pavement, but I haven't tried that yet!
>  
>  Thanks, Paul