Solder gauges, is 23 gauge small enough?

[plunger]

The smallest size I could find in the local electronics shop was 23 gauge .025". The manufacturer they carry only goes this low.
http://www.mgchemicals.com/products/4880.html

It'll be mainly for computer board type stuff. Is this thin enough or do I need to return and order some small 25 gauge or lower solder?

[IanB]

I rather suspect that will be fine. I have the MG Chemicals solder in both the 0.025" and 0.032" thicknesses and use both according to the size of the job.

It doesn't hurt to have a variety though, and if you ever need some really thin solder wire Radio Shack have some 0.015" silver bearing wire as part number 64-035.

[plunger]

I'm placing an order for lower gauges anyways and I'll keep the one I have also.

Kester 24-6337-0010
44 RA Solder Wire, .020" dia., Core Size-66 Sn63Pb37
https://www.all-spec.com/products/KW4400.html

[plunger]

Solder arrived. Now I have .40mm, .50mm and .60mm. $90 dollars worth of solder I bought in under a week 

[alm]

Solder arrived. Now I have 40mm, 50mm and 60mm. $90 dollars worth of solder I bought in under a week 

I was wondering if you took up plumbing, until I scrolled down and saw that you omitted a decimal .

[BravoV]

Kester 24-6337-0010
44 RA Solder Wire, .020" dia., Core Size-66 Sn63Pb37
https://www.all-spec.com/products/KW4400.html

Noob question, at it's description on above link "Shelf life: 3 years from DOM", just curious does this thing really degrades ?

I mean to what extend it will become so bad that become useless ?

[alm]

I would expect the flux core to degrade. Can't say I've ever had issues with old solder, but I haven't compared it side-by-side with new stock either. In the worst case you may have to add extra flux. This stuff is much less critical for hand soldering than industrial processes like wave or reflow soldering. With hand soldering you just apply the soldering iron for a few extra seconds, in an industrial process with a preset thermal profile you may get insufficient wetting on some joints.

[Psi]

Sometimes with really old solder you notice the color isn't normal, it's all dark and patchy.
But that's with like 20-30 year old stuff

[plunger]

I was wondering if you took up plumbing, until I scrolled down at saw that you omitted a decimal .

lol 50mm. No, I'm not fixing a bridge or plugging a sub 

[ciccio]

Sometimes with really old solder you notice the color isn't normal, it's all dark and patchy.
But that's with like 20-30 year old stuff

To day I used some 40 years old solder, found in a closet at a customer's lab.
It worked like a charm, the only thing was a very "aromatic" smell, that I cannot attribute to aged and degraded flux or to a different flux from the one I daily use.
I can understand that flux will degrade with age, but I don't know how the degradation process will act: if the more volatile parts will try to evaporate, how could they find a road for the outside world? Will gaseous parts pass through the wire's end? It's a long road.

[nukie]

I think 5-7 years for properly manufactured standard rosin core 60/40 no issues. I have a huge roll of unknown manufacture date, I have it for 7 years still works okay.