A solder question for real techs

if it's real old I remove the old and replace it with new. occasionally there will be an absolute mess of flux that I scrape off first, then apply the new. I'm particularly OCD when it comes to neckboard components, especially the color drive transistors lol.

otherwise remelt old+add new usually is good enough.
 
If the solder looks new but poorly applied (which I tend to see on some chassis repairs after an inexperienced person attempted a cap kit), I'll just reflow and maybe add a bit of solder.

When dealing with 20+-year-old cold solder joints, I remove the old solder then apply new solder. Sometimes I have to add a touch of new solder to get the old solder to melt first. And sometimes the lead is tarnished from the overheating that caused the cold solder joint, and I need to polish it up before the new solder will adhere...
 
When doing surface mount I use a small ball of solder on the tip of the iron and some liquid rosin flux to reflow what is already there but add a bit more.

As for regular solder it depends on the condition. Old crusted solder gets removed. Clean looking solder just gets resoldered with a bit added. If there's already plenty of solder there then I just hit it with a bit of liquid flux and reflow what is there.

RJ
 
yeah, melt the existing solder and dump some new stuff at the same time.

I've generally done this unless the solder just looks wrong or something then I remove most of it. Generally don't completely remove all of the old solder unless it is trashed or something just went nuts.

I will say I don't do that much soldering anymore. Even when I did it in the past most of it was replacing ports on computer boards(mostly notebooks).
 
When in doubt, remove the old solder and replace it with new. Solder is cheap, said the guy who just ran himself out of solder the other day.
 
When in doubt, remove the old solder and replace it with new. Solder is cheap, said the guy who just ran himself out of solder the other day.

BAAAAAHAHAHAA... I got enough to last me 10 years. :D
 
I usually throw some flux on the joint and hit it with the iron. Makes the joint as good as new.
 
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