DIY

What is solder made of?

Dave Farquhar DIY
What is solder made of?

Solder is a mixture of relatively low melting point metals, designed to melt at a lower temperature than metals like copper. This allows you to join components, providing a strong chemical bond that is electrically conductive. So what is solder made of? It’s made of a special mixture of metal. Frequently it also contains a core with chemical additives to make it easier to work with.

The precise formulation of both the solder alloy and the core varies depending on the application. But, generally speaking, solder is made of an alloy of low melting point metals.

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What flux is made of

Dave Farquhar DIY
What flux is made of

Flux is a chemical compound that makes soldering much easier. Flux serves two purposes, cleaning oxides and other impurities from metal surfaces and helping the solder to flow. What flux is made of varies depending on the purpose.

Frequently you can tell what flux is made of from the color. If it’s white, it’s probably acidic and meant for plumbing, and if it’s a weird shade of amber, it’s made of rosin and suitable for electronics.

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Cast iron vs ductile iron vs steel

Dave Farquhar DIY
Cast iron vs ductile iron vs steel

I heard a discussion at a hardware store about the types of metal that tools are made of, and the impact it has on cost and on flexibility. I thought it was worthwhile to share and elaborate on some of what I heard. What’s the difference between cast iron vs ductile iron vs steel? Generally, it’s strength, hardness, and flexibility. And those factors generally come down to the carbon mixture.

Ductile iron is a form of cast iron, but it has carbon mixed into the alloy to make it more flexible, less brittle, and give it a higher strength overall. Steel is also a mixture of carbon and iron, but it has less carbon than ductile iron, the precise mix depends on the properties you want. Read more

What is lithium grease used for

Dave Farquhar DIY
What is lithium grease used for

Lithium grease is a useful lubricant with a lot of applications around the home and shop. You may be familiar with it if you do your own mechanical work, but even if you’re like me and you don’t, it can make your life easier in a lot of ways.

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Lowe’s Flex power tools

Dave Farquhar DIY
Lowe’s Flex power tools

In April 2021, Lowe’s started selling a line of cordless power tools geared at professionals called Flex. But who makes Flex power tools for Lowe’s? Where are Flex power tools made?

Elsewhere in the world, Flex is not exclusive to Lowe’s. But in the United States, Flex is a high end line of cordless power tools that Lowe’s hopes to sell to trade professionals such as builders.

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Clean and polish Bakelite

Dave Farquhar DIY, Toy trains
Clean and polish Bakelite

Bakelite was the world’s first synthetic plastic, common in the first half of the 20th century but rarely used today. Many consumer goods used it into the 1950s, such as phones, radios and even some toys, such as Lionel transformers. When in good condition, Bakelite has an attractive appearance very distinctive from modern plastics. Here’s how to clean and polish Bakelite to bring out is unusual beauty.

Bakelite frequently is dull and dirty in as-found condition, but you can clean and polish it with household items. Bakelite frequently responds well to Dawn dish detergent.

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Ryobi electric lawn mower won’t start? Try this.

Dave Farquhar DIY
Ryobi electric lawn mower won’t start? Try this.

It’s frustrating when your Ryobi electric lawn mower won’t start, or when your Ryobi mower stops suddenly. Especially because the selling point is that they are really easy to start and really reliable. Here’s what to do when it happens.

When your Ryobi electric mower won’t start or stops suddenly, it’s usually one of three things. It’s often the battery, the handle not being fully extended or locked, or the discharge, all of which are fairly easy to fix.

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What batteries don’t leak?

Dave Farquhar DIY, Retro Computing
What batteries don’t leak?

Anytime you are dealing with a battery, there is danger of having to deal with leaking. And the more expensive the devices that you put the battery in, the bigger the problem that is. That raises the question: what batteries don’t leak?

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What is denatured alcohol?

Dave Farquhar DIY
What is denatured alcohol?

Hardware stores sell denatured alcohol as a cleaner, a fuel, or a solvent. What does denatured mean? What’s the difference between denatured and other alcohol, such as what you find at a drug store, or the liquor store?

Denatured alcohol is ethanol, sometimes as little as 50 percent by volume, mixed with other chemicals to make it undrinkable. It has an unpleasant smell and taste, and drinking it can cause nausea, blindness, or even death.

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What whitewood is at Home Depot or Lowe’s

Dave Farquhar DIY
What whitewood is at Home Depot or Lowe’s

If you shop at Home Depot or Lowe’s, and possibly other home improvement stores, you will hear or see the phrase whitewood lumber. What is whitewood at Home Depot and what does it mean?

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