Just found a trick for cold solder joints on old circuit boards

I was fixing a 90s stereo amp last weekend and kept getting cold joints no matter how clean the pads looked. Turns out rubbing a pencil eraser gently over the pads before soldering took off the oxidation that my flux couldn't handle. Has anyone else tried this for vintage gear or am I way behind on a common fix?

3 comments

3 Comments

jakejones23d agoMost Upvoted

Ha, I guess my soldering iron's about to get a lot friendlier with the school supply aisle.

nancyj1123d ago

Honestly, @elizabethmason is spot on about the white vinyl eraser being the way to go - those pink ones can leave residue that makes things worse. Tbh I've been doing this for years on old arcade boards and it's saved me more times than I can count, especially on those crusty 80s joints. Ngl, it feels weird using a kid's school supply on expensive gear but the results are undeniable.

elizabethmason23d ago

Rubbed an eraser on some old terminal strips from a 70s mixer once and it worked miracles. I was ready to toss the whole thing before trying it. The difference was NIGHT AND DAY, those joints flowed like new after that little trick. Now I keep a white vinyl eraser in my kit for any vintage board work. Definitely not just you on this one, it's a solid fix for stubborn oxidation.