Degrade? It all depends -- on what you mean!!!!! If we take the example of 63/37, the Sn oxidises more readily than the Pb as the temp rises. Eutectic is not synonymous with azeotropic. So overheating could lead to a small amount of Pb-rich. You could monitor the temp with a hand-held thermometer (probably more accurate than the thermostat, anyway!) as you manipulate the on-off switch. However, as a rule, I've found with most machines that if the solder is heated to working temp, I can ladle out all the accessible stuff into ingots before it solidifies, without any power. Brian Steve Gregory wrote: > Mornin' All! > > If the solder in a wave solder pot gets a little hot, it doesn't really > degrade it does it? > > Situation is; I'm emptying three solder pots, one 63/37 pot, one SN96 > pot, and one HMP pot, the way the pots are designed is that the pot > thermocouples are located up towards the top of the pot. So as I lower > the level of the solder in the pot, at some point the thermocouples will > not be in direct contact with the solder and thus not be giving me the > actual solder temperature. > > I've been cycling the heater power off when it looks like the solder is > getting pretty hot (it starts getting getting this golden sheen to it), > along with disconnecting the heaters when they start getting exposed as > the solder level goes down. > > I've always emptied pots this way, and just started wondering if the > solder degrades at all if you heat it up beyond the liquidous > temperature. I know it makes a little more dross as the temperature > rises... > > Steve > > --------------------------------------------------- > Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 15.0 > To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in > the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet > To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) > To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest > Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives > Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815 > ----------------------------------------------------- > --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 15.0 To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815 -----------------------------------------------------