Neil,
I don't quite understand your finish but I will try to help you a little.  If
the finish is silver then to solder to this takes a higher temp.  If the
finish is gold over the brass you might have gold migration into the solder
joint and what you are really seeing on inspection is the brass which cannot
be soldered to in a consistent way.

The best finish is a nickel over the brass finished with a tin-lead plating.

All of this is just an opinion but it should spark more responses if I am
wrong.

Come on Jack and Jim, let Nick and I know if I am correct.

Linda

################################################################
TechNet E-Mail Forum provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8c
################################################################
To subscribe/unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the body:
To subscribe:   SUBSCRIBE TechNet <your full name>
To unsubscribe:   SIGNOFF TechNet 
################################################################
Please visit IPC's web site (http://www.ipc.org) "On-Line Services" section for additional information.
For technical support contact Hugo Scaramuzza at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.312
################################################################