How to Make Solder Look Old

Written By
Larry Parr
Larry Parr
Published: Apr 30, 2009
Updated: Feb 5, 2019
1 minute read

New solder is generally bright and shiny, like a brand-new dime. Sometimes, however, you might not want your solder to look new. For instance, the appearance of a new soldering job can draw visual attention away from other aspects of the work.

Things You'll Need:

Things You Will Need

  • Lemon juice
  • Small paint brush
  • Hairdryer
  • Pour a small quantity of lemon (or lime) juice into a small cup.

    Use a hairdryer to warm to soldered joint. Do not hold the hairdryer still in an attempt to soften the solder; simply get the solder warm.

    Dip a small paint brush into your lemon (or lime) juice and paint it onto the warm solder. Let the juice cool. Do not wipe it off.

    Repeat Step 3 if the soldered joint still appears too fresh.

    Tips

    Leave the lemon (or lime) juice on the soldered joint after it has dried.

    Larry Parr

    Larry Parr has been a full-time professional freelance writer for more than 30 years. For 25 years he wrote cartoons for television, everything from "Smurfs" to "Spider-Man." Today Parr train dogs and write articles on a variety of topics…

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