Hi Teena
0.5mm and 1mm refers to the diameter of the solder wire. They SHOULD have 5 cores of resin (non corrosive) flux although the solder referred to in your link does not specify. See below. I believe lead free solder requires a bit more iron temperature than “normal” 60/40 solder and may be a bit harder to use.
At the risk of being howled down by the do gooders I am going to suggest you start your soldering expedition with 60/40 alloys and a diameter of 0.7mm as a good all round size. I say this as I think you are a raw beginner and this alloy may be a bit easier to use. Iron temperature of 300 to 350ºC. Lead free solder requires higher temperature with a bit of a risk of component damage. 0.7mm Dia is not too small and not so big as to get solder everywhere. The actual iron temperature will depend a bit on environment (surrounding cooling air flow etc), The heat sinking mass of the material to be soldered etc. It is mostly judgement and experience. Depends somewhat on the actual size of your iron. All this adds up to practise and experience which only you can get. And it is not all going to happen in 5 minutes I can assure you. Get some bits and go for it before you get loose on boards and things.
A tip for all solderers: To extend longevity of your tips NO NOT park your iron in its holder with a CLEAN tip. I have seen lots of people clean the tip with damp sponge or brass wool then park it in the holder. Doing this will gradually eat the tip away, Applying a coating of solder after cleaning and before parking will provide some tip protection and slow down the degradation process.
Cheers Bob
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Cheers Bob
