Unbuilt Heathkits - solderability of parts

[Terry Perdue]

I picked up an unbuilt resistance substitution box for a few bucks a while
back, and decided to build it. I was disappointed to find that even though
the components looked fine, nothing wanted to take solder. It was
particularly disappointing, because the manual had you install all of the
resistors and then solder. (I might have been able to scrape the leads and
lugs if I had known beforehand.) Even the heavy bus wire, which looked
shiny, must have had a film on it. The parts dad still been in their
unopened envelopes. I'm curious - have those of you who have given in to
temptation to build an old kit found this to be a common problem?

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