Soldering for Hobbyists -New series

[Spockr]

Hi All,

The link below is for the first in a series of video tutorials I have in works. I'm a technical trainer with 35+ years of experience in soldering and wanted to share some practical knowledge with fellow modelers. The goal of the series is to remove some of the mystery and to help make soldering easier. I'd like to show hobbyists ways to improve their skills with connecting components reliably. The information is presented with clear visuals from the point of view of the user so that understanding the process is as straight forward as possible.
I have outlined plans for at least 5-10 videos and would welcome requests to help with viewer's soldering challenges and questions. If there's a soldering task you'd like to see performed let me know and I'll do my best to include it in one of the videos.

Feedback will be used to help make these as useful as possible so please let me know what you think.

Regards,
Matt

Soldering for Hobbyists - Episode 1 - Intro plus Magnet Wire

 

[TiM]

Lots of views and no comments -

I like this, clear and concise with useful tips and information. Looks forward to viewing a series as I'm not the best a soldering.
I've not used magnet wire and the tip for stripping the coating was informative.

 

[Spockr]

Thanks for checking it out Tim. In upcoming episodes I'll be featuring at least these topics:

- Soldering basics - Process methods and techniques to achieve reliable solder joints
- Wire types, selection and applications
- Components and circuit boards
- Tools: types, selection, application and care
- Circuit board assembly - Surface mount and Through hole techniques

Let me know if there's any other specific areas you would like to know more about and I'll try to include it in an episode.

Regards,
Matt

 

[Glorfindel]

Very nice tutorial. I never thought of holding the wire and solder like chop sticks. Very clever and a new use for fingers and hands.

 

[Grendels]

Thanks for posting that. I now know what I was doing wrong with the magnet wire.

 

[the Baron]

Thanks for the tutorial, I'm looking forward to watching. I have a Weller soldering iron (no rheostat or other control) and an old pistol-grip iron, don't remember the make, and I'm afraid to use them, for fear of ruining the work, I would love to be able to solder my toy soldiers to tin bases, or attach parts by soldering rather than gluing.

 

[Spockr]

Thanks for the tutorial, I'm looking forward to watching. I have a Weller soldering iron (no rheostat or other control) and an old pistol-grip iron, don't remember the make, and I'm afraid to use them, for fear of ruining the work, I would love to be able to solder my toy soldiers to tin bases, or attach parts by soldering rather than gluing.

Thanks for your interest in the series. he videos are primarily focused on connecting electronic components which requires a fairly low wattage iron. In the videos I plan to explain about how to select the right iron and tip for the job along with how solder and flux work together.

Although I don't have any specific experience with soldering 'lead figures' or 'white metal figures' my gut reaction is that it won't work (or at least won't work 'well'). Here are some of the reasons:

- A high wattage iron would be needed in order to deliver heat fast enough to make the connection without oxidizing it before 'wetting' occurs. The type of solder and flux used for components is designed to work within 2-5 seconds or maybe 5-10 second maximum for a high mass part.

-The figure itself would act like a giant heat-sink 'robbing' heat away from the soldering iron which would prevent a good soldered connection. Simply turning up the iron temp won't work because that would burn away the flux too fast, again, causing oxidation resulting in a poor connection.

Maybe not the answer you were hoping for but for this type of assembly work I think you might be better off sticking with glue...

Regards,
Matt

 

[Spockr]

Thanks for posting that. I now know what I was doing wrong with the magnet wire.

Glad to help. Another method to add to your tool box.

 

[the Baron]

Thanks for the tutorial, I'm looking forward to watching. I have a Weller soldering iron (no rheostat or other control) and an old pistol-grip iron, don't remember the make, and I'm afraid to use them, for fear of ruining the work, I would love to be able to solder my toy soldiers to tin bases, or attach parts by soldering rather than gluing.

Thanks for your interest in the series. he videos are primarily focused on connecting electronic components which requires a fairly low wattage iron. In the videos I plan to explain about how to select the right iron and tip for the job along with how solder and flux work together.

Although I don't have any specific experience with soldering 'lead figures' or 'white metal figures' my gut reaction is that it won't work (or at least won't work 'well'). Here are some of the reasons:

- A high wattage iron would be needed in order to deliver heat fast enough to make the connection without oxidizing it before 'wetting' occurs. The type of solder and flux used for components is designed to work within 2-5 seconds or maybe 5-10 second maximum for a high mass part.

-The figure itself would act like a giant heat-sink 'robbing' heat away from the soldering iron which would prevent a good soldered connection. Simply turning up the iron temp won't work because that would burn away the flux too fast, again, causing oxidation resulting in a poor connection.

Maybe not the answer you were hoping for but for this type of assembly work I think you might be better off sticking with glue...

Regards,
Matt

Au contraire! Actually, soldering does work, to assemble white metal figures. Some toy soldier and figure makers used solder to assemble their figures or attach parts (eg, Heyde), others to attach figures to a piece of sheet metal for a base (eg, Stadden, Lasset). True I have to take into account the composition of the alloy used for any given figure. But I need to learn basic techniques, in any case.

I also have a copper tea kettle that I'd like to repair. The owner of an old-school hardware store fixed it for me once, re-attaching the spout to the body with a real soldering iron--the old kind, a piece of shaped/pointed iron that you had to heat in a fire or with a torch, then touched to the piece. the join held for 10 years, till I left the kettle on the stove too long, let the water boil off, and then like an idiot, I forgot and poured cold water into it.

I have a hard time working with flux and getting the solder to flow, for example, it seems that my flux just boils off without drawing the solder into the join.

In any case, I think I'll learn some good basics, and then be able to apply them.