 |
Moderated by: . |
Page: 1 2 3 4 5 |
|
Posted: Mon Aug 27th, 2012 07:57 pm |
|
21st Post |
mwiz64
Registered

Joined: | Mon Mar 26th, 2012 |
Location: | Fenton, Michigan USA |
Posts: | 1329 |
Status: |
Offline
|
|
Just a simple American Beauty soldering iron is a lot nicer to work with than a cheap Weller iron from the local hardware store. I've never resistance soldered either and I probably won't. I don't solder enough for that kind of expense.
Mike
____________________ Mike
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 27th, 2012 08:30 pm |
|
22nd Post |
hicountryscratcher
Registered

Joined: | Thu Aug 9th, 2012 |
Location: | |
Posts: | 80 |
Status: |
Offline
|
|
W C Greene wrote: With all that being said (or written), yes...I can do nice soldering BUT these days, I build from styrene. My soldering is just to connect wires to r/c boards and Li Po batteries...and I forgot, I assembled Muj's little HOn3 Kemtron 0-4-0 Teakettle a while back. A nice "refresher" course. I still make loco cabs, etc. from brass but I ain't building the whole thing from scratch any more(except for all freight cars, structures, track...awww geez)
Woodrow
HMMMM? He signed Woodrow does that mean I have been put on notice for being argumentive ?
Well I have been accused of THAT before and I'm NOT !! --I Tell You I'M not , I'M Not ---- errrr --ahhhh ummmm errr I mean aaaahhh. Ohhh! I see now 
Dave
____________________ instant glue?--- SOLDER----- NOW THATS INSTANT!
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 27th, 2012 08:48 pm |
|
23rd Post |
W C Greene
Moderator

|
If I want to put someone on notice or make a "serious" point, I will sign the note with W C Greene. That means watch out!
Boudreaux aka Woodrow aka not late for supper, etc...
____________________ It doesn't matter if you win or lose, its' how you rig the game.
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 27th, 2012 08:52 pm |
|
24th Post |
hicountryscratcher
Registered

Joined: | Thu Aug 9th, 2012 |
Location: | |
Posts: | 80 |
Status: |
Offline
|
|
W C Greene wrote: If I want to put someone on notice or make a "serious" point, I will sign the note with W C Greene. That means watch out!
Boudreaux aka Woodrow aka not late for supper, etc...
What we need is a passing out ----going plop on the ground smilie , thats what I wanted to prove my point about not being argumentative.
Dave
____________________ instant glue?--- SOLDER----- NOW THATS INSTANT!
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 27th, 2012 08:57 pm |
|
25th Post |
hicountryscratcher
Registered

Joined: | Thu Aug 9th, 2012 |
Location: | |
Posts: | 80 |
Status: |
Offline
|
|
W C Greene wrote: With all that being said (or written), yes...I can do nice soldering BUT these days, I build from styrene. My soldering is just to connect wires to r/c boards and Li Po batteries...and I forgot, I assembled Muj's little HOn3 Kemtron 0-4-0 Teakettle a while back. A nice "refresher" course. I still make loco cabs, etc. from brass but I ain't building the whole thing from scratch any more(except for all freight cars, structures, track...awww geez)
Woodrow
On a more serious vein , I wish I had the success with streyne that so many of you have had -- possibly thats because I have NOT done enough of it. To take flat, sterile styrene and turn it into a scratch built mansion or store front, or engine , rolling stock etc. is amazing to see.
Dave
____________________ instant glue?--- SOLDER----- NOW THATS INSTANT!
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 28th, 2012 01:04 am |
|
26th Post |
Herb Kephart
Moderator

|
Dave-
Thank you for making my head get larger.
Please note that I said--
Don't try soldering with a small torch, or a resistance rig, until you have mastered the use of an iron.
I agree with pre-tinning as a very useful way of attaching parts, particularly in that it uses a minimum of solder--and that means less cleanup of the pieces afterwards.
I built a resistance rig with an industrial transformer, and while it will get some pretty big pieces hot pronto, I find that I don't use it much. And a torch I do use for silver soldering--but that's a whole 'nother subject.
As to types of solder--I only use two. For places where you want the solder to flow, I used to use 70/30 (70% tin / 30% lead, but now use 95/5 (95% tin / 5% silver). NOT because of the lead Nazis, but because it is a lot stronger. Takes a little higher temperature, and doesn't flow quite as readily as 70/30--but it's a good trade off.
The other stuff that I use occasionally is 40/60 lead / tin. Good for making fillets around domes and stacks as it has a long period where it stays "pasty"
And I'm with you 100% on liquid flux--which is zinc chloride.
I didn't want to write a whole thesis on soldering last night, and that is why I didn't get into types of solder and flux.
When all is said and done, it's the results that count, not how you get there. Your results show that you have the process down pat.
I have mentioned several times that my father was a "tin nocker" his whole life, making anything that came along out of sheet metal. We even have a set of reindeer and a sleigh that he made as a Christmas ornament, to put on the mantle. He had me breathing in flux fumes from the time I was about 6, soldering up radiator covers, metal awnings and the like--talk about the third world and child labor--but i learned a lot from the old coot.
He even told me that his mother soldered when he was a kid --he was born in 1886. She would patch leaks in her tin coated steel items, wash tubs was one thing that he mentioned specifically. She did this with a poker, a pewter (AKA tin) spoon, and lump rosin for flux. Guess it's in the genes.
Thanks for your comments. Never hesitate to disagree, correct, or add to anything that I post.
I have ways of dealing with that--
Just kidding!!
Herb 
PS-- You mentioned Sal Met, from Kemtron. That was promoted as a flux for soldering Zamac. Worked with some Zamac's, not with others
Last edited on Tue Aug 28th, 2012 01:10 am by Herb Kephart
____________________ Fix it again, Mr Gates--it still works!"
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 28th, 2012 02:09 am |
|
27th Post |
Bernd
Registered

Joined: | Wed Jul 18th, 2012 |
Location: | New York USA |
Posts: | 822 |
Status: |
Offline
|
|
Speaking of soldering. I have a few irons and a couple of torches, including one for doing jewlery, The Little Torch from Smith Equip.
I learned at any earlier age to solder. My Dad taught me. I also have soldered about 2 dozen or so HeathKits. Remember those?
Just recently I bult myself a resistance soldering rig using a microwave oven transformer. It'll melt 1/8" stainless steel rods.
I kind of wish I have built one of these earlier. That coal conveyoe for my rotary dumper was built using the resistance soldering rig.
Ok, I've bragged enough.
BerndLast edited on Tue Aug 28th, 2012 02:10 am by Bernd
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 28th, 2012 02:21 am |
|
28th Post |
hicountryscratcher
Registered

Joined: | Thu Aug 9th, 2012 |
Location: | |
Posts: | 80 |
Status: |
Offline
|
|
Bernd wrote: Speaking of soldering. I have a few irons and a couple of torches, including one for doing jewlery, The Little Torch from Smith Equip.
I learned at any earlier age to solder. My Dad taught me. I also have soldered about 2 dozen or so HeathKits. Remember those?
Just recently I bult myself a resistance soldering rig using a microwave oven transformer. It'll melt 1/8" stainless steel rods.
I kind of wish I have built one of these earlier. That coal conveyoe for my rotary dumper was built using the resistance soldering rig.
Ok, I've bragged enough.
Bernd OH NO YOU DON'T Bernd, Don't even think about sneaking off after dropping a bomb like a microwave oven transformer being good for a soldering rig!! The transformer I got to try my 250 watt or so rig cost about 50 bucks and still was too weak to really do the job, I was trying to use it to solder a loco frame and it would not do it . Now microwaves are almost a giveaway item very often so fill us in on HOW!  Dave
____________________ instant glue?--- SOLDER----- NOW THATS INSTANT!
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 28th, 2012 02:46 am |
|
29th Post |
hicountryscratcher
Registered

Joined: | Thu Aug 9th, 2012 |
Location: | |
Posts: | 80 |
Status: |
Offline
|
|
Herb,
Make Bernd come back , he just took his ball and glove and went home! 
Dave
Last edited on Tue Aug 28th, 2012 02:51 am by hicountryscratcher
____________________ instant glue?--- SOLDER----- NOW THATS INSTANT!
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 28th, 2012 01:12 pm |
|
30th Post |
 Current time is 05:52 pm | Page: 1 2 3 4 5 |
|
 |
|