Yes, please do more videos about soldering. I appreciate all your videos. I'm getting ready to build the color preamp. My first time ever trying electronic assembly.
Great video! Soldering basics are a must if one is looking for a secure connection and no cold joints. I was lucky enough, while serving USAF, to attend NASA soldering course so to Steph's point temp is key. Tinning and keeping solder from wicking is another skill one must learn
Hi Stephe, I have been soldering since I was at school a long time ago, burnt many a hole in the carpet! Love your channel, spent many hours watching, I prefer solder with lead in it, although not good in terms of the health issues.
Lead free solder just doesn’t work well, but as you mentioned, use a fan to get the fumes away. I run my soldering iron at about 700 degrees Fahrenheit. Cardas solder is my preferred brand, which contains silver and copper. Whether it really makes a difference, I’m not sure. It is a bit more expensive, but I guess it just gives me peace of mind. It also melts very easily.
I've watched a lot of your previous videos and learned a lot on soldering. It helped me do the T11 phono preamp and then build the Starving Student tube headphone amp/preamp. I do have a Hakko FX600-05/P Soldering Iron, 500°C, 74W on my Amazon list and need to get it before I start another project. My current Weller iron has a crappy tip and can't find any better replacements. Thanks!
When you are new to soldering having a decent soldering iron makes all the difference..dont go super cheap on your iron. With that said i do have a budget option that i think works well for projects. Weller WE 1010. Digital display, stand-by, heats up pretty quick and was only a little over $100 on Amazon when on sale. I pretty much use Kester "44" Rosin Core on everything...mostly because my dad gifted me a few pounds of it years ago 😊. Im all for any DIY videos. Extracting chopped off stranded wire pieces from a thru hole on the PCB would be good. I pulled a solder pad off the first time i ran into that problem.
For people in Australia, I can recommend Duratech lead free solder from Jaycar stores. As for the soldering iron the Hakko in this video is anywhere between $200 to $360 AUD depending on the store. Personally I have been using a cheap ($44 AUD) WEP 926 LED and it works perfectly and the handle doesn't get hot.
one time about 1970 I was working at a 2way radio shop. a radiator repair company tried to fix a johnson solid state cb mike cord connection to its circuit board with a gas torch and acid core solder. ruined the entire circuit board. worst mess I ever saw.
Well Stephe, this explained why my first soldering project in 40+ years failed. I am now enthused to try again. The project was a speaker cable jumper box connecting female banana sockets. What gauge and wire type do you recommend?
Cardas solder is good. So, is WBT. Both have old school solder that is still legal in the US. Obviously, the melting temp is lower than leadfree. Caig makes both regular rosin flux and water type flux.
The no clean solder has probably no rosin core inside ........that's why the solder doesn't flow ....so in that case you have to use solder flux . There's a two seconds guiding rule for soldering....and putting a little solder dot on the iron before applying the iron to the comonents to solder to create a heating bridge ..removing the iron while wiping upwards to the end of the lead ......( usualy seen is cutting these ends later ).....we all do it by bending the leads to hold the components while soldering and cutting the exces later but it is not realy correct . Soldering parts and solder pads on a circuit board must be cleaned before . To low a tempearure will extennd the soldering time as well as be a cause for bad joints . There's a vey prof soldering skill shooling at the us army/navy . ROHS ( lead free ) is the new green policy ......difficult to repair , addin some regular lead solder on those solder points before desoldering will help . There's still good old solder quality on the market..........in the EU it is illegal ..but ....! Caution : Some solder with (organic) flux is very efficient as a desoxidizing agent but BUT is VERY aggressive .........so one must wipe and clean it off after soldering , otherwise one may end up with a destroyed circuit board after some time........use isopropanol to clean the flux off . Kind regards
Thanks I was a carpenter, handy man and turn my hand to anything but I was never taught soldering my couple of attempts were disasters so I have never tried again, and hate being beaten .I have a soldering Iron of un known quality is it essentially vital to have a quality iron?
Probably need the ga for both the solder and the wire. I think my solder type was all wrong. I’ve ordered some of the solder you use from amazon. The .32 and .50 diameter rosin core. Should the wire be a solid core or stranded type? Thanks!
I would love to know what size tubing you’re using to insulate resistor an cap leads. Thanks Stephe hope you have a great day also. I think it’s Teflon correct
The principles in this old training film have not changed: 1, Safety, 2. Clean, 3. Tin, 4. Heat, 5. Flow/Wet, 6. Inspect. The major difference is the equipment. The big honkin' blast furnace irons had no control of the heat. 60/40 tin/lead (vice 40/60 tin/lead) solder is solid at 361F and liquid at 370F. Between 361 and 370, it's plastic. It will not "wet" the components properly until all portions you want soldered reach 370. Holding the heat until everything is wetted is critical but holding the increasing heat longer only soaks the components with heat unnecessarily and could cause damage. This is where the beauty of a good tip temperature-controlled soldering iron comes in. It will not raise the tip or the components hotter than what you set it. Never use acid flux solder on your electronic gear. Enjoy the video. ua-cam.com/video/wvl_KYif9zA/v-deo.html
@@SkunkieDesignsElectronics Exactly! But when you sat "hot", you don't mean 800F. I can't remember where I set mine - it's in the garage and we have snow... If one sets their iron to 370F, it would take what seems like forever. Resistor leads and such heat up quick - as long as they are clean, your tip is clean, tinned and wet, you can get the solder flowed and all parts wetted quickly and get the heck out so it can dissipate the heat and solidify. What a lot of people don't realize is the soldering iron feeds more current to keep the tip temperature up (as the components heat) then reduces the current so it can hold everything at the selected temp. Cheap primitive soldering irons don't do this and are MUCH less safe/forgiving for inexperienced operators to use. This is my main argument for first-time solderers investing in something like the Haiko. I bought one and threw my old clunker away. Stephe, I'm glad we're on the same page. Keep the Single-Ended Skunks singing!
There is some crap and unusable solder out there - buyer beware! When I started, I bought a small coil of solder sold in a small plastic tube. It worked OK but I had problems when I bought a new one and I nearly ruined my amp trying to get it to work - it was hard enough to get it on but it was almost impossible to take it off! I thought it was my soldering iron and so I bought a new one. I thought it must just be me until I finally found good leaded solder and it flowed just like yours!
Love your soldering iron! You are so correct
A cquiring & maintaining a set of good tools does make a huge difference in soldering.
Yes, please do more videos about soldering. I appreciate all your videos. I'm getting ready to build the color preamp. My first time ever trying electronic assembly.
More to come!
very helpful tutorial on soldering.
Great video! Soldering basics are a must if one is looking for a secure connection and no cold joints. I was lucky enough, while serving USAF, to attend NASA soldering course so to Steph's point temp is key. Tinning and keeping solder from wicking is another skill one must learn
Hi Stephe, I have been soldering since I was at school a long time ago, burnt many a hole in the carpet! Love your channel, spent many hours watching, I prefer solder with lead in it, although not good in terms of the health issues.
Thank you Stephe. I agree that gold solder, while expensive, is well worth using. MG Chemicals is beaut
Very helpful
Lead free solder just doesn’t work well, but as you mentioned, use a fan to get the fumes away. I run my soldering iron at about 700 degrees Fahrenheit. Cardas solder is my preferred brand, which contains silver and copper. Whether it really makes a difference, I’m not sure. It is a bit more expensive, but I guess it just gives me peace of mind. It also melts very easily.
I've watched a lot of your previous videos and learned a lot on soldering. It helped me do the T11 phono preamp and then build the Starving Student tube headphone amp/preamp. I do have a Hakko FX600-05/P Soldering Iron, 500°C, 74W on my Amazon list and need to get it before I start another project. My current Weller iron has a crappy tip and can't find any better replacements. Thanks!
When you are new to soldering having a decent soldering iron makes all the difference..dont go super cheap on your iron. With that said i do have a budget option that i think works well for projects. Weller WE 1010. Digital display, stand-by, heats up pretty quick and was only a little over $100 on Amazon when on sale. I pretty much use Kester "44" Rosin Core on everything...mostly because my dad gifted me a few pounds of it years ago 😊. Im all for any DIY videos. Extracting chopped off stranded wire pieces from a thru hole on the PCB would be good. I pulled a solder pad off the first time i ran into that problem.
For people in Australia, I can recommend Duratech lead free solder from Jaycar stores. As for the soldering iron the Hakko in this video is anywhere between $200 to $360 AUD depending on the store. Personally I have been using a cheap ($44 AUD) WEP 926 LED and it works perfectly and the handle doesn't get hot.
one time about 1970 I was working at a 2way radio shop. a radiator repair company tried to fix a johnson solid state cb mike cord connection to its circuit board with a gas torch and acid core solder. ruined the entire circuit board. worst mess I ever saw.
Well Stephe, this explained why my first soldering project in 40+ years failed. I am now enthused to try again. The project was a speaker cable jumper box connecting female banana sockets. What gauge and wire type do you recommend?
Wire or solder ga?
Cardas solder is good. So, is WBT. Both have old school solder that is still legal in the US. Obviously, the melting temp is lower than leadfree. Caig makes both regular rosin flux and water type flux.
The no clean solder has probably no rosin core inside ........that's why the solder doesn't flow ....so in that case you have to use solder flux .
There's a two seconds guiding rule for soldering....and putting a little solder dot on the iron before applying the iron to the comonents to solder to create a heating bridge ..removing the iron while wiping upwards to the end of the lead ......( usualy seen is cutting these ends later ).....we all do it by bending the leads to hold the components while soldering and cutting the exces later but it is not realy correct .
Soldering parts and solder pads on a circuit board must be cleaned before .
To low a tempearure will extennd the soldering time as well as be a cause for bad joints .
There's a vey prof soldering skill shooling at the us army/navy .
ROHS ( lead free ) is the new green policy ......difficult to repair , addin some regular lead solder on those solder points before desoldering will help .
There's still good old solder quality on the market..........in the EU it is illegal ..but ....!
Caution : Some solder with (organic) flux is very efficient as a desoxidizing agent but BUT is VERY aggressive .........so one must wipe and clean it off after soldering , otherwise one may end up with a destroyed circuit board after some time........use isopropanol to clean the flux off .
Kind regards
Thanks I was a carpenter, handy man and turn my hand to anything but I was never taught soldering my couple of attempts were disasters so I have never tried again, and hate being beaten .I have a soldering Iron of un known quality is it essentially vital to have a quality iron?
Probably need the ga for both the solder and the wire. I think my solder type was all wrong. I’ve ordered some of the solder you use from amazon. The .32 and .50 diameter rosin core. Should the wire be a solid core or stranded type? Thanks!
I've been using 18ga solid core. It's easier to work with and stays where you put it!
I would love to know what size tubing you’re using to insulate resistor an cap leads. Thanks Stephe hope you have a great day also. I think it’s Teflon correct
PTFE I use mostly 1.0mm ID but also use 1.5mm ID on occasion.
Most people forget to clean the flux after soldering.
Training film link which is not buried in my rambling post: ua-cam.com/video/wvl_KYif9zA/v-deo.html
The principles in this old training film have not changed: 1, Safety, 2. Clean, 3. Tin, 4. Heat, 5. Flow/Wet, 6. Inspect. The major difference is the equipment. The big honkin' blast furnace irons had no control of the heat. 60/40 tin/lead (vice 40/60 tin/lead) solder is solid at 361F and liquid at 370F. Between 361 and 370, it's plastic. It will not "wet" the components properly until all portions you want soldered reach 370. Holding the heat until everything is wetted is critical but holding the increasing heat longer only soaks the components with heat unnecessarily and could cause damage. This is where the beauty of a good tip temperature-controlled soldering iron comes in. It will not raise the tip or the components hotter than what you set it. Never use acid flux solder on your electronic gear. Enjoy the video. ua-cam.com/video/wvl_KYif9zA/v-deo.html
Which is why I run the iron hot, so you can "get in and out" faster.
@@SkunkieDesignsElectronics Exactly! But when you sat "hot", you don't mean 800F. I can't remember where I set mine - it's in the garage and we have snow... If one sets their iron to 370F, it would take what seems like forever. Resistor leads and such heat up quick - as long as they are clean, your tip is clean, tinned and wet, you can get the solder flowed and all parts wetted quickly and get the heck out so it can dissipate the heat and solidify. What a lot of people don't realize is the soldering iron feeds more current to keep the tip temperature up (as the components heat) then reduces the current so it can hold everything at the selected temp. Cheap primitive soldering irons don't do this and are MUCH less safe/forgiving for inexperienced operators to use. This is my main argument for first-time solderers investing in something like the Haiko. I bought one and threw my old clunker away. Stephe, I'm glad we're on the same page. Keep the Single-Ended Skunks singing!
There is some crap and unusable solder out there - buyer beware! When I started, I bought a small coil of solder sold in a small plastic tube. It worked OK but I had problems when I bought a new one and I nearly ruined my amp trying to get it to work - it was hard enough to get it on but it was almost impossible to take it off! I thought it was my soldering iron and so I bought a new one. I thought it must just be me until I finally found good leaded solder and it flowed just like yours!
Interesting info, but isn't video about being able to show things not just describe them? Being able to see good practice would I'm sure help newbies.
Got at least 30 videos of me soldering stuff...
the bigger the glob. the better the job.