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SOLDERING
Sept 13, 2014 19:49:15 GMT -7
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Post by pceng on Sept 13, 2014 19:49:15 GMT -7
Remember seeing mention telling others use flux, practice, and so forth. Never what is probably most important to know. Solder FLOWS TO HEAT (more on this). Soldering guns are too hot to be around plastic. I use one for brass but nothing else. Found a 40 watt iron best for quick neat work.... braids, shunts, gears on arm shafts.
I use a liquid flux made for doing stained glass....... quickest acting to transfer heat I've ever found.
Mentioned flow to heat before. Knowing this can keep braids from becoming lumps of solder or fixing that problem with ease. If you put a lump on a braid, brush it off. Hold braid & shoe to keep from moving w/plier or clamp. Apply flux and heat end of shoe furthest from braid then melt lump and brush away with iron toward end. May have to re-heat end. But solder can be drawn off with the iron toward heat.
Dis-similar metals heat at different rates. Putting a 9t on a 4g arm can be a trick. Shaft will take longer to heat than gear. If shaft projects from gear try this......... tiny bit of flux on tip of shaft only...... tiny amount of solder..... apply to shaft tip .......... then tiny bit of flux again on shaft tip.......... heat gear as close as possible to shaft...... flux then solder should flow into seam between gear and shaft. Another case of flowing to heat. In this case reheating gear may be necessary to ensure good joint. Be careful to keep solder to a minimium and away from gear teeth......... before life gets miserable.
Cleaning before soldering is a help.......... I remove plating also when possible for better conection.
Forget the other things right now....... get back soon.
Hope this helps........... Peter
trying to rid the world of ugly braids !
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2014 2:32:55 GMT -7
"tinning" both surfaces to be soldered together before hand makes the job a lot easier because then the solder's just need to melt together.
as said, proper cleaning and heat sinking can help with final outcome.
I like to use silver bearing solder anywhere I can for many reasons.
when needing to solder a brass or steel gear to an armature shaft, I have been taught to use a bevel head soldering iron that has a flat side the gear can rest on.
in this case, just tin the properly prepared armature shaft where the gear will reside.
when cool treat the shaft with flux again (I use acid flux for these kind of HARD solders but one has to be very careful, the fumes are very bad), place the gear on the hot iron so that one hole is down on the iron and the other is ready to slide on the shaft.
when the gear starts to smoke, slide it on the shaft.
of course there will be delay as the shaft heats and the solder melts to allow the gear to be seated.
again, a heat sink of some sort needs to be used on the shaft to keep heat from traveling all the way.
alligator clips, medical clamping devices (hemostats) , tweezers that grip naturally .... what ever can be applied opposite of where the gear and the heat are being applied.
always clean flux off completely after any soldering as it will cause oxidation.
oh yeah, soldering gears to pancake arms IS different, I was thinking of inline arms.
again proper set up and tinning the shaft is paramount.
perhaps create a very small flat on the shaft where the gear will sit.
also file a very tiny "V" across the top of the shaft.
press your gear on in the normal manner.
there is no room for a heat sink here, so quick, careful application of heat is required.
a heat sink on the opposite end couldn't hurt though.
after pressing the gear on and applying a small amount of flux, just to the top of the shaft, heat your beveled iron and place a very tiny bit of solder on it.
then put the iron to the top of the shaft allowing this iota of solder to melt with the tinned solder on the shaft and the gear will absorb heat quicker allowing the process to be quick and clean.
again, I like liquid acid flux for these types of soldering jobs because it minutely etches the metal surfaces and allows a better molecular hold for the solder to adhere to.
acid flux must be cleaned off with a detergent immediately upon cooling.
I also keep RC electric motor cleaner close at hand to spray on the joint to blow any residual that might have tried to build up where I don't want it. this also cools the joint quickly
too much?
LOL
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SOLDERING
Sept 14, 2014 9:16:41 GMT -7
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Post by pceng on Sept 14, 2014 9:16:41 GMT -7
Hey Al,
Thanks for adding on. Forgot to mention silver content in solder, higher is better. Heat sinks was another. Some joints can not be done without them. For instance one real close to another.
The cooling before hand can be a big help when plastic is near. Knew someone that used to freeze pieces in ice with portion projecting that needed solder. Never needed to do but I'm quick with an iron.
Cooling a joint is not something I would recomend to anyone not well practiced. And even then this can cause problems. Can easily result in a cold joint. A "cold joint" (for those that don't know) is a joint that can look good but not be. With magnifying glass one might see a pin hole in the solder or the solder may be slightly off color. These are from one of the pieces not being hot enough for the solder to adhere. The solder may have spread around flowed over but never adhered to one of the pieces. Letting work cool slowly, lets the pieces equaliize in temperature before cooling more. And can make a potential bad joint good just by this equalization of temp. Just blowing on a joint that is borderline can turn it into a cold joint. Cooling joints should have a warning label - BE CAREFULL ! .....lol.
Not alot to know about soldering, just a matter of applying the knowledge to various applications. Thanks again for the imput. Different techniques for applying solder may work for some and not others but all are well worth knowing about. Never know when the day will come, and a light bulb goes off.
Hope others might join in with any tips or techniques also.........
........ Peter
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nitromethane
Super Stock
You can never have enough Cubic Inches !
Posts: 15 
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Post by nitromethane on Sept 14, 2014 20:55:24 GMT -7
My 2 cents on general soldering, since you brought it up.
After years of playing with electronics and what not, I have found that this too is a less is more thing.
I use a 15w soldering iron for ANY fine work. a 40w iron is like using a blow torch on fine electrical jobs and will ruin more that it fixes. Rosin core solder should quite enough flux for hobby needs. Make sure your soldering contact points are clean and abraded if possible and use heat sink clips to protect anything you can damage by heat and you're golden.
ROB
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SOLDERING
Sept 14, 2014 22:21:04 GMT -7
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Post by pceng on Sept 14, 2014 22:21:04 GMT -7
Rob,
Thanks for chiming in........
Think what iron is used becomes a matter of preference over time. 15w iron are good for fine work. But to slow for me on anything else. Started soldering about 50 yrs ago soon after getting my first HO slot cars. Worked QC for electric mfg one summer...... still can pick out a bad joint on a circut board at a glance. My 15w iron is in the draw with the others and gun. In truth it has become one of those things you drag around from place to place but never use. Lol.... never melted anything with my 40w blow torch. From what I have seen. I am as good as any and better than most at this. Like hearing pst and being done instead of pssssssss waiting for 15
You could be right 40w might be to much blow torch (liked that one) for some. Maybe to much to learn with. And that was the idea of starting thread. To help others learn. Should have pointed out 15's as a choice. Thanks again for the input. Everybody's 2ยข could add up for someone.
.... Peter
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Post by yellerstang on Jan 3, 2015 14:25:07 GMT -7
Great info. I build and fly rc planes. We make landing gear from spring steel, bend and solder. My dad taught me many years ago, you need a solid mechanical connection to make a strong solder joint. We used to wrap the landing gear pieces with fine copper wire, then solder using flux and a gun. Old school!
I really enjoy the tips everyone is posting here. Thanks to all who post.
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Post by FlatBlackCamaro on Mar 6, 2015 14:57:27 GMT -7
ive used the tinning technique also, not in slots but in drag R/Cs. I would tin the area of placement on the shaft and the inner portion of the gear, I would then place the shaft in the freezer or fridge and the gear somewhere warm under bendable desk lamp to warm it. wait about 30 mins to a hr, the shaft will shrink and the gear will swell and they will be easier to join. once in place, as Al said, use a set of hemostats and heat the shaft working your way to the gear apply a small amount of solder. just as Peter said solder will run to heat... almost up hill lol. you don't need a glob, if it shimmers in between the shaft and the gear youre golden, once you've heated both pieces not only have you soldered them but the heat made the shaft swell back to normal size and the gear will become harder to remove.
To remove if damaged I work almost in the exact opposite direction, start by cooling the shaft and the gear together, once time has past and the shaft and gear feel cold to the touch hold it again with hemostats, take your iron and press it against the gear... heating it. it will take a little time but if youre careful the gear will heat before the shaft and loosening the bond of solder between, if you have access to one a press would be best. half of the time a standard pair of pliers will remove the damaged gear.
Also, talking about soldering. when using solder on electrical components such as motors or arms and braids... make sure its best used for electrical work and the same goes for resin. not all solders and resins are the best for conductivity, maybe Peter or Al can chime in and explain what I mean better. im not the best at explanations.
looks like we have .14c's between us, too bad we cant get penny candy anymore... we would be set!
- Flat
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