Very basic question about soldering problems.....

Yes, all very true.... I've got to the level where I CAN do the basic stuff as long as the equipment behaves - hence my initial question that started this thread! I just need a lot more practice before going ANYWHERE near something like a solder pad on a £160 decoder.... ;)

Jon.
 
Rhinochugger said:
Yes, Jon, to a certain extent you're correct.

.................. But, when I was a young lad, as one of our skills achievements at a church based youth group, we had a guy who worked for Decca who taught us, among other things, basic soldering - I owe that guy big time :nod::nod::nod::nod::nod:

........
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Yep, if you're lucky enough to have a good teacher, that's 90% of the job done I reckon.....

For those of us who are self-taught, the learning curve is a little steeper, but practice is the only way up!

Jon.
 
Zerogee said:
Yes, all very true.... I've got to the level where I CAN do the basic stuff as long as the equipment behaves - hence my initial question that started this thread! I just need a lot more practice before going ANYWHERE near something like a solder pad on a £160 decoder.... ;)

Jon.
Click to expand...

:wait: I'd want to go and buy a new iron before I tackled that, and probably practice a bit as well. A skill is a skill but you do need to do it to keep up the level, as I discovered last week with my spray painting. :eek: I'm a lot better at it than I was a fortnight ago for sure! :smirk::smirk:
 
Lesson 2: (also applies to chisels..)
If you drop a soldering iron.. let it fall, THEN pick it up.. Pronto!
Do NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, try to catch it on the way down..
:eek::eek::shake::shake::shake::sweating:
 
PhilP said:
Lesson 2: (also applies to chisels..)
If you drop a soldering iron.. let it fall, THEN pick it up.. Pronto!
Do NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, try to catch it on the way down..
:eek::eek::shake::shake::shake::sweating:
Click to expand...

I wonder how you came to know that, Phil??
:think::think::D

Rik
 
Zerogee said:
Yes, all very true.... I've got to the level where I CAN do the basic stuff as long as the equipment behaves - hence my initial question that started this thread! I just need a lot more practice before going ANYWHERE near something like a solder pad on a £160 decoder.... ;)

Jon.
Click to expand...

Want to learn how to solder pads on circuit boards?

Buy one of these and get some tinned copper wire or a bag of cheap components including ICs and transistors and practice, practice, practice till you are comfortable. You should be confident/competent after about a week or two, that is how schools and trade colleges do it.
Nothing ventured nothing gained.

https://www.jaycar.com.au/ultra-mini-experimenters-board/p/HP9556
 
dutchelm said:
Lesson 1, Hold the plastic end!
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Taught myself soldering in my early teens, with a little guidance from step-dad. I remember once concentrating too hard on getting a pair of wires aligned just right and reaching down to get the iron... wrong end!!!! And this was a hefty 70 watt job from Woollies, not a dainty Antex! Had a memorable blister for quite some time.
 
Folks may mock but being in a model railway club you realise that many members didn't have a clue.
Lesson 1 was neccessary, likewise don't touch the metal end when the iron is switched on or it will burn.
Lesson 2, don't catch the iron if it drops also applies to the stand for the iron, (how do I Know).
 
dutchelm said:
Folks may mock but being in a model railway club you realise that many members didn't have a clue.
Lesson 1 was neccessary, likewise don't touch the metal end when the iron is switched on or it will burn.
Lesson 2, don't catch the iron if it drops also applies to the stand for the iron, (how do I Know).
Click to expand...
Problem is natural reaction, we have all done it I expect. I know I have. I keep a number of different Irons, the smallest one with a pretty small tip is used for Chip Wire soldering. However key thing is that whatever you use needs to heat things up quickly and no lingering to get wire in place. Also pre tinned wire (Or other work parts to be joined) with flux on helps enormously.
JonD
 
Many years ago, i did a minor repair to the record player that we had as our middle youngster used to stick his fingers under the lid and bend the stylus.

I was packing up, and the iron was cooling down, and said offspring reported to SWMBO that Daddy's red screwdriver had bitten him. Well, I didn't have a red screwdriver, but suddenly realised that the soldering iron had a flat tip which could be mistaken for a screwdriver - he'd obviously gone to pick it up, fortunately it had cooled off quite a bit by that time, but it still 'bit' him :D:D:D
 
dunnyrail said:
.......the smallest one with a pretty small tip is used for Chip Wire soldering.......
JonD
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This leads to another question, how small is "small enough" for electronics work? Do you actually want the finest pointed bit you can get, or is a slightly bigger one better as you can transfer the necessary heat faster?
For example, given a choice between a 0.5mm point and a 1.2mm one, which would you use for, say, wiring to decoder solder pads?

Jon.
 
Zerogee said:
This leads to another question, how small is "small enough" for electronics work? Do you actually want the finest pointed bit you can get, or is a slightly bigger one better as you can transfer the necessary heat faster?
For example, given a choice between a 0.5mm point and a 1.2mm one, which would you use for, say, wiring to decoder solder pads?

Jon.
Click to expand...

For G scale decoders (quite large), the 1.2mm should be fine enough.. This will also be big enough for the larger connections way make in 'G'. - though not track-bonding!

You only really need the fine-point to get into awkward spaces or if you have something like this to connect up!

DSC01363.JPG
The pads are on a .05 inch pitch.. :eek::sweating::sweating:
 
PhilP said:
For G scale decoders (quite large), the 1.2mm should be fine enough.. This will also be big enough for the larger connections way make in 'G'. - though not track-bonding!

You only really need the fine-point to get into awkward spaces or if you have something like this to connect up!

View attachment 224693
The pads are on a .05 inch pitch.. :eek::sweating::sweating:
Click to expand...
Does, whatever that is, need to be so small? I find a lot of things are designed without any forethought of the poor fool having to work on them whatsoever!
 
Paul M said:
Does, whatever that is, need to be so small? I find a lot of things are designed without any forethought of the poor fool having to work on them whatsoever!
Click to expand...

In this case, yes..
It is a combined 2.4GHz receiver and ESC (Electronic Speed Controller).
I have this mad idea to make a n-gauge battery RC train!
 
PhilP said:
In this case, yes..
It is a combined 2.4GHz receiver and ESC (Electronic Speed Controller).
I have this mad idea to make a n-gauge battery RC train!
Click to expand...


Neddy Seagoon: "I'm as sane as the next man, I tell you!"
Eccles: "Oi'm the next man, folks..."

Jon.
 
PhilP said:
In this case, yes..
It is a combined 2.4GHz receiver and ESC (Electronic Speed Controller).
I have this mad idea to make a n-gauge battery RC train!
Click to expand...
Been done but not with RC me thinks. Be good to hear progress on that one, be great inspiration to those that have trouble stuffing all the battery gear etc into G Scale loco. May even have a use with say a figure with moving arms and a small motor.
JonD
 
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