OK you young whippersnappers, stand by and listen up! I am 80 years old and soldered my first joint just before I ate my first breakfast. (That milk was sure good , Mom. Thank you !) - by the way, I am still building them and flying them (And upside down at that).

The easiest way to solder a lap joint is to be prepared with a few items :

1. Have a clean uncluttered bench.
2. A bottle of alcohol. (Preferably, in this case, non drinking type.)
3 Two friendly helpers each made of steel with copper alligator teeth.
4. A pair of good wire strippers with a wire cutter on the end: $4 ??
5. some 1/16" 60/40 soldering wire
6. Soldering Paste of non-acidic content as a flux is always nice to have around for things electrical.
7. If necessary, a good magnifying lens.
8. X pieces of heat shrink tubing. "X" being the number of joints you are going to make.
9. Get a soldering iron or gun. (A 40 watt or 70 watt iron would do fine.) I personally use a Weller 100/140 soldering gun with a get in /get out quick trigger finger.
10. A heat gun for the heat shrink sleeving.

Now young fella, if I haven't worn you out getting all this conglomeration together, lets solder ! (Unless you wanna take a little nappy-poo first??)

The fine art of soldering a lap joint :

1. Strip each wire end about 1/4 inch each.
2. Put each the wires into an alligator clip and just "Wet" the copper portion with flux.
3. Dip the soldering device into the soldering paste and thin coat solder on its tip.
4. Your soldering piece in one hand and solder in the other, approach the waiting bare stripped wire with enthusiasm and sureness of a true ace.
5. With a tad of solder melted on your soldering tool, approach the bare wire with both the solder and hot ended thing trying to touch all at once.
6. Now touch and "WALLA" you now have one fine piece of tinned wire waiting anxiously to be matted.! This is just too exciting !!
7. Assuming you are not too exhausted from this exciting bit of play, let us continue.
8. Please repeat step numbers 5 and 6 with the awaiting wire #2.
9. You have now created a situation wherein you have two expectant wires waiting to be mated in an event that shall lead them to be true conductors.
10. Slide the piece of heat shrink sleeving over one soldered wire and well back of the alligator clip that presently holds it. (This should prevent heating of the sleeving prematurely.)
11. Move the wires such that they are next to each other, parallel,metal to metal the full length and insulation at opposite ends of the individual wires.
12. A hint of rosen flux would be understandable at this point.
13. Try to contain yourself and repeat steps 5 and 6 once more.
14. Wet a "Q" tip with alcohol and wet clean the newly joined ones.
13. Slide the heat shink tubing in place and apply the heat gun to permanently seal your piece of art.

I hope you live a long, prosper and have all solder-free worries.