LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

My old Weller 100W gun finally died. I bought one of those little propane torches, but cannot seem to get the hang of using it. The solder won't flow properly, and I'm pretty sure the work is hot enough. I'm using some old rosin core stuff that has soldered many a pushrod connector, etc., with that Weller gun.

Do I need to try some different type solder with the torch? Or just buy another 100W gun?

I've got plenty of wrapping/soldering to do with this GP Super AeroMaster. I've been putting this decision off; now its time to get off the pot.

bubbagates

My Feedback: (32)

Steve,

I also use the little mini torch and this is what I use for all my soldering

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXFS75&P=ML

It has worked well for me so far. Clean the work, apply the flux, heat it until the flux bubbles and touch the solder to the work. Instant sweat fitting or anything else.

Makes me look better than I really am

Dsegal

> I've got plenty of wrapping/soldering to do <

Get some Stay Brite silver solder- perfect for the job. Some hardware stores and hobby shops carry it or go to www.micromark.com

CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

I can't see how this is a question. Just use something you are familiar with. There is a place for a torch and one for a gun (or even an old iron). The Weller 100/120 or the 70/100 soldering guns can be found locally used for about $5 at the standard drive-in swap meet each weekend. Just take it over to an outlet before putting it into the trunk of your auto. Many suffer from just too loose connection at the tip, and thus heat is low. The tip on the torch heat units is often a pin, whereas the one on a Weller is a spade. The spade will spread heat much simplier and quicker, which the pin gets redder and redder.

I have had mine for about thirty years now. Got some new tips for $1 ten years ago, but haven't used all of them up. The gun is much preferred when going at wires than a torch. I do however use one of the big Bernz torches when soldering up #1 Ga. wires for the auto starter cables.

Wm.

CCRC1

My Feedback: (13)

Hi Steve,
It really depends on the job you are doing. For making cabanes or landing gear from music wire the 100w soldering gun is probably your best bet. If you are doing fine work or putting together leads or making up smaller battery packs a good iron works best. A friend who is an electronics tech gave me advice a couple of years ago to stay away from variable temp irons that you typically find in the hobby shop. I bought a good Weller iron where the tip determines the specific temp you want to work at. Boy, what a difference it makes
I think I paid around $175.00 for it, but it will outlast me and I can do everything from fine PC board work to soldering battery packs like a pro.
The cabanes you have to make from music wire (or landing gear) will require a heat source that has enough power to heat a lot of metal at once. You will need to be careful using a torch if things aren't going right for you. The torch will take the temper from the music wire and the wire will not provide the support (bending) you need to properly support the wing. You will have to put the temper back in the finished part. You are less likely to effect the temper with the gun. There was a really good site on working with music wire and understanding the temper I found a while back. Let me see if I can find it again.

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

<< I can't see how this is a question. Just use something that is familiar.>>

Sorry to have annoyed you. I am familiar with the gun; it doesn't work anymore. I bought a torch; I'm not doing something right with it. I would like to make it work, rather than buy yet another tool. I thought perhaps someone here could educate me...

Bill, I have some of that liquid flux, and it bubbles almost immediately upon application of the flame; IOW, the work isn't hot enough yet to melt the solder. I have some paste type, about the color and consistency of Vaseline. I'll try that with the Sta-Brite; thanks.

CCRC1, I tried using the gun when I did a set of homemade struts for a float installation. I used regular 5/32 and thin-gauge copper wire. The gun would not heat the entire joint sufficiently to make the solder flow. It did great on pushrod connectors, etc., but it just wouldn;t spread enough heat on those wrapped joints. I ended up using a Bernz-O-Matic torch; which reminded me of when we'd call in a four-plane flight of fast movers with nape and iron bombs to get one lousy sniper...... IOW, more than was necessary.

I am aware of annealing, work-hardening, etc.; and I know it easy to get the work too hot with a torch. Plus, the lower end of the cabane brace will be awfully close to the forward turtle deck sheeting. In fact, I'm tempted to make a jig and solder the whole arrangement, clean it up, and paint it before installation.

I look forward to a link for that site. Thanks a ton.

bubbagates

My Feedback: (32)

Steve,

I actually mispoke about the bubbles, sorry (my bad ). . I usually wait until the bubbles just stop then hit it with the solder and that is using the mini-torch.

Man I haven't seen a Weller soldering gun in a while. I had a really old Craftsman that had the dual soldering rods that come to a point with a little light right above the trigger.

Plug it in, pull the trigger and wait until it starts to really hum and warm up. I am certain it was older than me when it died last year and I'm 45 now

Oh yea the paste flux will work just fine but probably will get a little hotter before it melts, but you probably already found that out.

I pretty much us the torch for eveything. If I am really close to wood then I'll use the gun. But I normally will place tin fil between my work and the background behind my work. I also try to solder away from anything if at all possible when using the torch...Doesn't always end up that way

susquach

My Feedback: (1)

There's something I've been wondering: Why the majority of modelers still use solder when a super alternative exist in a small propane/oxy brazing rig.

I gave up on soldering some years ago when my gun finally dropped dead. Haven't looked back. Sure, it's a little more expensive (oxy bottles don't last too long) but it's easier to braze than solder ....no copper wire to mess with....and a welded joint in most instances is stronger than a soldered joint.

Initially, I thought that working with a higher temperature would have ill effect on the temp of music wire, but I've no complaints in that regard. And, the small tips of the propane/oxy rigs work fine with 1/16" as well as the largest wire sizes.

Brazed joints have the advantage of being less bulky than a wrapped/soldered joint: The gear legs I most often use on .40 and .60 planes a simply a single-wire leg with two metal mounting straps brazed on top. Bi-plane cabanes and interplanes are much easier to fair with out the lumps of wire and solder.

As they say, to each his own poison.... brazing has taken the place of soldering on all the planes I've built over the past 5 years. ....not because I can't solder, but because brazing has proven to be so handy. It really deserves more consideration than the modeling community has given it.

CCRC1

My Feedback: (13)

Steve, sorry I took so long to get back, working 2nd shift[:'(]
This is the article I spoke of:
www.spmrc.com/tips/HeatTreatingMusicWire.html
I hope this helps a little.

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

Got it; thanks.

Eindecker_pilot

I've occaisonally run into this problem when soldering: I clean the joint, apply the flux, and heat the joint up. After a while, I apply the solder to see if it will melt and hold it there. I wait & wait for the solder to start flowing and just before it does, I see this brown crud form where the flux used to be. Did I burn the flux? Is that even possible? Needless to say, once that stuff carmelizes, the solder fails to bond to the metal. Very frustrating. Hope you folks can shed some light on what I did wrong. I've had this happen occaisionally with both an iron and a torch.

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

You would think that, in a city the size of Baton Rouge, I could find some Sta-Brite silver solder. Nope. But the LHS had some "low-temp silver solder" from The Empire, and, wonder of wonders, it worked like a champ. That little torch IS the cat's meow- if you use the proper solder...

Thanks again for all the advice. I now have a nice set of wrapped and soldered cabanes. Of course, I have another distraction before I can continue with the Super Aeromaster build; yesterday at the field my grandson stated he wanted to start flying his trainer again; the Kougar got away from him and he almost planted it. That shook him bad; he wants to back down from that fast little rocket ship, I guess.

So now I have to repair and re-commission the LT-40; which has been hanging up seriously dorked, dirt still on it, from when I was having a ball on a 30-knot wind day last winter and; well, you know...[&o]