68. Soldering the small stuff
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- Soldering is one of those skills that just takes a little practice to perfect. I have previously posted videos on soldering to some larger components so in this video I want to share with you some tips on soldering small jobs. I wrote about this in my March 2020 DCC Corner column in Model Railroader so hopefully this video will fill in some of the details. If you want to develop your soldering skills then get out some scraps and do a little practicing.
On eBay search for Tortoise card edge connectors and for the ones with screw terminals add Accu-Lite to the search.
For the pre-wired LEDs search eBay for 20pcs Pre Wired GOLDEN White SMD 0805 Led. I got 20 for $13.99 including shipping.
Larry your videos are great providing Model Railroaders a wealth of knowledge Thank You
Most of this is over my head but I’m thankful you have done these videos because when I do tackle this fiddly stuff I know where to go
Larry, excellent video for use that are not used to soldering. I learned a lot again. Also picked up a few ideas and new products. Thanks for sharing. Ken
Always glad to hear from folks they are getting something out of the videos, thanks-Larry
I have the same iron as you, what is the best temp to set the iron for DCC boards?
Hey Larry, I have the 1000 om resistors that go to the wires. Can I use them in the loco's for LED's??? Some loco's I want to put red lights on some ends of them. Thanks , joe
I usually start with a 1000 ohm resistor, hook it up and see if the LED is bright enough and then go up or down from there if necessary.
If you want truly small stuff to solder, try your hand at n-scale. You seem to deal exclusively with HO. N-scale problems can have a world of difference about them. Remember 15-20% of all modelers are n-scalers.
I dipped my toe into N-scale about 20 years ago so am fully aware fo the challenges. However I never have completely left HO scale and the older you get the harder it is to see all those fine details.
Thanks for the helpful video. Is there any kind of work surface you recommend for doing quick small jobs like these? I live in an apartment so I will have to do the work on the dining room table or a banquet table near my layout. I just bought a Hakko FX888 but have not used it yet. Never soldered anything before but I need to hook up a speaker and a couple other wires to a decoder and motherboard.
For a quick portable work surface you could go to the lumber store and pick up a precut plywood panel. They sell these in small hobby cuts. If you want fancy they also sell inexoensive butcher block type slabs in small sizes. For most of my videos I use a 1/2” thick piece of plywood about 2’ x 2’. You don’t have to worry about burning it, but if you worry about scratching the dinner table just glue a piece of felt or cork to the bottom.
Thanks Larry. Which magnifying glasses do you wear and recommend? Do you wear them along with your regular eye glasses? Thanks again for very helpful and insightful videos.
I just picked up a couple of pairs from the local drug store. I don’t remember the mag factor, and it is best to try on various ones to see what feels best.
@@TheDCCGuy Thanks. I wear progressive lens tri-focal eyeglasses. Do you wear the ones you bought instead of your regular eyeglasses when doing detailed work?
Yes, you do need to take off your regular glasses.
Can you give us a link to the dealer in China for the 1K ohm resistors with the wires.
Randall
As I said go to eBay and search for Pre-Wired-GOLDEN-White-SMD-0805-Led
Larry, I'm electrically challenged! How do you know what type LED to use and what size resistor?
Roger-That depends, what are putting it in. Personally I have been using surface mount LEDs purchased on eBay, that come prewired with a 1000 ohm resistor. Take a look at my video on using LEDs in locos. You can test them with a 9V battery to figure out the polarity of the wires. I have shown how to install the in my videos.
@@TheDCCGuy Larry, I'm mostly interested in HO steam. I've installed lots of 1.5v bulbs but never any LEDs. I had an S scale Train-Master that came with LEDs. They were an awful looking blue shade. I would never want to use anything like that. How much resistance is needed with LEDs? Is 1000ohms normal?
When you buy replacement LEDs look for for golden white or sunny white to avoid the blue versions. I recommend starting with a value of 1000 ohms and go up or down from there to decide on the final brightness desired. It is hard to know in advance since they vary so much in brightness.
@@TheDCCGuy Thanks, Larry.
Have you used the SMAIL on your layout? Which do you prefer? I will be using a procab dcc.
I habe ine but have not installed it as yet. They basically are a Tortoise with an accessory decoder included internally for DCC control.
@@TheDCCGuy I really liked how you installed the tortoise with the decoder and used dc power and push button with also dcc command too, can the smail be powered from a dc bus and still receive commands by dcc?
can you tell me what temperature setting you us? Thanks
I vary that depending on the job. For small stuff I usually go with something closer to the solder melting point. For 60:40 that is 370F and for 63:37 is 361F. If I have a bigger job like rail joiners or rail feeders, which draw the heat away fast, I will crank it up hotter. You basically should start with a temp a little above the melting point and move it up until you are getting a good “wet” melt. It really is one of those things you learn from experience and practice. Too much heat for too long will cause plastic ties to melt and circuit traces to lift, etc.
@@TheDCCGuy How do you know the melting point of the solder is it on the roll? Also what kind of iron are you using?
I'm the guy who has the old fashion DC locamotives. Did you do a video on installing LEDs on a DC locamotive?
I have not done one like that. Using LEDs with DC is a bit more involved and requires the use of diodes and resistors to get things to work correctly. Let me see if I can find you a circuit to do that.
@@TheDCCGuy thanks. I did one but now it looks like Frankenstein. Lol
Thank you for this video. Soldering is my least favorite part of the hobby.