That is extremely cool. I work for a company that deals in industrial equipment and very often we scrap out odd pieces of bracketry and such, some of which would make interesting industrially themed lamps that border on sculpture if you have an eye. Sometimes a classic bulb with a filament is the thing, but these kits and your modification idea gives me some ideas and options. Thanks! This channel is great!
I am sorry to hear about your mother. Alzheimer is one of my most feared conditions, because it robs you of your essence and causes much pain for those who love you. Good on you for your devotion.
@@drteeth7054 - If you're still with us - Tramadol would be a very poor choice of exit elixir. Chances are with an overdose of it, you'd suffer from terrible seizures - and IIRC there is a ceiling dose on it's opioid effects, so you can't OD in that way with them.
I love your occasional tangents as much as the electronic items. My father was born in Wigan, near Manchester, and my family went to the Isle of Man on holiday and spoke well of it. Please keep up the commentary as well! Cheers!
I have a pair of legit Xuron cutters. They were really expensive when I bought them in the late '90s. I like them because they actually shear leads instead of just clipping them, which means they don't tend to fling as far and they put less stress on soldered joints if you cut close to the PCB.
Hi, I'm on the other side of 50 and have almost been soldering every day since I was 10, I have been using tin with lead for all those years, it's the only right thing to use, the other tin is crap. Thanks for the good videos and work you do, I always have you in the baggrund when I work in my electronic room, you are some kind of relaxing when you talk 👍😁
Clive, I exchanged a couple of emails with Xuron. The Rep watched your video and is very much appreciative that you correctly pointed out that the product you received is truly a knock off. In my opinion their cutters are the best. They stated that no sooner than they get one seller to pull one of their knock off's down, 10 more show up. I remember back in the early 1990's when the company I worked for at the time (Motorola). Hired some metallurgist's for the purpose of coming up with a lead free solder, because they were seeing the potential problem with landfills leaching lead into the water table. Also I prefer that satisfying sizzle of the wet sponge. I have had hot solder flip back from the brass pad before. Not very pleasant. Do you ever use the hold the solder with your lips while holding a project with both hands, soldering method?
I don't know a whole bunch about electronics but every time I watch these videos I always learn something. Your commentary is fascinating and it's always a pleasure to hear you talk about random subjects. For instance, thanks for informing me about the Isle of Man!
I really enjoy these longer project videos. You always learn something new and pick up little tips and tricks. Today for instance, you mentioned that the actual chip of the LED sits on the cathode. That's very useful to know and easy to remember - cathode - c - c is for chip. Also it's just a joy to watch you work. It's very meditative, yet entertaining. Then of course I heartily despise these project videos as well as they always makes me go on to ebay, put in a few deliberately vague search terms and immediately want to buy stuff for hundreds of pounds and I can't afford that. *angrily shakes fist* Damn you for awakening my technolust! :-p
Great video. I had been looking for something like the LED lamp kits you showed, but wasn't able to find it until you shared the keywords. I'm off to buy a couple! Liked the small talk as well, interesting hearing about the Isle of Man.
Thanks for the soldering tips:-D But the best technique I see in most of your videos is the way you use your 2 hands to manipulate bits and pieces. Sometimes I have to look twice cause I'm not sure if I see 2 hands or 4. O_o This is very very impressive.
Sweet! I'm going to build some of these with IR LED's, in combo with light detection sockets, to light up the yard for a night vision camera system. Much cheaper than buying anything off the shelf... if they even sold 120/240 IR lamps at any store in the US I couldn't afford them.
Congratulations BigClive you managed to keep me hooked for 41 minutes and 31 seconds. that may not seem much to most people but for someone with attention deficit disorder that's pretty impressive. 👍👍👍👍
On those cheap "nippers", I always buy a few (five to ten) at a time. They're so cheap you can destroy them. I normally keep a few "virgin" to replace the used, a couple used, and the used ones that become too used I keep as "bolt removers/cutters/hammer".
Hi BigClive, I live Near Detroit MI, USA, I just want to thank you for your support of buying items Made In the USA. I love watching you videos. I do watch the Isle of Man TT race, It sure is the most dangerous race that there is.
I've got a set of the 'posh' cutters and they have a hinged action so that the blades come together along the entire edge at the same time instead of the scissor style action you get with the cheap ones. The nice thing about that is that you don't get the leads flying off and poking your eye out. I got them free so no complaints here!
lol I'm glad your lamp holder is wired the right way around because it looks like your finger keeps making contact with the bare metal from the bulb adapter.
Your like the Irish Bob Ross of electronics...You have such a relaxing voice, I love listening to you when I'm trying to fall asleep, and I end up learning helpful little tidbits along the way!
My great great great grandparents lived on the other side of the island from you, near Peel, back in the early 19th century. I dunno how many of them are left over there now, but we have a whole Manx Society here in Minnesota.
Who knew! With my interest in everything railroad, I ended up taking a look at the Isle of Man on Google maps, followed the tram lines around from Clive's town, ran into Laxey and learned a bunch about the water wheels there, and the mine railway. I could probably spend an entire day in that town alone. It looks to be a very nice island.
I like how you mention some history of where you live. I am actually in a class at my university that is covering the triangular trading routes in the 18th century, Bristol and Liverpool being the main ports of where the trades took place. It's a bit of a touchy subject since it regards slave trading,, but nevertheless very important history. After the Act of Union in 1707 passed and Scotland united with England, Glasgow became a large player in refining sugar and also became the leading port of entry for sugar imported from the plantations of The West Indies. Since I watch your channel regularly, I read Glasgow and thought Big Clive.
30:45 Yup it is a matter of when not if. When I was learning to solder around 12 I didn't have a proper stand. I reached for a pencil in my peripheral vision and I grabbed the iron instead. Didn't make that mistake twice.
Best ever "sitting down with and getting to know Clive a little more" upload yet. I was surprised the flicker was so noticeable, would there be an easy (ish) way to adapt the half wave so it's more a square wave than sine so the leds would be illuminated for more of the cycle time. PS, you got a nice shout out from AvE recently, he's even doing the occasional Scottish accent which I'm sure is in tribute you also.
Thanks for the fantastic videos, Clive! They're keeping me company while I rewire the patchbay in the studio. Regarding the leaded solder, I definitely prefer it over lead-free. I believe the perceived problem and regulation of lead in solder is more about the disposal of old PCBs in landfill etc and associated problems such as leeching into ground water etc rather than the health of individual technicians using the solder.
When Clive was telling stories while doing the soldering, I was thinking the same thing. It's a very similar format, talk about the project when doing something new, talk about general electronics or life when doing something repetitive.
+d3v1lsummoner haha yes. "And here we'll put a happy little resistor, I just love making sure my circuits are current limited... a happy little resistor"
It's very noisy where I am today, so I thought I'd try the auto generated captions. Apparently you caused problems for Detroit homes, then took out the interior ladies
Wish my fingers would allow me to both hold a component and length of solder at the same time, whilst allowing me to move both independently at the same time, have never been able to do that, always end up using a set of 'helping hand' type things.
I've been soldering for around 30 years, not professionally though, so don't take my advice. I tend to use a clothes peg or an adjustable spanner to hold the work piece in place. Tried the Clive method but it didn't work for me; I don't have the dexterity. Just keep soldering and you'll find a way that works, or at least a way that kind of works. Decent solder with decent flux helps a lot. I forked out for a genuine Hakko soldering station but I found it wasn't really worth it for a part-timer like me.
igotes Clothes pegs, adjustable spanners are very much some of the stuff i have used before to hold something, along with blu tac and other such stuff. I have been soldering for about 35 years, a year or so of that time was spent populating and soldering pcb's, but i also lack the dexterity. I suffer from MS, so that probably pays a part, very much so lately with my hands shaking when i do not want them to! And totally agree, decent solder and flux i a must. I would like a Hakko, but like you have found, it is not really merited for the small amount i do.
I've been using "Multicore" brand solder for years but the stuff I have is about 1mm diameter, which can be a bit too much for SMD, so I bought a reel of 0.3mm stuff from China. It's 60/40 Sn/Pb but behaves like lead free. I think the reason it's so crap is because the flux is so poor. It just smells wrong.
Clive, I've always used solder in about 3 foot lengths. I pull it off the roll and wrap it around the four fingers on one hand to make a convenient size oval loop. That has the advantage that I can go a long time before I need to pull off another hunk from the roll. It also makes it easier to hang onto if I'm hanging from the grid resoldering twinkie lights on the back of a drop two minutes before the start of the show. I just stick a couple fingers through the loop and the solder stays with my hand.
Given that I am relatively skint and tight fisted with it, I opted for a set of clippers designed for cutting finger/toe nails. I got them in "Home Bargains" for something like 89p. They would be irritating if you had a lot to do, but work just fine for wee projects.
I don't get it, 4:18, Over here in the NA region I can't get these capacitive droppers to work, I've tried all sorts of values such as 680nF 470nF 220nF and non work or if they did the LED would flash and then stop working (The LED isn't burnt because when I unplug and re-plug it does the same thing, flash and cease to work.) I've copied many different schematics of yours and tried it with and without resistors and bridge rectifiers but it doesn't work. Could it be because we have 60Hz instead of 50Hz?
Are you trying to run a 240VAC kit off 120VAC? I do not recall how many LEDs are in series, but you must first overcome their minimum forward voltage before they begin to conduct and glow. You will also need a much larger capacitor due to our lower starting voltage and you may well find that you need less of a dropper than a ballast (as in current limiting, not voltage limiting as when run at 240VAC) -- and you may not even need a ballast at all if their nominal operating voltage equals or exceeds 120VAC (which peaks at 170V when rectified). Depending upon the LED color and makeup you will need to develop anywhere from about 1.7 to 3.8V per LED in series, so you do not get to series many of them when running at 120VAC. If you did build a 240VAC kit and are certain you have everything built properly, then try testing your lamp by plugging it into a 240VAC receptacle instead (in some homes a drier may be your only 240VAC receptacle unless you have a workshop with large power tools).
Around 2:00 - I have a set of real Xuron snips, strippers, and very fine needle nose pliers, and they are wonderful tools. I prefer them to any of the others that I've used in the past.
same here tooXD, #bigclivetips... i want a video of him sharing all kinds of tips and tricks, because honestly , they sound bad you wont ever get taught them in schools, but we do them, and will use it because its just logical to do so
What a great video very education and interesting. Hoping to come to the island once the kids have flown the coup. Love to get you a pint when we do. Keep up the excellent videos.
Really amazing lamp, almost looks like the light was turning. But most amazing is your fingers. I guess you have some minibrains in the fingers for individual control. You always have nice tips of products from ebay.
23:19 - "...wonder if that company still exists..." Actually it does...I have been interested in making my own jewelry long before I ever found your videos. Xuron is very popular in the States for making precision snips and grips for cutting/shaping bead wire, clasps and such into/onto bracelets/necklaces. Never knew they made electronics tools too. They're also not cheap...sorta considered the _crème de la crème_ in handmade jewelry/beading circles. Just as an example, the 3pc kit I love (the TK2400 set) was ~$50 when I bought it locally. Just doing a quick Amazon search now lists it for $44 so it hasn't gone down much in price. Worth every penny though.
Have you been helping with the zero emissions TT bikes, Clive. I used to follow the racing, and visited for the TT a couple of times. It made a pleasant change for bikers to be welcomed into pubs and hotels. Even bikes in their hallways and bars! Also got to see Suzi Quatro there one time. Much more rock and roll than on TOTP! The racing guys were incredible: I couldbarely even hold onto my bike as the roads were ro bumpy, but they were lapping at 130, and, I guess, even more now. Incredible, but so sad as nearly all the heroes only lasted a few years.
I noticed the prices. I was thinking about a summer home there, someplace near Mount Murray, but I'm not paying those prices for a place to escape the summer heat of FLA. Enjoyed the TIME TEAM dig at the golf course.
the TT race is a really good one ! those bike riders are crazy ill bet they run around 150MPH rite threw the regular streets . its a real treat if you never seen it .
The first time I'd heard you mention that you lived on the Isle i thought wow, must be very exciting for a couple weeks every year, then a beautiful, scenic place the rest of the year, but also kinda boring for all the young adults and teens. I'd love to visit sometime.
I am surprised you don't take an extra 15 seconds few pennies, and use two 500K resistors in series, to make that 1M resistor, which would put half the voltage across each one. Your videos are excellent - very enjoyable to watch.
Im sorry to hear about your Mom Clive. But good on you for taking care of her. I admire that tons. Too many folks just wanna ship em off to some home and forget about them. so yeah god bless ya bro.
My experience with cheap snips is for the price they are just fine. Though, after you snip enough hard leads, they turn into wire strippers from all the divots. I suppose the biggest problem is the hardening they use during production, they are pretty soft.
30:31 happens to me for the first time last night EXACTLY how he said... freaking tinkering with something other than the iron while still holding it......it looks nice today...that little usb iron packs a sizzle
Did an experiment with this kit this evening, tried it with a pair of anaglyph glasses. If I close my right eye I see the red LEDs, and if I close my left eye I see the blue. If I look with both I just see the blue LEDs. Reversing the glasses so the red lens is over my right eye I just see the red LEDs. Might explain why the old style 3D has never really worked for me.
My first soldering iron burn happened in 1965 when i was 13. My dad was into model railroading and he had a 400 watt iron he used to solder the rails together. I was using it on the concrete floor and ended up stepping on it with my bear foot. 1-1/2 inch wide blister going across my foot at a 45 degree angle. Took 6 weeks to heal.
Ooh, now that must have hurt! The worst burn that i've had was when i just parked my bike after a 30 mile ride and i saw a bit of a plastic bag stuck in the radiator, so i reached to get it and put my wrist directly on the hot exhaust pipe. Hurt like hell for several days.
+CowboyFrankHarrell Mine was when I dropped the iron and it landed on that fleshy bit between the thumb and first finger. you can barely see it now but ended up with a 2" scar across there. What made it worse was trying to grab the falling iron and really ramming it on rather than it hitting and bouncing off.
I use both the most expensive side cutters (Lindstrom circa 50GBP+) and some of the cheapest (circa 3GBP) like those shown here. Depends on the job. The jaws in the more expensive ones are typically better aligned, harder and will last a lot longer but the price does not warrant them unless you are buying a pair for life or are using them for production, or a particular need. For example, I have to use a pair of Lindstrom RX8161 for a particular cut where I frequently need a very strong clean cut to cut thin sheet metal. I also always have a very small pair of Lindstrom 7191 to hand for component snipping as I can encompass them with my hand. These are relatively small and sit really well. When looking for a flush cut, beware the difference between bevel and true flush.
Xuron cutting tools have been around for many years, Used to be good (older USA made ones from before 2002 were good, newer ones made abroad, not so much) I bought two new pairs of Xuron shears (about 12 years ago) that were supposedly''designed for Cutting Nickel Silver Rail' with hardened cutting faces. (looked like they had been heat treated or case hardened). Both pairs I had failed at the same 'fold point' seen on the metal arms between the blade and handle sections where the tell tale bluing of the metal ended (probably caused by localised heating/case hardening). The first pair failed after cutting about a dozen lengths of 'code 55 nickel silver rail' (small 2mm = 1ft scale rails) I used the second pair for general electronics use & they lasted a couple of years before failing in the exact same place. Much better to cut nickel silver rails with 'rotary cutting disc' anyway, gives a much nicer clean cut. :-) Can't beat the snap on cutters for most things but they do cost a fair bit.
re flush cutters I had some of those blue handled ones but the metal of the blades was so soft they blunted really quickly and got all notchy and useless but I found some that were listed on ebay as being for cutting model railway track rather than electronics. theyre unbranded and were only a couple of quid but they seem to be of properly hardened steel. Ive been using them for ages and theyre good as new
I loved all the iom info on this video. I've always intended to visit as a transport enthusiast but never got around to it. Every time I had chance, there was always a bike race on. Is there ever a time when there isnt ?. The ensuing road closures, meaning the visit would be less fulfilling.
Pretty handy little snips for soft stuff just don't try trimming steel guitar strings with them, the first pair of those I had died a horrible death that way, the jaws were softer than the music wire, it just put grooves in the jaws of the snips and didn't even dent the guitar strings.
the original xurons go back to the 70's, an early inexpensive electronic cutter (radio shack sold them at one point, before they go in their own chinese/taiwan imports), i bought a pair of the chinese ones too, complete unashamed copy! but who can afford lindstroms? they are not 40x better for sure
A point on cutters: Make sure you get bevel-edge cutters for general electronics work not flush ones, particularly for cutting component leads after soldering. Flush cutters will cut through the solder, which is not good. Bevel cutters don't as they ride up the solder blob and only cut the component lead.
Isle of man works basically the same as Washington Island in Wisconsin, you come here when you are little and then it becomes a family tradition and then you eventually move here.
The Chinese side cutters are great, ok if you use them on the supposed work the last long, on the more non standard work, last a good time. you can resharpen them by just regrinding the flat side. or just buy a new one. I personally prefer the blue ones
AFAIK, the main reason for switching to lead-free solder is to stop large amounts of lead (many thousands of tons per year from scrap electronics) from winding up in landfill and polluting the water table via acid rain leaching.
+oldblokeh it may have stopped the lead, but it's quadrupled the amount of electrical/electronic equipment going in to landfill. between me and my family and friends we must have had dozens upon dozens of devices that have failed simply because the lead free solder joints have fractured. This is why the aircraft industry is exempt from the ROHS lead free solder rules. In short, it's just not reliable.
+100SteveB Since 2006 I've never heard any family or friends have their electronics break because of bad solder joints, no TVs, phones, tablet, computer or any other electronics devices.
Albert Vds Your lucky, i myself have had several pc graphic cards fail, plus 2 games consoles, and 1 flat screen tv. All the same problem, the solder connections underneath various processors. Normal cause is fracturing of the tiny joints due to expansion and contraction of either the device or the board due to heat. Non leaded solder will fracture over time, leaded solder being softer absorbs the movement without a problem. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_grid_array
+100SteveB I think You are right. I've had things go wrong and opened them up to find its simply a dry joint, quickly sorted with a touch of proper solder. Until recently I've never come across that issue on bought electronics and it does seem more than coincidence.
I still have my old Xcelite cutters I got back in the early '90s...slightly nicked, but I've been gentle with them and they're still quite workable. Might have to check out a pair of (genuine!) Xuron cutters though. Please tell me you tried playing around with that light with a pair of red and blue 3D glasses on! Seeing speed as distance would really mess your brain up, I'd think.
I've always wanted to toss blue and yellow LEDs together for a colour-blind lamp. The light would look white, but anything illuminated (that doesn't fluoresce) would look some shade of blue or yellow. Trippy flicker isn't something I'd thought of, but that'd certainly add to the weirdness.
I know this is an older video, but sorry to hear about your mom Clive. My mother's father was the last remaining grandparent alive and when I was 17 he developed dementia. It's so terrible to see people you love go down that road. 😞
"That peripheral vision thing" is to allow us to perceive movement at the edge of our vision more quickly. Could be useful if you are hunting something to eat and even more useful if something is hunting you! Can be annoying though if you have a cheap light flickering in the corner of your eye.
YTH are a pretty sound buy in my experience. They produce the YTH202B, the only non-genuine DuPont crimpers I have ever found that create proper O-shape insulator crimps on the very common so-called 'DuPont' 2.54mm wire-to-board connectors. You then need a 1.6mm, U-shape die to create the conductor crimps. I use an Engineer brand PA-09 for that half of the process. In combination they produce absolutely *perfect* crimps and over the laste few years I have tried many other combined-cycle crimpers which fail totally. Sadly, that is not the cheapest option though--the YTH tool is not so bad at about £7 but the Engineer ones are between £30-£35. Still, this is in comparison with the genuine DuPont--or Amphenol--tool for that specific crimp which in all honesty cost about £1500 from RadioSpares! If you do a lot of modding of 1980's microcomputers or experiment with the Arduino/Raspberry Pi it is well worth the investment though as the finished crimp is totally reliable in my experience. I would also recommend the Engineer NZ-12 side-cutters as well. Another choice would be the PierGiacomi brand TRE-03-B. I tend to use the former purely for trimming component legs as they are a little bit pricey at £15 and rather light-weight while I use the latter, heavier cutters for everything else. The only, rather humorous down side about the YTH tools is the plastic they use for the handles. Whatever they put into it the stuff absolutely *reeks* of garlic and I absolutely _detest_ that herb myself!!! Luckily the stench doesn't seem to come off on your hands, but they do feel a little greasy to the touch nonetheless.
It really is a well made and essential piece of kit, I just wish it had the O-shaped insulator die built in--I think the official term is 'open barrel'. In fact I recommend all the Engineer tools I have come across, although they are right on the very _edge_ of affordable. That is why I try to sheppard my side-cutters and use the cheaper ones for rough materials. That said the PierGiacomi cutters are extremely good as well and very reasonably priced at £4. The edges still haven't been notched by anything I've thrown at them.
Footery. Good Scots word there. Also, I've been trying your "hold the solder and the components in the left hand and the iron in the other" technique and getting nowhere. Then I remembered I'm left handed.
My car breaks used to do that all the time until I got cryogenically frozen rotor . The break dust I used to get in a day. Now it takes two and a half weeks to build up the same level.
i got a set of wire cutters from maplin with built in wire stripper in the handle for about £7-8 :o gotta get me some of these diy led lamp kits now, lol
I used to holiday on the IOM as a lad (early 20s) and would wiz around the TT course (in 30ish mins = > 60 mph average) on my 250 cc Honda G5 and Dream. :) I believe the Hotel I stayed in (the Majestic) is No More... :(
You mentioning the electric trams on the Isle of Man got me wondering. Do they still you the Mercury rectifiers to provide a DC supply? If so I think it would make a great video explaining how a rectifier works.
@@bigclivedotcom Thats a shame. As a 16 year old in the 1970s I worked in a cinema in the Lake District we had a mercury rectifier in the basement for the carbon arc lamps (It was like something out of a Frankenstein movie) In the winter it was always really bad to start I would have to go and poke it with a broom handle! It was one of the things that got me interested in electronics in the first place.
I got the blue snips in a brand called PLUTO. they're excellent. you forgot to mention they're sharper with a fine tip while the red ones have an annoying flat tip.
I enjoyed the brief commentary about the Isle of Man.
That is extremely cool.
I work for a company that deals in industrial equipment and very often we scrap out odd pieces of bracketry and such, some of which would make interesting industrially themed lamps that border on sculpture if you have an eye.
Sometimes a classic bulb with a filament is the thing, but these kits and your modification idea gives me some ideas and options.
Thanks! This channel is great!
I am sorry to hear about your mother. Alzheimer is one of my most feared conditions, because it robs you of your essence and causes much pain for those who love you. Good on you for your devotion.
That is why I have an exit strategy… enough tramadol to kill an elephant.
@@drteeth7054 - If you're still with us - Tramadol would be a very poor choice of exit elixir. Chances are with an overdose of it, you'd suffer from terrible seizures - and IIRC there is a ceiling dose on it's opioid effects, so you can't OD in that way with them.
I love your occasional tangents as much as the electronic items. My father was born in Wigan, near Manchester, and my family went to the Isle of Man on holiday and spoke well of it. Please keep up the commentary as well! Cheers!
I love the videos abour you soldering and telling stories about your live. Its really calming down when working on my own projects.
I could listen to big clive all day long (and have before). The lamp looks awesome! Thanks for the audio tour of the isle of man!
I have a pair of legit Xuron cutters. They were really expensive when I bought them in the late '90s. I like them because they actually shear leads instead of just clipping them, which means they don't tend to fling as far and they put less stress on soldered joints if you cut close to the PCB.
Perhaps you could get one of the EBay ripoffs and compare the two? I wonder how close they matched the quality.
Now you should relist that light on Chinese eBay as some pseudo-science laser therapy light and sell it back to the Chinese at a markup!
@David Parry wot?! the only ones seeing jesus are the epileptic people
Hi, I'm on the other side of 50 and have almost been soldering every day since I was 10, I have been using tin with lead for all those years, it's the only right thing to use, the other tin is crap.
Thanks for the good videos and work you do, I always have you in the baggrund when I work in my electronic room, you are some kind of relaxing when you talk 👍😁
Clive, I exchanged a couple of emails with Xuron. The Rep watched your video and is very much appreciative that you correctly pointed out that the product you received is truly a knock off. In my opinion their cutters are the best. They stated that no sooner than they get one seller to pull one of their knock off's down, 10 more show up. I remember back in the early 1990's when the company I worked for at the time (Motorola). Hired some metallurgist's for the purpose of coming up with a lead free solder, because they were seeing the potential problem with landfills leaching lead into the water table. Also I prefer that satisfying sizzle of the wet sponge. I have had hot solder flip back from the brass pad before. Not very pleasant. Do you ever use the hold the solder with your lips while holding a project with both hands, soldering method?
H
I don't know a whole bunch about electronics but every time I watch these videos I always learn something. Your commentary is fascinating and it's always a pleasure to hear you talk about random subjects. For instance, thanks for informing me about the Isle of Man!
Great project Clive. I really enjoyed it. I'd love to see more of these DIY component assemblies. Many thanks.
I really enjoy these longer project videos. You always learn something new and pick up little tips and tricks. Today for instance, you mentioned that the actual chip of the LED sits on the cathode. That's very useful to know and easy to remember - cathode - c - c is for chip.
Also it's just a joy to watch you work. It's very meditative, yet entertaining.
Then of course I heartily despise these project videos as well as they always makes me go on to ebay, put in a few deliberately vague search terms and immediately want to buy stuff for hundreds of pounds and I can't afford that.
*angrily shakes fist* Damn you for awakening my technolust! :-p
This was a nice sit-down and chat. Thanks, Clive!
Great video. I had been looking for something like the LED lamp kits you showed, but wasn't able to find it until you shared the keywords. I'm off to buy a couple! Liked the small talk as well, interesting hearing about the Isle of Man.
Thanks for the soldering tips:-D
But the best technique I see in most of your videos is the way you use your 2 hands to manipulate bits and pieces. Sometimes I have to look twice cause I'm not sure if I see 2 hands or 4.
O_o
This is very very impressive.
Sweet! I'm going to build some of these with IR LED's, in combo with light detection sockets, to light up the yard for a night vision camera system. Much cheaper than buying anything off the shelf... if they even sold 120/240 IR lamps at any store in the US I couldn't afford them.
I wish your mom happiness and joy, as she raised a good man.
Congratulations BigClive you managed to keep me hooked for 41 minutes and 31 seconds. that may not seem much to most people but for someone with attention deficit disorder that's pretty impressive. 👍👍👍👍
On those cheap "nippers", I always buy a few (five to ten) at a time. They're so cheap you can destroy them. I normally keep a few "virgin" to replace the used, a couple used, and the used ones that become too used I keep as "bolt removers/cutters/hammer".
Hi BigClive, I live Near Detroit MI, USA, I just want to thank you for your support of buying items Made In the USA. I love watching you videos. I do watch the Isle of Man TT race, It sure is the most dangerous race that there is.
"This lamp is going to be very annoying when it's lit"... Reassurance from Clive as you finish soldering the last of the LED's on to the board. 😂
Came for the LED's Stayed for the History! :)
I've got a set of the 'posh' cutters and they have a hinged action so that the blades come together along the entire edge at the same time instead of the scissor style action you get with the cheap ones. The nice thing about that is that you don't get the leads flying off and poking your eye out. I got them free so no complaints here!
lol I'm glad your lamp holder is wired the right way around because it looks like your finger keeps making contact with the bare metal from the bulb adapter.
+Gadget Addict On the bayonet-cap lamp holder the metal housing is not connected to either live or neutral. They are connected to two pads on the end.
bigclivedotcom Oops, I was thinking of the e27 screw type lol
Wow, the bench is so clean.. What a throw-back
Your like the Irish Bob Ross of electronics...You have such a relaxing voice, I love listening to you when I'm trying to fall asleep, and I end up learning helpful little tidbits along the way!
Scottish*
Thank you for the video and the information about the clips you used. I was about to buy some new clips, so I will buy those now.
My great great great grandparents lived on the other side of the island from you, near Peel, back in the early 19th century. I dunno how many of them are left over there now, but we have a whole Manx Society here in Minnesota.
Who knew! With my interest in everything railroad, I ended up taking a look at the Isle of Man on Google maps, followed the tram lines around from Clive's town, ran into Laxey and learned a bunch about the water wheels there, and the mine railway. I could probably spend an entire day in that town alone. It looks to be a very nice island.
I like how you mention some history of where you live. I am actually in a class at my university that is covering the triangular trading routes in the 18th century, Bristol and Liverpool being the main ports of where the trades took place. It's a bit of a touchy subject since it regards slave trading,, but nevertheless very important history. After the Act of Union in 1707 passed and Scotland united with England, Glasgow became a large player in refining sugar and also became the leading port of entry for sugar imported from the plantations of The West Indies. Since I watch your channel regularly, I read Glasgow and thought Big Clive.
+Sako's Tech Spot Yes, Glasgow has an odd history of sugar and tobacco lords.
30:45 Yup it is a matter of when not if. When I was learning to solder around 12 I didn't have a proper stand. I reached for a pencil in my peripheral vision and I grabbed the iron instead. Didn't make that mistake twice.
Best ever "sitting down with and getting to know Clive a little more" upload yet. I was surprised the flicker was so noticeable, would there be an easy (ish) way to adapt the half wave so it's more a square wave than sine so the leds would be illuminated for more of the cycle time.
PS, you got a nice shout out from AvE recently, he's even doing the occasional Scottish accent which I'm sure is in tribute you also.
+Andy Wood Hmm I may have to throw in some AvE moments then.
Thanks for the fantastic videos, Clive! They're keeping me company while I rewire the patchbay in the studio.
Regarding the leaded solder, I definitely prefer it over lead-free. I believe the perceived problem and regulation of lead in solder is more about the disposal of old PCBs in landfill etc and associated problems such as leeching into ground water etc rather than the health of individual technicians using the solder.
Does BigClive assembling electronics kits remind anyone else slightly of Bob Ross?
When Clive was telling stories while doing the soldering, I was thinking the same thing. It's a very similar format, talk about the project when doing something new, talk about general electronics or life when doing something repetitive.
+d3v1lsummoner haha yes. "And here we'll put a happy little resistor, I just love making sure my circuits are current limited... a happy little resistor"
+bdot02 bigclive, the bob ross of soldering and electronics :D
+Hello, Murica! I think you mean exploding burning wonderful accidents :)
+Nene yeah if you look at Electroboom's RUclips videos they seem to be a bit fun and a bit terrifying.
This looks like such a fun project... making something like this is definitely going to be on my list of projects to try in the future
It's very noisy where I am today, so I thought I'd try the auto generated captions. Apparently you caused problems for Detroit homes, then took out the interior ladies
When I am bored I turn on the auto generated subs for laughs!
The Chinese sellers must be wondering why there has been a large uptake in sales of side cutters today (including me).
Wish my fingers would allow me to both hold a component and length of solder at the same time, whilst allowing me to move both independently at the same time, have never been able to do that, always end up using a set of 'helping hand' type things.
+100SteveB If you do a lot of soldering it will just "happen" one day.
+bigclivedotcom You'll probably burn your fingers a few dozen times in the process, but it's worth it.
I've been soldering for around 30 years, not professionally though, so don't take my advice. I tend to use a clothes peg or an adjustable spanner to hold the work piece in place. Tried the Clive method but it didn't work for me; I don't have the dexterity. Just keep soldering and you'll find a way that works, or at least a way that kind of works. Decent solder with decent flux helps a lot. I forked out for a genuine Hakko soldering station but I found it wasn't really worth it for a part-timer like me.
igotes
Clothes pegs, adjustable spanners are very much some of the stuff i have used before to hold something, along with blu tac and other such stuff. I have been soldering for about 35 years, a year or so of that time was spent populating and soldering pcb's, but i also lack the dexterity. I suffer from MS, so that probably pays a part, very much so lately with my hands shaking when i do not want them to! And totally agree, decent solder and flux i a must. I would like a Hakko, but like you have found, it is not really merited for the small amount i do.
I've been using "Multicore" brand solder for years but the stuff I have is about 1mm diameter, which can be a bit too much for SMD, so I bought a reel of 0.3mm stuff from China. It's 60/40 Sn/Pb but behaves like lead free. I think the reason it's so crap is because the flux is so poor. It just smells wrong.
Great video. I really enjoy these long relaxing ones.
Clive, I've always used solder in about 3 foot lengths. I pull it off the roll and wrap it around the four fingers on one hand to make a convenient size oval loop. That has the advantage that I can go a long time before I need to pull off another hunk from the roll. It also makes it easier to hang onto if I'm hanging from the grid resoldering twinkie lights on the back of a drop two minutes before the start of the show. I just stick a couple fingers through the loop and the solder stays with my hand.
Given that I am relatively skint and tight fisted with it, I opted for a set of clippers designed for cutting finger/toe nails. I got them in "Home Bargains" for something like 89p. They would be irritating if you had a lot to do, but work just fine for wee projects.
I don't get it, 4:18, Over here in the NA region I can't get these capacitive droppers to work, I've tried all sorts of values such as 680nF 470nF 220nF and non work or if they did the LED would flash and then stop working (The LED isn't burnt because when I unplug and re-plug it does the same thing, flash and cease to work.) I've copied many different schematics of yours and tried it with and without resistors and bridge rectifiers but it doesn't work. Could it be because we have 60Hz instead of 50Hz?
+chems It needs the bridge rectifier for ordinary strings of LEDs and the capacitor needs to be on the AC side.
+bigclivedotcom That is what I've done. :/ Have you had this happen to you before? If so maybe I can avoid using the same non-working parts.
Are you trying to run a 240VAC kit off 120VAC? I do not recall how many LEDs are in series, but you must first overcome their minimum forward voltage before they begin to conduct and glow. You will also need a much larger capacitor due to our lower starting voltage and you may well find that you need less of a dropper than a ballast (as in current limiting, not voltage limiting as when run at 240VAC) -- and you may not even need a ballast at all if their nominal operating voltage equals or exceeds 120VAC (which peaks at 170V when rectified). Depending upon the LED color and makeup you will need to develop anywhere from about 1.7 to 3.8V per LED in series, so you do not get to series many of them when running at 120VAC.
If you did build a 240VAC kit and are certain you have everything built properly, then try testing your lamp by plugging it into a 240VAC receptacle instead (in some homes a drier may be your only 240VAC receptacle unless you have a workshop with large power tools).
I'm not using a kit at all, just hooked it up to an LED which will be later stuffed in a gutted incandescent bulb
+chems The capacitive dropper is best suited to long strings of LEDs in series. What sort of LED are you trying to drive with it?
Around 2:00 - I have a set of real Xuron snips, strippers, and very fine needle nose pliers, and they are wonderful tools. I prefer them to any of the others that I've used in the past.
"All the bad soldering techniques with Big Clive ..." LMAO I lost it there LOL.
same here tooXD, #bigclivetips... i want a video of him sharing all kinds of tips and tricks, because honestly , they sound bad you wont ever get taught them in schools, but we do them, and will use it because its just logical to do so
What a great video very education and interesting. Hoping to come to the island once the kids have flown the coup. Love to get you a pint when we do. Keep up the excellent videos.
Really amazing lamp, almost looks like the light was turning. But most amazing is your fingers. I guess you have some minibrains in the fingers for individual control. You always have nice tips of products from ebay.
Freaking awesome light you built there! Old time 1950's 3D!
23:19 - "...wonder if that company still exists..." Actually it does...I have been interested in making my own jewelry long before I ever found your videos. Xuron is very popular in the States for making precision snips and grips for cutting/shaping bead wire, clasps and such into/onto bracelets/necklaces. Never knew they made electronics tools too. They're also not cheap...sorta considered the _crème de la crème_ in handmade jewelry/beading circles. Just as an example, the 3pc kit I love (the TK2400 set) was ~$50 when I bought it locally. Just doing a quick Amazon search now lists it for $44 so it hasn't gone down much in price. Worth every penny though.
It´s nice to hear you talk a bit about yourself. :)
Have you been helping with the zero emissions TT bikes, Clive. I used to follow the racing, and visited for the TT a couple of times. It made a pleasant change for bikers to be welcomed into pubs and hotels. Even bikes in their hallways and bars! Also got to see Suzi Quatro there one time. Much more rock and roll than on TOTP! The racing guys were incredible: I couldbarely even hold onto my bike as the roads were ro bumpy, but they were lapping at 130, and, I guess, even more now. Incredible, but so sad as nearly all the heroes only lasted a few years.
I noticed the prices. I was thinking about a summer home there, someplace near Mount Murray, but I'm not paying those prices for a place to escape the summer heat of FLA. Enjoyed the TIME TEAM dig at the golf course.
the TT race is a really good one ! those bike riders are crazy ill bet they run around 150MPH rite threw the regular streets . its a real treat if you never seen it .
The first time I'd heard you mention that you lived on the Isle i thought wow, must be very exciting for a couple weeks every year, then a beautiful, scenic place the rest of the year, but also kinda boring for all the young adults and teens.
I'd love to visit sometime.
I am surprised you don't take an extra 15 seconds few pennies, and use two 500K resistors in series, to make that 1M resistor, which would put half the voltage across each one. Your videos are excellent - very enjoyable to watch.
This was really enjoyable to watch, would like to see more if possible. Would it be great if we could see your setup of your workshop
That flicker reminds me of neon starting to go bad, like at an old motel or cafe. Kind of attractive in a nostalgic Route 66 sort of way.
Im sorry to hear about your Mom Clive. But good on you for taking care of her. I admire that tons.
Too many folks just wanna ship em off to some home and forget about them.
so yeah god bless ya bro.
I went and checked some US made ones.
$10 was optimistic, they're $50-$60 (35-42 GBP) for Tronex and others.
My experience with cheap snips is for the price they are just fine. Though, after you snip enough hard leads, they turn into wire strippers from all the divots. I suppose the biggest problem is the hardening they use during production, they are pretty soft.
30:31 happens to me for the first time last night EXACTLY how he said... freaking tinkering with something other than the iron while still holding it......it looks nice today...that little usb iron packs a sizzle
Did an experiment with this kit this evening, tried it with a pair of anaglyph glasses. If I close my right eye I see the red LEDs, and if I close my left eye I see the blue. If I look with both I just see the blue LEDs.
Reversing the glasses so the red lens is over my right eye I just see the red LEDs.
Might explain why the old style 3D has never really worked for me.
My first soldering iron burn happened in 1965 when i was 13. My dad was into model railroading and he had a 400 watt iron he used to solder the rails together. I was using it on the concrete floor and ended up stepping on it with my bear foot. 1-1/2 inch wide blister going across my foot at a 45 degree angle. Took 6 weeks to heal.
Ooh, now that must have hurt! The worst burn that i've had was when i just parked my bike after a 30 mile ride and i saw a bit of a plastic bag stuck in the radiator, so i reached to get it and put my wrist directly on the hot exhaust pipe. Hurt like hell for several days.
+CowboyFrankHarrell Mine was when I dropped the iron and it landed on that fleshy bit between the thumb and first finger. you can barely see it now but ended up with a 2" scar across there.
What made it worse was trying to grab the falling iron and really ramming it on rather than it hitting and bouncing off.
the worst burn I had was when I plugged a bare mains plug into the mains ,while the bare end was in my hand. thank god for RCD's
I use both the most expensive side cutters (Lindstrom circa 50GBP+) and some of the cheapest (circa 3GBP) like those shown here. Depends on the job. The jaws in the more expensive ones are typically better aligned, harder and will last a lot longer but the price does not warrant them unless you are buying a pair for life or are using them for production, or a particular need. For example, I have to use a pair of Lindstrom RX8161 for a particular cut where I frequently need a very strong clean cut to cut thin sheet metal. I also always have a very small pair of Lindstrom 7191 to hand for component snipping as I can encompass them with my hand. These are relatively small and sit really well. When looking for a flush cut, beware the difference between bevel and true flush.
Is this a free energy machine? Bravo!!!
Xuron cutting tools have been around for many years, Used to be good (older USA made ones from before 2002 were good, newer ones made abroad, not so much) I bought two new pairs of Xuron shears (about 12 years ago) that were supposedly''designed for Cutting Nickel Silver Rail' with hardened cutting faces. (looked like they had been heat treated or case hardened). Both pairs I had failed at the same 'fold point' seen on the metal arms between the blade and handle sections where the tell tale bluing of the metal ended (probably caused by localised heating/case hardening). The first pair failed after cutting about a dozen lengths of 'code 55 nickel silver rail' (small 2mm = 1ft scale rails) I used the second pair for general electronics use & they lasted a couple of years before failing in the exact same place. Much better to cut nickel silver rails with 'rotary cutting disc' anyway, gives a much nicer clean cut. :-) Can't beat the snap on cutters for most things but they do cost a fair bit.
re flush cutters I had some of those blue handled ones but the metal of the blades was so soft they blunted really quickly and got all notchy and useless but I found some that were listed on ebay as being for cutting model railway track rather than electronics. theyre unbranded and were only a couple of quid but they seem to be of properly hardened steel. Ive been using them for ages and theyre good as new
Thanks for another great tutorial Clive!
I loved all the iom info on this video. I've always intended to visit as a transport enthusiast but never got around to it. Every time I had chance, there was always a bike race on. Is there ever a time when there isnt ?. The ensuing road closures, meaning the visit would be less fulfilling.
There's talk of stopping some of the bike races due to the insurance and legal industries trying to cash in on them.
Pretty handy little snips for soft stuff just don't try trimming steel guitar strings with them, the first pair of those I had died a horrible death that way, the jaws were softer than the music wire, it just put grooves in the jaws of the snips and didn't even dent the guitar strings.
the original xurons go back to the 70's, an early inexpensive electronic cutter (radio shack sold them at one point, before they go in their own chinese/taiwan imports), i bought a pair of the chinese ones too, complete unashamed copy! but who can afford lindstroms? they are not 40x better for sure
My panduit knippers have the same leaf spring inside. They do a nice job of things.
I am going to get one of these and use some of my RGB color changing LED's, should be quite cool to look at.
You could use it as a grow light in a greenhouse. They use magenta lamps to grow things in the Space Station too.
Cost of kit £1. Clive first hour/call out £50. Total cost of bulb £51. Made by Clive, priceless. Bargain! ;)
A point on cutters: Make sure you get bevel-edge cutters for general electronics work not flush ones, particularly for cutting component leads after soldering.
Flush cutters will cut through the solder, which is not good. Bevel cutters don't as they ride up the solder blob and only cut the component lead.
This light gives me the feeling that I'm about to get a speeding ticket.
One of the items made by Xuron are Track cutters for cutting the rails on Flexible Model Railway Track They retail at about £13-00 each
Isle of man works basically the same as Washington Island in Wisconsin, you come here when you are little and then it becomes a family tradition and then you eventually move here.
The Chinese side cutters are great, ok if you use them on the supposed work the last long, on the more non standard work, last a good time. you can resharpen them by just regrinding the flat side. or just buy a new one.
I personally prefer the blue ones
Xuron is still around, and they make the best snips of all kinds that I've used. You're right on their price though, they're a but expensive.
AFAIK, the main reason for switching to lead-free solder is to stop large amounts of lead (many thousands of tons per year from scrap electronics) from winding up in landfill and polluting the water table via acid rain leaching.
+oldblokeh it may have stopped the lead, but it's quadrupled the amount of electrical/electronic equipment going in to landfill. between me and my family and friends we must have had dozens upon dozens of devices that have failed simply because the lead free solder joints have fractured. This is why the aircraft industry is exempt from the ROHS lead free solder rules. In short, it's just not reliable.
+100SteveB Since 2006 I've never heard any family or friends have their electronics break because of bad solder joints, no TVs, phones, tablet, computer or any other electronics devices.
+100SteveB It's caused a massive increase in electronic failures and the resultant landfill.
Albert Vds
Your lucky, i myself have had several pc graphic cards fail, plus 2 games consoles, and 1 flat screen tv. All the same problem, the solder connections underneath various processors. Normal cause is fracturing of the tiny joints due to expansion and contraction of either the device or the board due to heat. Non leaded solder will fracture over time, leaded solder being softer absorbs the movement without a problem. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_grid_array
+100SteveB I think You are right. I've had things go wrong and opened them up to find its simply a dry joint, quickly sorted with a touch of proper solder. Until recently I've never come across that issue on bought electronics and it does seem more than coincidence.
What would it look like with red/blue 3d glasses if you were under it or it was lighting a room. I would imagine very strange.
Rose nooooo. XD
+caleb mcivor I was wondering the same thing... While peeing.
+caleb mcivor You mean my glasses?
hahaha yess!
caleb mcivor I looked in to the lamp while wearing my glasses, i almost regenerated. Would not do again. Maybe.
I still have my old Xcelite cutters I got back in the early '90s...slightly nicked, but I've been gentle with them and they're still quite workable. Might have to check out a pair of (genuine!) Xuron cutters though.
Please tell me you tried playing around with that light with a pair of red and blue 3D glasses on! Seeing speed as distance would really mess your brain up, I'd think.
I've always wanted to toss blue and yellow LEDs together for a colour-blind lamp. The light would look white, but anything illuminated (that doesn't fluoresce) would look some shade of blue or yellow. Trippy flicker isn't something I'd thought of, but that'd certainly add to the weirdness.
I know this is an older video, but sorry to hear about your mom Clive. My mother's father was the last remaining grandparent alive and when I was 17 he developed dementia. It's so terrible to see people you love go down that road. 😞
So you need blue snips to crop red LEDs and red ones for blue LEDs?
What does this thing look like through red/blue 3D glasses?
this reminds me of those Chinese LED grow lamps, would this be a great DIY substitute for those?
"That peripheral vision thing" is to allow us to perceive movement at the edge of our vision more quickly. Could be useful if you are hunting something to eat and even more useful if something is hunting you! Can be annoying though if you have a cheap light flickering in the corner of your eye.
It is really good to hear you talk about your Island. No one on RUclips talks about things that really matter.
Holy shit. Big Clive in 3D!
YTH are a pretty sound buy in my experience.
They produce the YTH202B, the only non-genuine DuPont crimpers I have ever found that create proper O-shape insulator crimps on the very common so-called 'DuPont' 2.54mm wire-to-board connectors. You then need a 1.6mm, U-shape die to create the conductor crimps. I use an Engineer brand PA-09 for that half of the process. In combination they produce absolutely *perfect* crimps and over the laste few years I have tried many other combined-cycle crimpers which fail totally. Sadly, that is not the cheapest option though--the YTH tool is not so bad at about £7 but the Engineer ones are between £30-£35. Still, this is in comparison with the genuine DuPont--or Amphenol--tool for that specific crimp which in all honesty cost about £1500 from RadioSpares! If you do a lot of modding of 1980's microcomputers or experiment with the Arduino/Raspberry Pi it is well worth the investment though as the finished crimp is totally reliable in my experience.
I would also recommend the Engineer NZ-12 side-cutters as well. Another choice would be the PierGiacomi brand TRE-03-B. I tend to use the former purely for trimming component legs as they are a little bit pricey at £15 and rather light-weight while I use the latter, heavier cutters for everything else.
The only, rather humorous down side about the YTH tools is the plastic they use for the handles. Whatever they put into it the stuff absolutely *reeks* of garlic and I absolutely _detest_ that herb myself!!! Luckily the stench doesn't seem to come off on your hands, but they do feel a little greasy to the touch nonetheless.
I'm waiting on a set of the Engineer PA-09 crimpers being delivered from Japan. They should hopefully be here in the next few days.
It really is a well made and essential piece of kit, I just wish it had the O-shaped insulator die built in--I think the official term is 'open barrel'. In fact I recommend all the Engineer tools I have come across, although they are right on the very _edge_ of affordable. That is why I try to sheppard my side-cutters and use the cheaper ones for rough materials. That said the PierGiacomi cutters are extremely good as well and very reasonably priced at £4. The edges still haven't been notched by anything I've thrown at them.
Footery. Good Scots word there. Also, I've been trying your "hold the solder and the components in the left hand and the iron in the other" technique and getting nowhere. Then I remembered I'm left handed.
My car breaks used to do that all the time until I got cryogenically frozen rotor . The break dust I used to get in a day. Now it takes two and a half weeks to build up the same level.
Love these DIY videos!
i got a set of wire cutters from maplin with built in wire stripper in the handle for about £7-8 :o
gotta get me some of these diy led lamp kits now, lol
I used to holiday on the IOM as a lad (early 20s) and would wiz around the TT course
(in 30ish mins = > 60 mph average) on my 250 cc Honda G5 and Dream. :)
I believe the Hotel I stayed in (the Majestic) is No More... :(
You mentioning the electric trams on the Isle of Man got me wondering. Do they still you the Mercury rectifiers to provide a DC supply? If so I think it would make a great video explaining how a rectifier works.
They still exist, but it's converted with silicon rectifiers now.
@@bigclivedotcom Thats a shame. As a 16 year old in the 1970s I worked in a cinema in the Lake District we had a mercury rectifier in the basement for the carbon arc lamps (It was like something out of a Frankenstein movie) In the winter it was always really bad to start I would have to go and poke it with a broom handle! It was one of the things that got me interested in electronics in the first place.
I got the blue snips in a brand called PLUTO. they're excellent. you forgot to mention they're sharper with a fine tip while the red ones have an annoying flat tip.
Sounds like a lucrative place for a broomstick salesman