Hi Charlie, I have been a bit nervous of getting into the black art of soldering but bit the bullet and purchased a 'Draper' soldering station followed your advise and hey presto it works !!!! Thanks for taking the time to pass on tips and methods it is definitely appreciated at least by me gaining the confidence to attempt new things and getting more enjoyment from the hobby. Cheers Graham
This was really helpful. I can't solder to save my life but was able to solder wires to my track for the first time. I wish I had watched this first but I have learned something for the points soldering.
Hi Charlie, Yes I'm from the era when we painted our walls with lead based paint, used leaded gasoline in our automobiles and when I first learned how to solder in the mid 1970, 60/40 solder was used for all electronics including model railways. This is a great video on soldering with 60/40 solder and your safety briefing was spot on. I also want to thank you for your metric to Fahrenheit conversion. I currently own a Weller soldering station that is very similar to your soldering station and although my instructions say I can use the soldering iron without the station, I've not had a need to do so nor would I want to do so. Using the soldering iron without the station I'd loose the ability to adjust the temperature of the iron. I've also found for modeling purposes the pencil point tip for my soldering iron works best. I also use 60/40 with a resin core, but old habits die hard and I still tend to use a small dab of flux when soldering feeder wires to my track. Cheers, Rich S.
after watching this video i decided to purchase a draper soldering station, what a difference to my old soldering iron, so much improved both in use and results, thanks Charlie, great video’s keep up the great work.
Super video, I now have a good idea about soldering and I feel much more confident in using a soldering iron, I shall soon be giving it a go using the techniques you demonstrated . Thanks Charlie.
Much better technique then your previous video. When reusing parts you normally do not have to add solder, just the opposite. Use wire braid or a solder sucker to remove the extra solder so you can put the new wire through the hole in the tab.
I gave up using lead free solder after the first attempt. It hadn't made a good contact and was a b????? to remove so the item had to be destroyed. Thanks for another clear advice video. Geoff. W.
was a bit nervous about soldering but watching you and you explaining (in more detail than some other videos i have watched) what to do i feel a bit more confident now and i must say how neat and tidy your soldering looks
Hi Charlie I wholeheartedly agree with your comments regarding health and safety when soldering, especially the fumes. As an asthma sufferer I am particularly conscious of the potential damage such fumes can cause to your lungs. I tend to use a solder extraction unit, just to make sure I'm not inhaling the fumes.
Hi Charlie, thank you so much for your soldering1 & 2 vids. I spent yesterday afternoon fixing the copper clad to my lift up section, talking a disproportionate amount of time as it was my first time to solder(at 63) and I wanted to get it right. I have followed your vids for a year now and really enjoy your great tuition and sardonic humour. I always thought I would build a model railway when I got to my 70s having been more interested in outdoor activities and fitness. The onset of a terminal illness has forced me to rethink my plans and I am now playing catch up. You are a constant inspiration and a big thank you for all that you do. I have written here because the comments are switched off on the two soldering vids. they were not previously and despite numerous attempts i can't work out how to reinstate them, all the best and keep them coming!
Thank you Charlie. If I can get that solder here in Poland I will as I am just about to start installing lights into my village scene. Look forward to the next informative video. I must add I thoroughly enjoy your presentation style. "makes sense" super.
Hello Charlie, I found you video very interesting and informative. I have found soldering difficult to do neatly, so I am going to give your method a go....Thanks for posting Cheers Greg.
Hi Charlie, I have been thinking of doing a video exactly like this so you have saved me the trouble. I seem to have watched so many modellers struggling with soldering lately and it is usually down to the use of lesd free solder. It is aufull stuff. It does not flow easily and requires lots of heat to get even an average joint. So I see modellers using these very corrosive fluxes to try to get a good joint. I spent nearly 50 years working in electronics and have made quite a few solder joints. The first time I used lead free solder I could not get a good joint no matter how hard I tried. When I quizzed colleagues they confirmed that they suffered the same way. I won't go into the ins and outs of the politics surrounding this state of affairs but siffice it to say that military electronics do not use lead free solder as it has never been proven under the adverse conditions it must face in the field. As you say it is perectly legal for us to sell, buy and use leaded solder so I hope that modellers will stop torturing themselves with the unleaded stuff. Thanks for a very well presented video Charlie. ..............................John
Hi John, I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the video. I have struggled like so many thinking that the blame lies in our technique rather than using a substandard product. Yesterday I was reading through your comments on DCC decoders, in preparation in a forthcoming video. I would like to discuss it further at some stage. Regards Charlie
Hi Charlie, I would be happy to share my experiences on decoders with you. You can contact me by gmail: gricer5mt@gmail.com I can then give you other contact methods like telephone landline or mobile. ...............John
Another great informative video Charlie. Knowledge is valuable and you sharing yours and other youtubers sharing theirs helps beginners like my self Thank You cheers Colin
Very informative, especially for the beginner Charlie. I tend to use 22swg solder. This is thinner and less clunky. I covered soldering droppers in my last video. I have done a lot of soldering but usually on electronics rather than railways (in which I am a beginner). A good thing to keep in mind is that when tinning, first whet the iron as you did, then feed the solder between the whetted iron and the piece you are tinning. This makes the solder flow more easily and reduces the time the heat is on. I also prefer to go in hot and spend less time on the connection but that is just my preference. Thanks for the video. Ian
Thanks for the tip. I am no expert but I have been struggling from time to time, melting sleepers, etc to get good connections. In fact I burned out a soldering iron tip trying to make fish plate droppers. I will be buying some of this asap. Cheers
Brilliant video Charlie you have certainly opened my eyes with your techniques there. it just so happens that I have just ordered some LED free solder. So I don't think I will be using that. I always tend to blow the smoke away as I don't have a fan in my garage.
I tried using modern "safe" lead-free solder and couldn't get consistant results so i bought half a kilo of old fasioned lead-based solder. This is the stuff that I've been using since the 1960's and it works well, which is more than I can say for the stuff foisted onto us by the health and safety GESTAPO. Incidently, I always use flux, despite the solder being cored... Gives more consistant results.
I bought a Parkside digital soldering station from Lidl's and its been actually pretty good, only about 50w but it does take unified solder bits from other irons and I used it before going back to model rail mainly on car and device electrics as I found my old crows beak tip fits it brilliantly which is superb for SMD stuff. I can recommend either the Parkside or the Ferrex all in one cordless rotary tool, I use mine a lot fixing and polishing watches and think its been going strong for 4 or more years and I have worked it hard too. I have two small solder jobs to do, one is to put back the brass tab on an ancient Triang's positive wire, the other to solder in a new pickup rail I made for my ancient 08 shunter as the thin spindly pickup wire had snapped off on the curly bits.
hi Charlie ,i now swear by a TS100 pen type iron,there are plenty RUclips videos about it ,its small ,comfortable to use, heats up in seconds even 400 o/c best of all operates between 12 -24 volts so any laptop power supply works of off car/truck battery, i have used many soldering irons since i started my electronics hobby late seventies ,this blows the socks off them even has nice informative display, temp fully adjustable, various tips are cheap and easy to come by,well thats my 2 cents worth. Thanks take care all for now.
I was just going through some of your old posts again, Charlie. When you mentioned that the lead-free solder is used, it goes dull in appearance. It reminded me of when I was doing my electronic course in the mid-80s. If the 60/40 lead solder turned dull and not shiny, it was an indicator that one could possibly have a bad non-electrical connection with that joint. Best to test your joints like these after soldering to make sure they are electrically connected with a test metre. It would be frustrating to lay your track down and have to lift it again if you found that the joint was bad. H&S bejezuz, what was that in our day, Charlie, oh yeah, non-existent, lol. PS: How is your Chuckle Brother keeping this weather? Well, I hope CB (10-Four, there Good Buddy), lol.
Hi John, thanks for asking, all is well at this end. I now use 60/40 lead solder. And I always ensure that it is left in the shiny manner. Regards, Charlie
@Chadwick Model Railway Then may your joints and joins be shiny and never dry. Hmm, thirsty work modelling, I think I need a beer. You want one CB, 0.0 vol alcohol free off course, as I'll be driving locomotives later, lol.
I commented adversely about your tinning technique (carrying solder to the item on the soldering iron tip) in a previous video. Much better in this one ! Tinning by heating the item, adding solder then removing the iron allows the flux to work. I am more interested in electronics than model railways but it is always interesting to see and appreciate the crossovers between hobbies. You mention and show soldering iron bits other than the pointed one you used. Personally I find the pointed ones a waste of time as the point of the tip cannot transfer enough heat to the work and I prefer the cutoff cylinder type. The point of it can be used when needing to solder small parts whilst the flat portion can transfer a lot of heat quickly when needed on larger components. As mentioned in another comment here it is possible to use extra "no-clean" flux (from a flux pen) and this can make things even easier. Soldering is one of those skills that once you can do it seems easy, but bad (or no) preparation, dirty components, wrong temperature and/or wrong solder make it very difficult. I can look back and laugh at my first attempts at soldering, probably in about 1960, using a soldering iron heated on a gas cooker using a large stick of solder and no flux.
Hi Bob, many thanks for you comments. My soldering skills have certainly improved in the last six month but only through perseverance. My model railway videos are posted to both entertain and cultivate interest in the hobby. Hopefully, I’m starting to win on both counts. Regards Charlie
Pointed tips are for fine work like SMT soldering, you cant surface mount solder with a screwdriver tip fella. For my N gauge track a pointed tip is a requirement, this is why i bought a high quality silverline iron, this one with a ceramic tip: best iron ive ever used in my life no joke, it even digitally locks the temperature. also the tips last over 10 times as long as a cheap iron www.argos.co.uk/product/1628618 this thing is heated up and ready in 20 seconds
Tin/lead solder does tend to be easier to use, it's just less friendly. I normally use it though. Rarely have a failed joint. I do still tend to use extra no-clean liquid flux, though, as it only takes a second longer and tends to be good belt and braces. My take is that it's better getting it right, than spending loads of time fixing it further down the track! Always worth going for a temp adjustable iron too - like you say, it's vital for some more sensitive work. Worth spending a bit of cash to get a good one.
First time seeing your channel. Good job. I've always had problems with soldering, just can't seem to get the knack of it. Maybe if I watch enough videos and practice enough I may actually accomplish the task without melting all the plastic in the vicinity. :)
Hiya, nice one pal. Just a few points from someone who has done a few million solder joints plus silver soldering on... o yes silver. Clean the metal to be soldered onto, it must be clean, as you did on the rail but on the fish plate as well. Tin the tip of the iron before use, every time, not much solder, you soon learn how little works, it's the solder that helps transfer the heat you can see that if you re-watch the tinning of the two wires you did. When you've tinned the wire trim the copper to length, you don't need 10 to 15mm sticking out on the bottom of those rails 3mm will do.. I was taught to solder at Marconis in Chelmsford, one of the best teachers in the world, or was in the 70's when I was there. You were correct place the iron on the end of the wire and let the heat go through the copper not move the iron. To solder onto a tag the tag needs more heat as it has more mass so heat it first then add the wire. I would hate to try to work out how much lead I've inhaled and its not afffecerted meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee at all! Good on you for trying to teach us new boys and girls, I'm 62, but please every so often tell us what DDC etc, etc, etc stand for... you're not just preaching to the choir. Thank you and take care.
Hi Steve, Many thanks for your comments. Yes soldering is a black art and we all have so much to learn. DCC (Digital Command Control) is the 15 volt AC power system. It’s the alternative to the long established 12 volt DC power system. Regards Charlie
i had a good chuckle when you said how did we cope when we used to have lead water pipes i am still on lead water pipes water company wont changebecouse it costs to much as i am on a joint supply with 6 other properties.
Thanks, useful as ever! I don’t have an extractor system for the airbrush I don’t have yet, but wonder if that could double as a soldering extractor as the ventilation in my place is limited. Can I just ask that whenever playing with fire (!) / heat people consider their clothing. There is a fire resistant fleece developed for military and fire officer usage but for most fleece and nylon clothing out there it just melts into nice hot globules of molten plastic that continues to bubble away in the burnt, skin and basically has to be picked / scraped out of the wound. Incredibly painful. Fleece socks and gloves a particular nightmare. It’s often a 5 November issue with sparklers and fleece sleeves / gloves exacerbated by the fact that most bonfire nights aren’t anywhere near a water source (beer works better than nothing but 10 minutes minimum constant flow needed). I am not suggesting that model railway builders dress in hazmat suits, just think carefully. Good old cotton or silk works and is easier to rinse / pick out of wounds. Sorry for the Elf n safety goblin, a personal bugbear.
Great video, Charlie! I have a Weller soldering station that looks very much like your Draper. Adjustable heat is wonderful, isn't it? I use 60/40 solder exclusively. I have tried the lead free type but always come back to 60/40. I do use a bit of paste flux with it, though. It seems to flow better that way. On the topic of health and safety: NEVER solder while wearing shorts! A misplaced drop will make you do things you didn't have any idea you could do! (Don't ask how I know this! ) Looking forward to your next video!
Hi Charlie, thanks for a great vid. I've just purchased an iron kit from the Netherlands which rollers the solder through to meet the tip and allows more of a hands-free operation. I'll let you know how it goes. Baz :)
Hi Charlie watched your video on soldering looks easy but it’s a long time since I have soldered anything maybe when I was 14 at school I am now 61 I have a class 55 with directional lights but the orange wire has come away from the contact on the 8 pin dcc chip would soldering with a fine tip sort it out or would you change the chip hope you can advise. Kev
Hi Charlie, do you prefer the Draper soldering iron to the Duratool iron in video 25? Also what size wire were the droppers you were soldering to the track. Excellent to have all the video's listed when one wants to back track (after watching all your video's when covid was about. Thanks Bill
Hi Charlie, does solder expire? If so, what are the symptoms of expired solder? Does it affect conductivity? I'm struggling to find a relevant information regading this and woudl appreciate your thoughts on this. Thanks.
@@ChadwickModelRailway Many thanks Charlie, yeah, I read this somewhere. I think it was related to the resin core but also solder itself. I have got 5+ year old solder and not sure whether I can use it. I also have got some problems related to the voltage (it is too low) when I connect DCC equipment to the track, so checking every single link.
@@filip78channel15 I can tell, your old solder should be just fine. I solder professionally (usually lead-free) and at home I only use leaded solder types. When the ban of leaded solder came here in the EU, my boss gave me about 20Kilos of leaded solder (different diameters and alloys), as we weren't allowed to use it anymore at work. Some of the wire is from the 60s and I don't face any problems. You can basically keep it for decades, as it doesn't really degrade. Even the resin core stays fine. I definitely prefer lead containing alloys over lead-free ones, not only due to the easier use of it. The reason therefore is that with lead-free you sooner or later face the issue that the joints tend to become unstable over time due to vibration and changes in temperature which leads to higher electrical resistance and therefore may cause damages to your device. There is a reason why electronics from the 60s or 70s still work today, compared to modern ones that often fail after a couple of years.
From Wikipedia: A eutectic system (/juːˈtɛktɪk/ yoo-TEK-tik)[1] from the Greek "ευ" (eu = easy) and "τήξις" (teksis = melting) is a homogeneous mixture of substances that melts or solidifies at a single temperature that is lower than the melting point of either of the constituents. 63:37 gives you that magic mixture.
Hi Charlie. Very instructive. Is it necessary to solder every piece of track even on a small layout?. Also why do you cut through the track prior to soldering?. Oh, forgot one more question (sorry) how long would you have the dropper wires for a 6x4. Thanks.
Hi Dave, it isn’t strictly necessary for every track but certainly it provides better running on DCC. I only cut through part of the web to gain access to solder on the droppers. They only need to be long enough to reach you bus wires. Regards Charlie
Apologies Charlie, it was sarcastic nod to your tongue twister when you were signing off. on reflection it was a bit stupid of me, sorry. I do appreciate your fully explanatory style of presentation and also the fact you put your hands up when all is not gone to plan...like myself now!
Great video Charlie, just out of interest did you know there are still lead pipes about in domestic plumbing. That is why Water companies use ortho phosphoric acid to coat the pipes to stop us drinking it.
I was told by Draper directly that there is only one tip for this soldering station. You can see this on the Draper site. The 48W tips are not suitable again confirmed by Draper. This was the reason that I concluded that this 40W solder station was not suitable for railway modelling. One tip type is unsatisfactory.
@@ChadwickModelRailway 63sn 37pb don't have plastic stage(like a paste) it instantly turn from liquid stage to solid stage, when temperature drop to 183c°. While 60sn 40pb have a plastic stage, witch can cause disturb joint, if you accidentally move the part that you want to solder. 63sn 37pb is widely use in medical equipment, military equipment and aerospace equipment.
Hey Charlie the good old discount store lidl do a soldering station for about £15 I think very good value for money, I soldered some wires no problem at all but when I tried to solder some old type tinplate track I had trouble getting it to tin no matter how much that I cleaned it up, I see that there's an abrasive fiberglass pen that modelers use for cleaning joints have you ever come across those? Oh by the way the fan for blowing the fumes away was a good idea but don't you realise that you were blowing it towards us viewers!
Hi Barry, I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the video. Some guys use a glass fibre pen to clean up the surfaces prior to soldering which works okay. This could be the answer that you seek. However, it could be that you need more heat than your iron can deliver! Regards Charlie
Hello Charlie, enjoying your videos and they are giving me my ‘mojo’ back! However, can I make a small point of note... the camera click sounds on your intro are way too loud for viewers wearing ear/head phones. Not a moan or criticism sir, just an observation 😃 It’s easy enough to remove earphones or turn sound down whilst that portion is on I suppose, would just be better if it was slightly lower in volume 👍🏼
Do you notice that you get fumes when you apply the solder? That is the flux burning off. If you don't apply fresh solder when you actually join the two parts then you don't have any flux and its easy to get a dry joint. You should put the two parts in contact, apply heat to both with the soldering iron and then apply the solder. You can do lead free easily if you do so, however I still use tin lead as its easier still. You can get a good idea how to do it by watching ruclips.net/video/8Ty5Bnj2XqE/видео.html
For heaven's sake, man . . . Buy soldering heat-gun with various nozzles, and it comes with an iron too. £60. You have wasted £20. The tip will ware after a few uses, yet the heat gun soldering station will last for ever.
Hi Charlie. I used to solder as an apprentice GPO telephone engineer and used to wear the tip of the iron out at least once a week. Please be aware that solder is not a good conductor and only really makes a mechanical connection. This can cause the odd probly
Hi Charlie,
I have been a bit nervous of getting into the black art of soldering but bit the bullet and purchased a 'Draper' soldering station followed your advise and hey presto it works !!!!
Thanks for taking the time to pass on tips and methods it is definitely appreciated at least by me gaining the confidence to attempt new things and getting more enjoyment from the hobby.
Cheers
Graham
Hi Graham, I’m so pleased that you have successfully had a good introduction to this black art. Good luck with your soldering.
Regards Charlie
Thanks for another great video. My wife now knows exactly where I am going if I say I am visiting Charlie. Keep up the good work.
Fantastic CD.
I like this guy,he is humble,honest,and knowledgeable.great guy.
Thanks Daniel, that’s very kind of you to say so.
Regards Charlie
Thanks Charlie easy to follow. Replayed while soldering my own track with much better results
Thanks, Quarry Central, I’m so pleased that you found it useful. Regards, Charlie.
This was really helpful. I can't solder to save my life but was able to solder wires to my track for the first time. I wish I had watched this first but I have learned something for the points soldering.
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed it Noob.
Hi Charlie, Yes I'm from the era when we painted our walls with lead based paint, used leaded gasoline in our automobiles and when I first learned how to solder in the mid 1970, 60/40 solder was used for all electronics including model railways. This is a great video on soldering with 60/40 solder and your safety briefing was spot on. I also want to thank you for your metric to Fahrenheit conversion. I currently own a Weller soldering station that is very similar to your soldering station and although my instructions say I can use the soldering iron without the station, I've not had a need to do so nor would I want to do so. Using the soldering iron without the station I'd loose the ability to adjust the temperature of the iron. I've also found for modeling purposes the pencil point tip for my soldering iron works best. I also use 60/40 with a resin core, but old habits die hard and I still tend to use a small dab of flux when soldering feeder wires to my track. Cheers, Rich S.
Hi Rich,
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the video. Good luck with your project.
Regards Charlie
after watching this video i decided to purchase a draper soldering station, what a difference to my old soldering iron, so much improved both in use and results, thanks Charlie, great video’s keep up the great work.
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed it Graham.
Super video, I now have a good idea about soldering and I feel much more confident in using a soldering iron, I shall soon be giving it a go using the techniques you demonstrated . Thanks Charlie.
I’m so pleased that you found the video useful Wayne. Regards, Charlie
Prefect timing of this video. I was soldering some track the other day and was having issues. Thanks for this video and information.
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed it Joe.
Much better technique then your previous video. When reusing parts you normally do not have to add solder, just the opposite. Use wire braid or a solder sucker to remove the extra solder so you can put the new wire through the hole in the tab.
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed it. My technique has improved somewhat but we all still muck it up on occasions.
I gave up using lead free solder after the first attempt. It hadn't made a good contact and was a b????? to remove so the item had to be destroyed. Thanks for another clear advice video. Geoff. W.
Thanks Geoff. Regards Charlie
was a bit nervous about soldering but watching you and you explaining (in more detail than some other videos i have watched) what to do i feel a bit more confident now and i must say how neat and tidy your soldering looks
Thanks Malcolm, it’s comments such as yours that make it worthwhile.
Hopefully you have subscribed too.
Hi Charlie
I wholeheartedly agree with your comments regarding health and safety when soldering, especially the fumes. As an asthma sufferer I am particularly conscious of the potential damage such fumes can cause to your lungs. I tend to use a solder extraction unit, just to make sure I'm not inhaling the fumes.
Well put Nikki, regards Charlie
I haven’t done any soldering in years..... when I start building a layout again I’m sure it will all come back to me 😂
Good luck with your project. Regards Charlie
Morning Charlie. Great tutorial again on soldering. Thanks Stevie.
Thank you Stevie.
Hi Charlie, thank you so much for your soldering1 & 2 vids. I spent yesterday afternoon fixing the copper clad to my lift up section, talking a disproportionate amount of time as it was my first time to solder(at 63) and I wanted to get it right. I have followed your vids for a year now and really enjoy your great tuition and sardonic humour. I always thought I would build a model railway when I got to my 70s having been more interested in outdoor activities and fitness. The onset of a terminal illness has forced me to rethink my plans and I am now playing catch up. You are a constant inspiration and a big thank you for all that you do. I have written here because the comments are switched off on the two soldering vids. they were not previously and despite numerous attempts i can't work out how to reinstate them, all the best and keep them coming!
Hi Steff, well you managed to leave the comment in the end. I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the videos. Regards Charlie
Lots of great tips there Charlie.....................John.
Here to help John.
Another good video on how to, does take time, and still learning . Thanks Charlie.
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed it Richard.
Thank you Charlie. If I can get that solder here in Poland I will as I am just about to start installing lights into my village scene. Look forward to the next informative video. I must add I thoroughly enjoy your presentation style. "makes sense" super.
Hi Ian, I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the video. Good luck with your project. Regards Charlie
Great one, Charlie. That was good for me as I am partially sighted and need all the info I can get to make things easy.
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed it Nigel.
Thank you Charlie
You’re most welcome Stan.
That was such a helpful tutorial. Cheers for that, Charlie.
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed it Mathew
nice video Charlie this will help a lot of people that's for sharing this advice!
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed it.
Thanks Charlie for very good demonstration. Just started my layout and always good to watch these useful information.
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed it. Good luck with your project. Regards Charlie
Hi Charlie Great video as usual, lots of handy tips thanks for posting Dave.
Glad to help Dave.
Hello Charlie, I found you video very interesting and informative. I have found soldering difficult to do neatly, so I am going to give your method a go....Thanks for posting Cheers Greg.
Hi Greg, as usual, I’m so pleased that you enjoyed it. Regards Charlie
Hi Charlie, I have been thinking of doing a video exactly like this so you have saved me the trouble. I seem to have watched so many modellers struggling with soldering lately and it is usually down to the use of lesd free solder. It is aufull stuff. It does not flow easily and requires lots of heat to get even an average joint. So I see modellers using these very corrosive fluxes to try to get a good joint. I spent nearly 50 years working in electronics and have made quite a few solder joints. The first time I used lead free solder I could not get a good joint no matter how hard I tried. When I quizzed colleagues they confirmed that they suffered the same way. I won't go into the ins and outs of the politics surrounding this state of affairs but siffice it to say that military electronics do not use lead free solder as it has never been proven under the adverse conditions it must face in the field. As you say it is perectly legal for us to sell, buy and use leaded solder so I hope that modellers will stop torturing themselves with the unleaded stuff.
Thanks for a very well presented video Charlie. ..............................John
Hi John, I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the video. I have struggled like so many thinking that the blame lies in our technique rather than using a substandard product.
Yesterday I was reading through your comments on DCC decoders, in preparation in a forthcoming video.
I would like to discuss it further at some stage.
Regards Charlie
Hi Charlie, I would be happy to share my experiences on decoders with you. You can contact me by gmail:
gricer5mt@gmail.com
I can then give you other contact methods like telephone landline or mobile. ...............John
Another great informative video Charlie. Knowledge is valuable and you sharing yours and other youtubers sharing theirs helps beginners like my self Thank You cheers Colin
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed it Colin. Regards Charlie
Great video I do some on model but seeing this makes it more easier thank u
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed it Paul.
Brilliant tutorial video, as always. Thanks Charlie
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed it Stewart.
Thank for this informative video. I also use the same iron &agree it works well.
Clever minds think alike David.
As always, a great informative video. Thanks Charlie.
Thanks Raj, you’re too kind.
Very informative, especially for the beginner Charlie. I tend to use 22swg solder. This is thinner and less clunky. I covered soldering droppers in my last video. I have done a lot of soldering but usually on electronics rather than railways (in which I am a beginner). A good thing to keep in mind is that when tinning, first whet the iron as you did, then feed the solder between the whetted iron and the piece you are tinning. This makes the solder flow more easily and reduces the time the heat is on. I also prefer to go in hot and spend less time on the connection but that is just my preference. Thanks for the video. Ian
Hi Ian, I’m so pleased that you enjoyed it. Regards Charlie
Thanks for the tip. I am no expert but I have been struggling from time to time, melting sleepers, etc to get good connections. In fact I burned out a soldering iron tip trying to make fish plate droppers. I will be buying some of this asap. Cheers
Hi Dave, I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the video.
Brilliant video Charlie you have certainly opened my eyes with your techniques there. it just so happens that I have just ordered some LED free solder. So I don't think I will be using that. I always tend to blow the smoke away as I don't have a fan in my garage.
Glad to help Denis.
Charlie, you have done it again, another interesting and informative video.
Barry.Devon.
Always try to help Barry.
I tried using modern "safe" lead-free solder and couldn't get consistant results so i bought half a kilo of old fasioned lead-based solder. This is the stuff that I've been using since the 1960's and it works well, which is more than I can say for the stuff foisted onto us by the health and safety GESTAPO. Incidently, I always use flux, despite the solder being cored... Gives more consistant results.
I’m so pleased that you have a good and well founded solution. Regards Charlie
I bought a Parkside digital soldering station from Lidl's and its been actually pretty good, only about 50w but it does take unified solder bits from other irons and I used it before going back to model rail mainly on car and device electrics as I found my old crows beak tip fits it brilliantly which is superb for SMD stuff. I can recommend either the Parkside or the Ferrex all in one cordless rotary tool, I use mine a lot fixing and polishing watches and think its been going strong for 4 or more years and I have worked it hard too. I have two small solder jobs to do, one is to put back the brass tab on an ancient Triang's positive wire, the other to solder in a new pickup rail I made for my ancient 08 shunter as the thin spindly pickup wire had snapped off on the curly bits.
I used a Parkside “Dremel” for ages but forgot to charge it regularly. Eventually it would take a charge.
hi Charlie ,i now swear by a TS100 pen type iron,there are plenty RUclips videos about it ,its small ,comfortable to use, heats up in seconds even 400 o/c best of all operates between 12 -24 volts so any laptop power supply works of off car/truck battery, i have used many soldering irons since i started my electronics hobby late seventies ,this blows the socks off them even has nice informative display, temp fully adjustable, various tips are cheap and easy to come by,well thats my 2 cents worth. Thanks take care all for now.
..... and a worthy two cents too.
Regards Charlie
I was just going through some of your old posts again, Charlie. When you mentioned that the lead-free solder is used, it goes dull in appearance. It reminded me of when I was doing my electronic course in the mid-80s. If the 60/40 lead solder turned dull and not shiny, it was an indicator that one could possibly have a bad non-electrical connection with that joint. Best to test your joints like these after soldering to make sure they are electrically connected with a test metre. It would be frustrating to lay your track down and have to lift it again if you found that the joint was bad. H&S bejezuz, what was that in our day, Charlie, oh yeah, non-existent, lol. PS: How is your Chuckle Brother keeping this weather? Well, I hope CB (10-Four, there Good Buddy), lol.
Hi John, thanks for asking, all is well at this end.
I now use 60/40 lead solder.
And I always ensure that it is left in the shiny manner. Regards, Charlie
@Chadwick Model Railway Then may your joints and joins be shiny and never dry. Hmm, thirsty work modelling, I think I need a beer. You want one CB, 0.0 vol alcohol free off course, as I'll be driving locomotives later, lol.
Hi Charlie, great video, we all fluff up our lines when speaking to someone.
I left it in as I found it so funny. Hopefully it made you smile too.
I commented adversely about your tinning technique (carrying solder to the item on the soldering iron tip) in a previous video. Much better in this one ! Tinning by heating the item, adding solder then removing the iron allows the flux to work.
I am more interested in electronics than model railways but it is always interesting to see and appreciate the crossovers between hobbies. You mention and show soldering iron bits other than the pointed one you used. Personally I find the pointed ones a waste of time as the point of the tip cannot transfer enough heat to the work and I prefer the cutoff cylinder type. The point of it can be used when needing to solder small parts whilst the flat portion can transfer a lot of heat quickly when needed on larger components.
As mentioned in another comment here it is possible to use extra "no-clean" flux (from a flux pen) and this can make things even easier. Soldering is one of those skills that once you can do it seems easy, but bad (or no) preparation, dirty components, wrong temperature and/or wrong solder make it very difficult. I can look back and laugh at my first attempts at soldering, probably in about 1960, using a soldering iron heated on a gas cooker using a large stick of solder and no flux.
Hi Bob, many thanks for you comments. My soldering skills have certainly improved in the last six month but only through perseverance. My model railway videos are posted to both entertain and cultivate interest in the hobby. Hopefully, I’m starting to win on both counts.
Regards Charlie
Pointed tips are for fine work like SMT soldering, you cant surface mount solder with a screwdriver tip fella. For my N gauge track a pointed tip is a requirement, this is why i bought a high quality silverline iron, this one with a ceramic tip: best iron ive ever used in my life no joke, it even digitally locks the temperature. also the tips last over 10 times as long as a cheap iron www.argos.co.uk/product/1628618 this thing is heated up and ready in 20 seconds
See my post above, but tin the iron.
Tin/lead solder does tend to be easier to use, it's just less friendly. I normally use it though. Rarely have a failed joint. I do still tend to use extra no-clean liquid flux, though, as it only takes a second longer and tends to be good belt and braces. My take is that it's better getting it right, than spending loads of time fixing it further down the track! Always worth going for a temp adjustable iron too - like you say, it's vital for some more sensitive work. Worth spending a bit of cash to get a good one.
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the video.
Regards Charlie
First time seeing your channel. Good job. I've always had problems with soldering, just can't seem to get the knack of it. Maybe if I watch enough videos and practice enough I may actually accomplish the task without melting all the plastic in the vicinity. :)
Practice makes perfect and I dread to think of how many times that I have messed it up.
thank you,well done
Thanks Jeff.
Hiya, nice one pal. Just a few points from someone who has done a few million solder joints plus silver soldering on... o yes silver. Clean the metal to be soldered onto, it must be clean, as you did on the rail but on the fish plate as well. Tin the tip of the iron before use, every time, not much solder, you soon learn how little works, it's the solder that helps transfer the heat you can see that if you re-watch the tinning of the two wires you did. When you've tinned the wire trim the copper to length, you don't need 10 to 15mm sticking out on the bottom of those rails 3mm will do.. I was taught to solder at Marconis in Chelmsford, one of the best teachers in the world, or was in the 70's when I was there. You were correct place the iron on the end of the wire and let the heat go through the copper not move the iron. To solder onto a tag the tag needs more heat as it has more mass so heat it first then add the wire. I would hate to try to work out how much lead I've inhaled and its not afffecerted meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee at all!
Good on you for trying to teach us new boys and girls, I'm 62, but please every so often tell us what DDC etc, etc, etc stand for... you're not just preaching to the choir. Thank you and take care.
Hi Steve,
Many thanks for your comments.
Yes soldering is a black art and we all have so much to learn.
DCC (Digital Command Control) is the 15 volt AC power system. It’s the alternative to the long established 12 volt DC power system.
Regards Charlie
Thanks again Charlie for this interesting video!! Regards Onno.
I always try to please son Onno.
i had a good chuckle when you said how did we cope when we used to have lead water pipes i am still on lead water pipes water company wont changebecouse it costs to much as i am on a joint supply with 6 other properties.
Well done Peter for keeping up tradition!
Everyone else’s comments say it all so nothing more say other then another great video.. Thanks
Thanks Jim.
By far the best video I have seen explaining the best way to solder track etc. Out of pure curiosity what video camera set up were you using ?
It was a while ago Andre but probably my Sony PXW-X160.
Regards Charlie
Thanks, useful as ever! I don’t have an extractor system for the airbrush I don’t have yet, but wonder if that could double as a soldering extractor as the ventilation in my place is limited.
Can I just ask that whenever playing with fire (!) / heat people consider their clothing. There is a fire resistant fleece developed for military and fire officer usage but for most fleece and nylon clothing out there it just melts into nice hot globules of molten plastic that continues to bubble away in the burnt, skin and basically has to be picked / scraped out of the wound. Incredibly painful. Fleece socks and gloves a particular nightmare. It’s often a 5 November issue with sparklers and fleece sleeves / gloves exacerbated by the fact that most bonfire nights aren’t anywhere near a water source (beer works better than nothing but 10 minutes minimum constant flow needed). I am not suggesting that model railway builders dress in hazmat suits, just think carefully. Good old cotton or silk works and is easier to rinse / pick out of wounds. Sorry for the Elf n safety goblin, a personal bugbear.
Soldering, an open window and a gentle breeze will cut it.
Great video, Charlie! I have a Weller soldering station that looks very much like your Draper. Adjustable heat is wonderful, isn't it? I use 60/40 solder exclusively. I have tried the lead free type but always come back to 60/40. I do use a bit of paste flux with it, though. It seems to flow better that way. On the topic of health and safety: NEVER solder while wearing shorts! A misplaced drop will make you do things you didn't have any idea you could do! (Don't ask how I know this! ) Looking forward to your next video!
Hi Flyboy, I’m so pleased that you enjoyed it. Regards Charlie
Watched His Masters Video, hopefully will come in handy on Saturday.Lol
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed it Jeff and I have no doubt that it will serve you well! 😜
Hi Charlie, thanks for a great vid. I've just purchased an iron kit from the Netherlands which rollers the solder through to meet the tip and allows more of a hands-free operation. I'll let you know how it goes. Baz :)
Hi Baz, I’m so pleased that you enjoyed it. Good luck with your project.
Hi Charlie watched your video on soldering looks easy but it’s a long time since I have soldered anything maybe when I was 14 at school I am now 61 I have a class 55 with directional lights but the orange wire has come away from the contact on the 8 pin dcc chip would soldering with a fine tip sort it out or would you change the chip hope you can advise. Kev
I would certainly re-solder it. What do you have to lose?
Hi Charlie, do you prefer the Draper soldering iron to the Duratool iron in video 25? Also what size wire were the droppers you were soldering to the track. Excellent to have all the video's listed when one wants to back track (after watching all your video's when covid was about. Thanks Bill
Hi Bill, the soldering iron in number 45 is the preferred option. My cable size for droppers is now 16x0.2mm.
Regards Charlie
Hi you seem to have a link to pretywell everything except for the solder you are using? Do you have a link at all cheers!
Sorry Steve, but it’s 60:40 lead.
Regards Charlie
@@ChadwickModelRailway from Amazon?
I buy it at model railway shows.
Hi Charlie, does solder expire? If so, what are the symptoms of expired solder? Does it affect conductivity? I'm struggling to find a relevant information regading this and woudl appreciate your thoughts on this. Thanks.
Hi Fillip, I have never heard of solder have a working life. Perhaps it might have something to do with its resin core.
@@ChadwickModelRailway Many thanks Charlie, yeah, I read this somewhere. I think it was related to the resin core but also solder itself. I have got 5+ year old solder and not sure whether I can use it. I also have got some problems related to the voltage (it is too low) when I connect DCC equipment to the track, so checking every single link.
@@filip78channel15 I can tell, your old solder should be just fine. I solder professionally (usually lead-free) and at home I only use leaded solder types. When the ban of leaded solder came here in the EU, my boss gave me about 20Kilos of leaded solder (different diameters and alloys), as we weren't allowed to use it anymore at work. Some of the wire is from the 60s and I don't face any problems. You can basically keep it for decades, as it doesn't really degrade. Even the resin core stays fine. I definitely prefer lead containing alloys over lead-free ones, not only due to the easier use of it. The reason therefore is that with lead-free you sooner or later face the issue that the joints tend to become unstable over time due to vibration and changes in temperature which leads to higher electrical resistance and therefore may cause damages to your device. There is a reason why electronics from the 60s or 70s still work today, compared to modern ones that often fail after a couple of years.
What is the diameter of the 60/40 solder that you are using?
It’s appears to be 1.1mm.
Hi Charlie, If you want to reduce the melting temperature even further, then try 63:37 solder which melts at 183C. 60:40 is higher at 188C
Hi J, a very interesting point. It seems strange though, I would have thought the temperature required would be higher as there’s more tin.
From Wikipedia: A eutectic system (/juːˈtɛktɪk/ yoo-TEK-tik)[1] from the Greek "ευ" (eu = easy) and "τήξις" (teksis = melting) is a homogeneous mixture of substances that melts or solidifies at a single temperature that is lower than the melting point of either of the constituents.
63:37 gives you that magic mixture.
Wow, great spot J.
Hi Charlie. Very instructive. Is it necessary to solder every piece of track even on a small layout?. Also why do you cut through the track prior to soldering?. Oh, forgot one more question (sorry) how long would you have the dropper wires for a 6x4. Thanks.
Hi Dave, it isn’t strictly necessary for every track but certainly it provides better running on DCC. I only cut through part of the web to gain access to solder on the droppers. They only need to be long enough to reach you bus wires. Regards Charlie
Fff, thth, fthfth, thank you Charlie!
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed but you’ve lost me on the comment Nick.
Apologies Charlie, it was sarcastic nod to your tongue twister when you were signing off. on reflection it was a bit stupid of me, sorry. I do appreciate your fully explanatory style of presentation and also the fact you put your hands up when all is not gone to plan...like myself now!
Thanks Nick and definitely no offence taken. I had to leave it in as I found it so funny.
Great video Charlie, just out of interest did you know there are still lead pipes about in domestic plumbing. That is why Water companies use ortho phosphoric acid to coat the pipes to stop us drinking it.
Thanks Gordon, that’s very interesting.
I was told by Draper directly that there is only one tip for this soldering station. You can see this on the Draper site. The 48W tips are not suitable again confirmed by Draper. This was the reason that I concluded that this 40W solder station was not suitable for railway modelling. One tip type is unsatisfactory.
This solder station is a good budget all rounder. Clearly, there are better ones on the market but for folks new to this skill, it’s ideal.
Hi Charlie, a mention of a solder sucker probably wouldn't be out of place.
A fair point Lindsay, especially as I use one.
We still have lead water pipe from outside mains to inside haha
We had to replace ours, a few years ago.
Happier times. Regards Charlie
Give a try 63sn 37pb
Is it that much better than 60:40?
@@ChadwickModelRailway 63sn 37pb don't have plastic stage(like a paste) it instantly turn from liquid stage to solid stage, when temperature drop to 183c°. While 60sn 40pb have a plastic stage, witch can cause disturb joint, if you accidentally move the part that you want to solder. 63sn 37pb is widely use in medical equipment, military equipment and aerospace equipment.
Thanks very much for the detailed information Mohamad.
2024 Soldering with 60/40 Solder at Chadwick Model Railway are you still using?
Yes John, I can never see myself using anything else. Regards, Charlie
Hey Charlie the good old discount store lidl do a soldering station for about £15 I think very good value for money, I soldered some wires no problem at all but when I tried to solder some old type tinplate track I had trouble getting it to tin no matter how much that I cleaned it up, I see that there's an abrasive fiberglass pen that modelers use for cleaning joints have you ever come across those? Oh by the way the fan for blowing the fumes away was a good idea but don't you realise that you were blowing it towards us viewers!
Hi Barry, I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the video. Some guys use a glass fibre pen to clean up the surfaces prior to soldering which works okay. This could be the answer that you seek. However, it could be that you need more heat than your iron can deliver!
Regards Charlie
The cheap iron would not get hot enough...
My supplier (Rapid) will not sell tin/lead unless I have trade account and it's for commercial use!!
I’ve never heard of that before!
Hello Charlie, enjoying your videos and they are giving me my ‘mojo’ back! However, can I make a small point of note... the camera click sounds on your intro are way too loud for viewers wearing ear/head phones. Not a moan or criticism sir, just an observation 😃 It’s easy enough to remove earphones or turn sound down whilst that portion is on I suppose, would just be better if it was slightly lower in volume 👍🏼
Hi Iain, not a problem. I’ll turn it down in future episodes. Regards Charlie
Sorry, that sounded like a trivial moan😂
Do you notice that you get fumes when you apply the solder? That is the flux burning off.
If you don't apply fresh solder when you actually join the two parts then you don't have any flux and its easy to get a dry joint.
You should put the two parts in contact, apply heat to both with the soldering iron and then apply the solder.
You can do lead free easily if you do so, however I still use tin lead as its easier still.
You can get a good idea how to do it by watching
ruclips.net/video/8Ty5Bnj2XqE/видео.html
Hi Dennis, thanks for your views.
I personally will never go back to lead free.
Regards Charlie
For heaven's sake, man . . . Buy soldering heat-gun with various nozzles, and it comes with an iron too. £60. You have wasted £20. The tip will ware after a few uses, yet the heat gun soldering station will last for ever.
Can you send a link please?
Hi Charlie. I used to solder as an apprentice GPO telephone engineer and used to wear the tip of the iron out at least once a week. Please be aware that solder is not a good conductor and only really makes a mechanical connection. This can cause the odd probly
Problem
A very valid point Richard, regards Charlie
Put a multimeter on any piece of solder and hear it conduct... Duh...
I would never use lead free, its horrid unreliable stuff, never used it in the 25 years ive been repairing tvs hifis etc.
I can only agree.