I've soldered in the past long long ago. So I watched a few good tutorials on youtube to brush up and refresh my mind on how to solder. I feel pretty confident that it will come back to me easily so i'm not hesitant.
So the question is;
1) is there any specific recommendations that are more suitable for building a kit amp such as the Dynakit ST-120 kit ?
2) like any specific brand or type of solder or specific soldering temperatures or very useful specialized tools.
3) all of your tips and suggestions are more than appreciated
kind thanks,
Eddie
So the question is;
1) is there any specific recommendations that are more suitable for building a kit amp such as the Dynakit ST-120 kit ?
2) like any specific brand or type of solder or specific soldering temperatures or very useful specialized tools.
3) all of your tips and suggestions are more than appreciated
kind thanks,
Eddie
The videos and just about any iron will do the trick.
Keep it clean, use 60/40 leaded solder (rosin core).. I won't rehash what you probably already watched in the video.
I have used "cheapy" soldering iron for years, there is no reason why you can't do a good joint with one.
That being said, like anything else they have nicer ones. I ordered a temperature adjustable unit, which has ~70watts available so it should recover better, heat heavier wire better etc.
I got the $100 Hakko. Weller also has a decent model at around $100.
There are other "profesional" brands like Metcal etc. at 5 to 10 times the price though.
It all comes down to what you want to spend.
Get a solder sucker or bulb, a stand, a sponge and brass wool for cleaning.
You can never have too much heat-shrink tubing in various sizes.
Small zip ties, small "micro-cutters" (Not for cutting steel), electrical tape, a complete set of small screw drivers, some kind of adjustable wrench even better would be a small socket set.
Keep it clean, use 60/40 leaded solder (rosin core).. I won't rehash what you probably already watched in the video.
I have used "cheapy" soldering iron for years, there is no reason why you can't do a good joint with one.
That being said, like anything else they have nicer ones. I ordered a temperature adjustable unit, which has ~70watts available so it should recover better, heat heavier wire better etc.
I got the $100 Hakko. Weller also has a decent model at around $100.
There are other "profesional" brands like Metcal etc. at 5 to 10 times the price though.
It all comes down to what you want to spend.
Get a solder sucker or bulb, a stand, a sponge and brass wool for cleaning.
You can never have too much heat-shrink tubing in various sizes.
Small zip ties, small "micro-cutters" (Not for cutting steel), electrical tape, a complete set of small screw drivers, some kind of adjustable wrench even better would be a small socket set.
#1 - I would not use 60-40 Solder, it's way too easy for a beginner to make bad joints. I would instead use a quality 63/37 Eutectic solder (Like Kester 44).
#2 - I also have the $100 Hakko Iron and I prefer it over my Weller WES-51 (also ~ $100) at work but not as much as my Pace Station.
#3 - I have recently become VERY fond of Cardas Quad Eutectic solder, not because of the audiophoolery associated with it but simply the fact that it is a WONDERFUL solder to work with, it melts at 350F so it reduces your heating time, flows extremely well & the rosin doesn't stink. Percy Audio carries it for $60/lb +s&h, everywhere else it is easily double that price.
#2 - I also have the $100 Hakko Iron and I prefer it over my Weller WES-51 (also ~ $100) at work but not as much as my Pace Station.
#3 - I have recently become VERY fond of Cardas Quad Eutectic solder, not because of the audiophoolery associated with it but simply the fact that it is a WONDERFUL solder to work with, it melts at 350F so it reduces your heating time, flows extremely well & the rosin doesn't stink. Percy Audio carries it for $60/lb +s&h, everywhere else it is easily double that price.
I also have a Hakko station, very happy with it. I also have a cheap and nasty no temperature control high wattage iron for those soldering jobs involving large diameter wires such as used in ground bus etc. I would also recommend that you look at purchasing teflon coated wire. Once again, not because of the audiophoolery, but because the insulation won't melt if you accidentally touch it with the iron, making work so much easier.
I second the Cardas Quad recommendation, easiest solder to use yet, melts like butter, hard to make a bad job using it even using a cheap iron.
Only downside is it aint cheap to buy but you can get shorter lengths on ebay.
If you don't want to spend a lot on a soldering iron, the Antex XS25 type is decent, affordable and you can get a range of tip's for it.
Practice on scrap till your good to go.
Oh and some spray to treat/cool down burns can sometimes be handy too. I've been soldering for over 30 years and still occasionally get careless and burn a finger.
Only downside is it aint cheap to buy but you can get shorter lengths on ebay.
If you don't want to spend a lot on a soldering iron, the Antex XS25 type is decent, affordable and you can get a range of tip's for it.
Practice on scrap till your good to go.
Oh and some spray to treat/cool down burns can sometimes be handy too. I've been soldering for over 30 years and still occasionally get careless and burn a finger.
Make sure the surface of what you are soldering is clean - if you are using any old parts. Most metals oxidize easily, making for poor solder joints.
I've used 10$ Weller 30W irons, and $1000k Hakko temp controlled stations. Yes, there's a difference but it's not critical - especially when working with components on the tube amplifier scale. If you start using much surface mount than I would go with a nicer iron, maybe a scope or lenss.
Having a clamp or vise can make many situations easier. It often feels like you need 3 hands!
I've used 10$ Weller 30W irons, and $1000k Hakko temp controlled stations. Yes, there's a difference but it's not critical - especially when working with components on the tube amplifier scale. If you start using much surface mount than I would go with a nicer iron, maybe a scope or lenss.
Having a clamp or vise can make many situations easier. It often feels like you need 3 hands!
I have used the radio shack digital soldering station for 3 years. It cost me 50 dollars on sale when I got it. Its full price is about 70 dollars. It heats to the set temp in about 20-30 seconds and to me seems to hold a very stable temp even when working on heavier stuff. I use it about 4-6 hours a day on average and have only had to replace 1 tip at a cost of 4 dollars.
A temperature controlled soldering iron is a real plus, and using the correct size tip for the application you are soldering. Too large a tip and/or too hot can destroy traces on a circuit board, too small a tip used for heavy/multiple wires on a lug can yield a cold joint. Keeping the parts clean and free of contamination is a must, and cleaning leads that look oxidized. I always clean the soldering tip between every soldering with something that looks like brass Brillo pad ball in a small container. This sheds a lot of contaminates off the soldering tip. Before this I used one of the wetted soldering pads that look like a sponge, always had problems with contaminated soldering tips. Really a must to change to the brass ball. Some of the holders have a hood, which prevents solder splatter when you wipe the tip to clean it.
I eventually went to a Hakko soldering station, really nice quality and control. It should last many years, and parts are readily available. I did use Cardas solder for many years, but have subsequently switched to Senju Ecosolder Sn/Ag/Cu.
I eventually went to a Hakko soldering station, really nice quality and control. It should last many years, and parts are readily available. I did use Cardas solder for many years, but have subsequently switched to Senju Ecosolder Sn/Ag/Cu.
If i may add my 2 cents here: i know some people may throw stones but i for one think it may be a nice idea to actually use some cheapo chinese solder provided you have a good enough solder iron. The reason for that is they steal from the materials so there's a bit more lead actually making it's melting point higher. That may be a good thing with tube circuits where you have considerable heat and over time you may find the expensive solder alloys you buy could potentially work against you by creating cold solder joints.
This of course may only be valid for power tubes that heat their sockets.
This of course may only be valid for power tubes that heat their sockets.
Nobody has mentioned the good old weller 8200, It's great for binding posts and the such. You really should have one. I use it for everything from motorcycle/boat wiring to speaker binding posts. Have you learn how to western union splice and shrink tube yet? depends on the gauge what soldering iron to use, But on heavier gauge wire, I use the 8200. for smaller gauge, I use my Hakko.
I have had a few soldering irons.
I bought a Maplin temp controlled iron and it lasted 2 days before dying.
They replaced it and the next one didn't last much longer.
I then bought a cheap soldering and that has been very good. It has lasted years and rarely needs a new tip despite being left on for hours.
I have all the basic tools like wire strippers, lose nose pliers and wire cutters, socket set, various screwdrivers etc etc
I bought a Maplin temp controlled iron and it lasted 2 days before dying.
They replaced it and the next one didn't last much longer.
I then bought a cheap soldering and that has been very good. It has lasted years and rarely needs a new tip despite being left on for hours.
I have all the basic tools like wire strippers, lose nose pliers and wire cutters, socket set, various screwdrivers etc etc
Like Junk Audio I use Weller 8200s most of the time for tube stuff and also in general. Have several. Why, cause I'm old school and don't like waiting. With the 8200 in three seconds you're good to go. For PCs and small things it have Weller WTCP series and WCC-100. Solder suckers both manual and motor driven. And then there's Big Bertha. A Weller model 550 350 watt gun. A must for soldering on a steel chassis. And I never ever use lead free solder.
Last edited:
I use a radio shack, 25W iron and 60/40 for almost everything. There is not much art to solder on tube gear. It's big, with big bosses on the sockets, and use Teflon insulated wire. An F-Tard can build an amp just using these items.
As for miswire, I will quote my passed mother. K-MAKYOYO (Kiss my A$$ kid you're on your own) after that
She was a school teacher...LOL!
As for miswire, I will quote my passed mother. K-MAKYOYO (Kiss my A$$ kid you're on your own) after that
She was a school teacher...LOL!
SMD coming up, and due time to finally get one of these 
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.