All about soldering | July 2020 WHATS NEAT Model Railroad Hobbyist 

Ken, I retired from the Army Signal Corps. For electronics you emphasis: Clean your contact area, make a good mechanical connection, and then solder. Honestly, I was cringing on some of your work for soldering to the track and to an electric switch or buss. My concern deals with cold soldering connections. They will be the biggest problems and the most difficult/impossible to find and repair. You should show how to use heat sinks on the wire so you don’t melt the insulation. Additionally, having shrink tubing at the electronic switch connection would be preferable to prevent accidental shorts. Please consider having a follow up video showing how to avoid the mentioned pitfalls so your viewers have a better soldering experience. Finally, instead of having soldered busses I recommend using screw connectors or clamp on ones to split off power. I have seen so many cold joints in my time and they are nothing but problems. Thank you, Jim

In my 51 years in the hobby. The very best on soldering I have ever seen, very helpful, thanks!

Excellent video, very informative and helpful.

You rock Ken! Awesome job! Love that you showed there was excess...cause you're that kind of good man. Plus it was funny. lol Thanks!

Thank you for clarifying the use of acid solder only on structures. Rosin solder ONLY on electronic connections is what I learned years ago--the hard way. Brass or nickle-silver track turns a lovely greenish-white when acid flux is used and not cleaned off thoroughly and the connection self destructs.

Thanks Michelle..........oh, and Ken! 🙂

When clamping I use wooden spring clothes pegs. They can be cut to fit in the most difficult places are cheap and so can be called consumable, they don’t melt with heat . When they do get heat damage throw them on the BBQ fire as wood. Also there are Stainless steel clothes pegs that have the clamping force for most things. I have use the combination for many years and they work out well. Amacf

Great video, I model in Sn3 and I have been collecting PBL engines for about 25+ years. I got my PBL resistance soldering unit from Jimmy Booth over 20 years ago. Best thing since sliced bread.

The resistance soldering is incredible. Great job on the repair Ken. Looking forward to another informative video.

What a show! Everything you wanted to know about soldering is right here in this video! This is the best! This is my go to video! Outstanding job...Mr. Patterson! It's always nice to see Mrs. Patterson! What a very nice couple! I just love that...Towboat! I use to build the real ones...i was an arc welder for...St. Louis Ship in St. Louis,Mo. "This Is The Best Hobby In The World" Till Next Time! MoPac Jack Thank You to all our essential workers & our healthcare workers. Always Be Blessed! The best viewers & commenters here!

Awesome soddering! After seeing your resistance soddering, I realize i must buy a bigger pot of sodder, I'm not slathering enough on. Also never realized it is supposed to be used like an arc welder.

Thanks for posting this. I've been model railroading for many years going back to when I got my first train set when I was 8 in 1962. I like building things from wood and did build a functional coal tipple to load hopper cars. For the doors, I used L shaped brass for the slide rails, flat brass for the doors, jewelry chain on the doors connected to levers mounted to brass tubing of various sizes that go to the other end with levers connected to cables used for RC planes to levers under the edge of the bench to operate the tipple doors. All I have now are old DC type locomotives that I buy from eBay sellers. These new DCC models are far out of my budget.

Excellent video Ken, I have been soldering for years but still learned alot. Like so many of your videos, they always cost me money....time to order a resistance soldering kit! LOL

Hi Ken, I’ve been watching your videos for years and always look forward to the next video. Your layout is amazing and the detail is incredible. I’ve fallen in love with the K27 locomotive. I’d love to purchase one in On30 if you have any contacts I’d love to find out where to get one. I’m in Australia. Kind regards Jonathan

The intro train at the beginning of the video was extremely neat!!

Hi Ken, This episode was absolutely fantastic! I’ve done a fair amount of soldering and you and I are exactly together. You also took me into the area of resistance soldering that was fascinating. A very comprehensive presentation which was very well done as usual. I’d feel very confident giving it a try right now! Thanks! Great job!

THANK YOU GREAT DETAIL VIDEO AS GREAT DETAIL WORKING WITH TOOLS

Thanks Ken! Another very informative video.

Beautiful........can you tell me where or how to purchase those bell south and all those cars on the car rack in bulk thanks Ken ... Keep the awesome work up ... Videos are excellent 👍 ,joe

USEFUL for two of my hobbies...model trains and ham radio!!! KD5GSP Thank you!

Very nice videoooooooOOOO!!

Thanks for the excellent video.

Mentioning Radio Shack? This might have been recorded awhile ago. However, basics are basics.

Awesome

Thank you. Very educational

Glad I'm watching this. I'm pretty good with a pen. But a few of them guns would be perfect for me and some of the hobbies i have along with trains. Nitro and electric rc's. Also i pick up old quads , mopeds anything that is broke down and needs help to give them life again. New electronic parts is most of the problems. But some is the cheap wiring use in some of the items i fix from overseas. So rewiring with a better quality wire soldering and heat shrink to finish it off. Have few old school brass signals that need minor repairs and this has given me the courage to make the repairs. Wasn't sure on how to proceed forward. Have few other diesels that is missing their handrails. So been thinking about making some using brass. Gotta finish watching. Thanks

Ken, great video. Have had a resistance soldering units for years and never used it. That will change this week when I find my brass n scale fire watch tower. Also please talk about the importance of exhausting those fumes. Is lacquer thinner the best way to neutralize acid core flux after soldering brass? Thanks

Great intro to resistance soldering. Excellent work!

Hi, Michelle!

Ken, can you make a video showcasing all your trucks and construction equipment behind you on the shelf? It looks to be an extensive collection.

Awesome soldering tutorial! Stay well. -Wil 👍

Did you say you can use N scale connecters for H O SCALE??? .OK IM GOING TO TRY THIS CAUSE SOME OF MY CONNECTORS ARE LOOSE AS H O TO H O CONNECTORS... AND I SEE YOUR PUTTING SOLDER ON WHEEL SIDE TRACK. HMMM... INTERESTING... THANKS KEN ..., JOE

So, I have soldering irons like the “ole dad” versions mentioned but want to bring in something more suited for this hobby and this type of need. What would be the most recommended as I don’t want to have to step up after step up and rather just rip the band aid off and get what is over all best

Instead of wire wick you can do same with strand wire. Maybe a wire you need to pre-tin.

At 6:49 we learn how to remove a part from a PC board ... and rip solder pads and traces off the board, too!

With the $5000 (when new) locomotive, I assume it was purchased second hand to not send it back for a new one?

Thanks Ken, this was very usefull.

Great, I learned a lot...thanks.

Ken, thanks for a good video about soldering. One thing you didn't mention was _how_ you cleaned the acid flux after your connections were completed. In industrial jobs, they used to wash them with trichloroethane, but that nasty stuff is toxic to touch and to inhale. What's your favorite technique?

Thanks for the video. Great.

the first train in the video , on what scale is it

very helpful thank you

Great Videos!!

Where does the 'l' go in US enunciation of the word 'soldering'? Why isn't it spelt 'sodering'.

what pencil tip unit do you use for ho gage it has a 9370 on the front what kind is it? great learning experience

What is HO scale wiring? Not sure what the difference is in HO scale vs any other scale other than the amount of current that may be drawn through the wire.

That acid flux is not "acid core flux". It's just acid flux. (Acid core refers to soldering wire with acid flux in the core. You're not using that.) Your solid wire is just solid wire. It is not solid stranded wire. It cannot be both. Wire is either solid or stranded.

what visor is that ken i need one just like it or i gotta fab one from the one i bought in combo with my old welding helmet or face sheild i have, the one i bought dont fit my head

I think I have a good idea where all his HotWheels are!

A few things on this video, he never stresses the importance having clean metal to work with, the metal should be cleaned to where it is shiny before trying to solder, a perfect example is at 17:22 where he solders the wire to the G gauge track, he says it's a perfect solder joint when in actuality it's a cold solder joint, the corrosion or paint prevented the solder from flowing like it should have. I would be embarrassed to show a joint like that unless I was showing how not to do it. He keeps mentioning liquid solder and then shows paste solder. Never mentions that there are different kinds of paste flux, it your doing electrical connections and want to use paste flux use something like a rosin paste, No-corrode paste flux is an acid flux and should never be used on electrical. Use different tips on your soldering irons for rosin flu and acid flux. The acid flux will eat your tips up a lot quicker than rosin will. It is also very important to keep your tips clean and tinned which is not explained.

Americans always seem to say “sodder”, instead of “solder”. It always jars with me. Also, the wires on that resistance rig looks really janky. I would be terrified to use that thing.

Should never solder on the inside of the rails always on the outside so you don't interfere wilt wheel flanges

I’ve been delaying a soldering project waiting for this..

Radio Shack??? They went out of business years ago.

"There's literally nothing you can't do with brass."

I'm surprised the shipping / insurance company didnt confiscate that loco after paying the insurance claim.

You know what’s neat? You don’t need to solder your rail joiners.

I'm a little bit shocked, that you put a 5000$ Model directly in the workbench. Why not use a Lokliege from www.lokliege.de they are also awailable in G-Scale. I never repair or work on my locomotives without using this tool.

I thought RadioShack was out of business.

Still don't know how on earth you get soddering out of soldering , do you say you sod a house or sold it .

I think you married up Ken

I feel unsettled being taught how to solder ... by someone who does not know how to solder. Attach wires before soldering? Nah! Clean metal? Nah! Oh ... BTW, what does it mean "cold solder joint"?

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