For those of you that Solder. What supplies do you have?

[frankiej]

i got some gameboys i dont use anymore. Would that work?

 

Basically anything electronic i could bust open and see whats going on?

[TweedBassman]

i got some gameboys i dont use anymore. Would that work? Basically anything electronic i could bust open and see whats going on?

you could try the gameboys, and i've heard that they can be twisted into musical instruments, but i'd bet it's far more advanced inside than any guitar related electronics. probably not a good place to start, but i've never seen the guts so i dunno.

as far as popping open random stuff, i'd stay away from larger things haha.. keep it battery powered and cheap/expendable. stay away from anything that plugs into the wall.

[kismet78]

as far as popping open random stuff, i'd stay away from larger things haha.. keep it battery powered and cheap/expendable. stay away from anything that plugs into the wall.

unless your aim is to have a thread dedicated to you in the Epic Fail Forum...

Z-Z-ZAP!!!

[frankiej]

you could try the gameboys, and i've heard that they can be twisted into musical instruments, but i'd bet it's far more advanced inside than any guitar related electronics. probably not a good place to start, but i've never seen the guts so i dunno. as far as popping open random stuff, i'd stay away from larger things haha.. keep it battery powered and cheap/expendable. stay away from anything that plugs into the wall.

sweet. I assume it would also be a good thing if i knew how to read systematics or at least the basics of understanding them.

Also, amp surgeon where would you recommend getting all of solder related supples, ie. solder, flux, wire, and braid. And i assume i can find the big plastic suckers at a hardware store?

[Cow4prez]

 

as far as popping open random stuff, i'd stay away from larger things haha.. keep it battery powered and cheap/expendable. stay away from anything that plugs into the wall..

 

 

i hear this quite bit, and i would agree if all you're building is a fuzz and od, but once you start to build any sort of modulation, forget it... better have an adapter. Plus batteries die fast if you forget to unplug and is bad for the environment + expensive.

[kismet78]

i hear this quite bit, and i would agree if all you're building is a fuzz and od, but once you start to build any sort of modulation, forget it... better have an adapter. Plus batteries die fast if you forget to unplug and is bad for the environment + expensive.

 

 

I think he was meaning from a safety perspective - lest the shocks.

[frankiej]

ya...i want to start out easy. Once i built the skills ill try my take on maybe a delay or something of the sort.

 

I know clean boosts look pretty easy to build.

[Cow4prez]

I think he was meaning from a safety perspective - lest the shocks.

 

 

shock? We take that risk everyday when we turn on that tube amp and believe me the amp is much more dangerous than any effect you build.

[kismet78]

 

shock? We take that risk everyday when we turn on that tube amp and believe me the amp is much more dangerous than any effect you build.

 

 

Yes and yes.

 

He was recommending to tinker with some non-effect electronics to hone the soldering skillz, but warned to stay away from anything higher voltage until the skillz are had.

 

No one was suggesting that there was any danger from effects circuits.

[TweedBassman]

i hear this quite bit, and i would agree if all you're building is a fuzz and od, but once you start to build any sort of modulation, forget it... better have an adapter. Plus batteries die fast if you forget to unplug and is bad for the environment + expensive.

 

haha i didn't mean build everything with batteries. just practice on junk that runs on batteries.

 

i meant stay away from things that plug direct into wall AC, not using an adapter.

 

edit: beat me to it kismet.

[booher]

Soldering iron, tip cleaner, desolder braid, solder, a small little lift to keep the pen off of whatever it's reasting on (desk, table, etc.), sponge, flux.

[Loobs]

I like this thread. Once I get to a bigger place I am so getting into soldering.

[amp_surgeon]

sweet. I assume it would also be a good thing if i knew how to read systematics or at least the basics of understanding them. Also, amp surgeon where would you recommend getting all of solder related supples, ie. solder, flux, wire, and braid. And i assume i can find the big plastic suckers at a hardware store?

 

 

Out here in the west you can get that stuff at Fry's Electronics. Dunno where you'd go in New York. Check your phone book for a local electronics hobby store. You can get all of it from most online electronics suppliers like Mouser. I doubt you'll find a solder sucker at a hardware store, unless it's the bulb type that Phil was talking about. I don't care much for the bulb types myself. Not enough suction.

 

BTW, when I was talking about different flux types I was referring to the flux core inside the solder wire itself. You can get a small tub of bulk flux paste from Radio Shack, though I honestly can't remember the last time I actually needed to use flux paste.

 

Reading schematics is just a matter of learning what the different symbols represent. The biggest problem is that there's no real standardization. For example, the traditional symbol for a resistor is a series of zig-zag lines, but some schematic drawing programs today use a rectangular box, and others use a series of diagonal lines. A clue can be gotten from the text next to it. If it says something like "10K" or "R26" then it's almost certainly a resistor, regardless of what kind of symbol is used. Another common inconsistency is determining if two lines that cross each other are connected. Sometimes there will be a little hump in one of the lines to make it clear that they're not connected. Sometimes there will be a dot where they cross to make it clear that they ARE connected. Sometimes you just have to look at the rest of the schematic and try to figure out what convention they're using.

[TweedBassman]

another trick for finding electronic suppliers in your area is to take the name of a well known parts brand (Weller, NTE, etc.) and google them, and find the 'dealer locater' on their website. might take a few tries but you might find a cool shop close by.

 

as a warning though, expect to pay a lot for retail supplies. you might want to stick with online retailers unless you really want to kick the tires.

[frankiej]

Out here in the west you can get that stuff at Fry's Electronics. Dunno where you'd go in New York. Check your phone book for a local electronics hobby store. You can get all of it from most online electronics suppliers like Mouser. I doubt you'll find a solder sucker at a hardware store, unless it's the bulb type that Phil was talking about. I don't care much for the bulb types myself. Not enough suction. BTW, when I was talking about different flux types I was referring to the flux core inside the solder wire itself. You can get a small tub of bulk flux paste from Radio Shack, though I honestly can't remember the last time I actually needed to use flux paste. Reading schematics is just a matter of learning what the different symbols represent. The biggest problem is that there's no real standardization. For example, the traditional symbol for a resistor is a series of zig-zag lines, but some schematic drawing programs today use a rectangular box, and others use a series of diagonal lines. A clue can be gotten from the text next to it. If it says something like "10K" or "R26" then it's almost certainly a resistor, regardless of what kind of symbol is used. Another common inconsistency is determining if two lines that cross each other are connected. Sometimes there will be a little hump in one of the lines to make it clear that they're not connected. Sometimes there will be a dot where they cross to make it clear that they ARE connected. Sometimes you just have to look at the rest of the schematic and try to figure out what convention they're using.

Ahhh ok i see now. Ya i think my biggest problem if anything will be with schematics. Im more of a this goes here and here then reading it, Picture diagrams are my friend. Ill check out all the stuff youve recommend since your the master in all:thu:

Thanks of all the help guys. As far as guitar parts go i can just go to smallbear or an online store like guitarfetish correct.

The first thing i plan on doing is the thing they have on guitarfetish, its the in and out of phase switchs. Should be interesting.

[Phil O'Keefe]

You can get a small tub of bulk flux paste from Radio Shack, though I honestly can't remember the last time I actually needed to use flux paste.

 

Have it, but hardly ever need to use it.

 

A good place to go for junk electronics to practice on is a Goodwill or other thrift store. Little battery powered electronic devices, such as AM transistor radios, are a safe bet. Nothing in there that presents a big shock hazard, and plenty of parts to practice your desoldering / soldering chops on. They're usually cheap too.

 

One issue with some more modern electronics is the use of surface mount components. Trust me, you don't want to try to practice on surface mount stuff. So I'd recommend sticking with things like Speak And Spells and other battery powered children's electronic gizmos and cheap battery powered AM radios.

 

If there's an electronics repair shop in your area, you may be able to talk them into showing you the basics of soldering if they have some slow time... offer pay the man a few bucks for their time and trouble. They may even have some spare junk around that can't be repaired that they'd give you to practice on...

[frankiej]

You can get a small tub of bulk flux paste from Radio Shack, though I honestly can't remember the last time I actually needed to use flux paste. Have it, but hardly ever need to use it. A good place to go for junk electronics to practice on is a Goodwill or other thrift store. Little battery powered electronic devices, such as AM transistor radios, are a safe bet. Nothing in there that presents a big shock hazard, and plenty of parts to practice your desoldering / soldering chops on. They're usually cheap too. One issue with some more modern electronics is the use of surface mount components. Trust me, you don't want to try to practice on surface mount stuff. So I'd recommend sticking with things like Speak And Spells and other battery powered children's electronic gizmos and cheap battery powered AM radios. If there's an electronics repair shop in your area, you may be able to talk them into showing you the basics of soldering if they have some slow time... offer pay the man a few bucks for their time and trouble. They may even have some spare junk around that can't be repaired that they'd give you to practice on...

Thanks a lot for the advice. Ill have to look up and see if there is any in the area. Id feel bad asking them to show me though for some reason.

So basically i can practice on some children's toys? My dad works at the local Salvation army so ill ask him a few things.

I was also thinking about practicing on the stuff thats in my beater guitar since im going to replace it anyways. Practice stripping wires and putting the wires on the pots and what not.

[Phil O'Keefe]

You don't want to mess up your pickup wires Frank... I'd practice on scrap materials first, then move on to practicing with the old guitar, then do it "for real".

 

As far as asking, as long as you're offering the guy a bit of cash, I fail to see the harm. If I wasn't busy and someone came in and offered me $20 for me to show them the basics of soldering, I'd probably tell them to keep the money and show them for free. But that's just me - most folks will probably pocket the $20.

[frankiej]

O yea. forgot about those. This shall be imitate fail the first time i do it for "real."

 

I mean theres gotta be a repair store around here somewhere. OO or i can go to my old guitar teacher and ask him since he does all that good stuff to.

 

 

So what your saying is Flux isnt really necessary? Im not going to be shippingg anything overseas due to it will be my personal stuff, so i can do tin/lead. Or am i missing the point?

[Procreatur]

i never post in here but was browsing the front page and here's what i have:

Weller WES51 station that was pictured above - tip size that comes with it is decent for just about anything from amps to pedals, and it has variable temp control to make soldering to the back of pots/trem claws easier as well.

Kester 63/37 solder - melts and solidifies at the same temp, making it less painful/difficult to hold your wires to where you're soldering as the solder cools. holding on to hot wires sucks ass, the sooner i can get in and get out the happier i am and usually so is my solder joint because my shaky hands aren't moving it around as it cools.

diagonal cutters - i have several sizes ranging from huge to tiny, and have some piano wire cutters i use mostly for component leads now because they don't deform the cutting edge.

wire strippers - i have 2, one covers larger gauges (20-12) and crimps/cuts small bolts/etc. the other set is automatic and smaller gauges for pedals and such. goes from 24-32 gauge.

needle nose pliers - i have a couple of these too, just because i misplace them when i'm working.

solder-wick - indispensible tool for PCB related stuff/pedal mods.

helping hands tool - great for holding things you need 3 hands for.

heat gun - used for shrink tubing my cable ends, it's part of a portable soldering iron kit i bought. awesome in all sorts of ways when in a pinch.

Wire - i have tons of it. 24 strandedAWG/PVC insulation for pedals.
20-22 AWG solid/cloth pushback for guitars/amp preamp circuits. the cloth stuff is easier/faster to work with because it requires no stripping in most cases. solid wire stays where you bend it and the cloth insulation doesn't melt, but will burn if you're not careful.

for basic soldering instruction there are places on the web with photos of good/bad joints, and there may be a video on youtube or elsewhere. as Phil said, practice on stuff that's junk or doesn't work, get the soldering/desoldering down and move up slowly. i tried to completely rewire a guitar my first time out and damn was it horrible. it never worked, i probably cooked the pots, piss poor solder joints were everywhere, and i melted most of the insulation off the wires in it. it was an awful experience, but i didn't have anyone around to show me how to do it right, and the internet was in it's infancy.

[frankiej]

haha ya i just saw the link thread in the DIY forum with what looks to be like all the info id need. I forgot that forum was in here as well.

[drasp]

+1 for the WLC100. I've got one at home & use one at work. I've got a small collection of tips, but find most work is easily handled by the small chisel tip that comes w/ it and the small conical tip (don't remember the pn#, got it from Mouser). I've also got a few butane irons, a 3 prong grounded 15w iron from Rat Shack & a big Weller soldering gun for heavy gauge wire, etc. I solder a lot at work doing small electronics production & custom wiring harnesses for cars. I like de-soldering braid much better than the suckers, but it is certainly best to have both around so you can pick whichever is best for your situation. Try a few different types of solder before settling on one. Kester makes some good stuff if you're plan on ordering online. Radio Shacks normal stuff is also fine if you're looking to pick stuff up locally.

I've got a full box of tools as I work on cars for a living, so I grab whatever is needed for the job at hand, but I'd think a set of GOOD, SMALL side cutters (dikes) and some decent needle nose pliers would go a long ways towards helping you work.

[frankiej]

Sounds good.

 

So would the adjustable wattage on the soldering pen be necessary or is that just overkill for what im doing?

[Phil O'Keefe]

Public warning - do NOT get conned into buying a wireless "Cold Heat" soldering iron. My wife bought me one (the "pro" version ) as a gift, and it's pretty much junk.

[Phil O'Keefe]

Frank, when working on very small parts, or fine detailed work, a lower wattage iron is generally a better idea, but for larger parts, you might need more wattage to get things hot enough to get the solder to flow.

 

IMO, a 5W - 40W adjustable iron should be about ideal for most home / hobby electronics use.

 

Remember - heat the WORK and NOT the solder - once the materials to be soldered are hot enough, touching the solder to the work (NOT the iron) will cause it to flow over the joint.

 

Heating some parts (such as IC's) too much can ruin them... again, practice is the key.