Soldering Photo-Etch

[Guest]

Actually Paul you should not be touching the low temp solder. It is air heat which sends it off. You have to keep moving the heat source all the time to avoid buckling the PE.

Also needs a heat source with a wide arc if possible as this disipates the heat over larger areas. Fascinating to watch as you wait & all of a sudden melts & that is it.
It is a fabulous way to construct PE.

Another advantage

When you fold a piece the joints & corners always show a gap. Low Temp Solder fills those & are sandable to a good finish.
The left picture on the outside the other on the inside with the solder joints.

Laurie

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[Tim Marlow]

That all looks great Laurie. Interesting that the PE can buckle though, that’s usually a sign of putting too much heat into the joint. What temp are you running the heat gun at? I wonder if you might get more controllable results with a higher temperature and a narrower jet. The low melt should flow like butter then, almost like waving a magic wand down the joint.

[Guest]

That all looks great Laurie. Interesting that the PE can buckle though, that’s usually a sign of putting too much heat into the joint. What temp are you running the heat gun at? I wonder if you might get more controllable results with a higher temperature and a narrower jet. The low melt should flow like butter then, almost like waving a magic wand down the joint.

No idea at what temp Tim. Just set it after practice. Should be about 130c with the solder I use. But heat depends a lot on you distance from the piece.. Just spray the heat 7 found this works.. Like all things model making you get your own technique.

Laurie

[Bobby Conkers]

Every day is a school day here. I thought soldering was just dripping hot metal on to other metal.

[Tim Marlow]

Nah, that’s galvanising or tin plating. Soldering is like using a hot glue gun, only without the hot glue or the gun!

[boatman]

HI Jon ive never spoken to you before as just never got round to it as we on differnt subjects but on P/E could we see what P/E you are doin ? as i have done a fiarly big P/E RADAR PIC above against my hand so you can see its fairly big an i was goin to solder but the P/E is so thin its a job to get them to solder so i took the idea of SUPERGLUEIN 1mm sqaure plastic evergreen strips an then it was a lot easyier to glue togeather an i know this is not soldering but for me it was a lot easyier an ive done this on my other ships big radar's an they are still ok after 20yrs out in all sorts of heat from the sun an i must admit i did solder my last small radar as it was under alot of tenshion but for me supergluein is best
chris

[boatman]

AN IT came out ok an quite stronge finshed pic below
chris ps hope you dont mind Jon of me putting my pics on your thread if you do say so an i'll remove them

[Guest]

HI Jon ive never spoken to you before as just never got round[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1147568[/ATTACH] to it as we on differnt subjects but on P/E could we see what P/E you are doin ? as i have done a fiarly big P/E RADAR PIC above against my hand so you can see its fairly big an i was goin to solder but the P/E is so thin its a job to get them to solder so i took the idea of SUPERGLUEIN 1mm sqaure plastic evergreen strips an then it was a lot easyier to glue togeather an i know this is not soldering but for me it was a lot easyier an ive done this on my other ships big radar's an they are still ok after 20yrs out in all sorts of heat from the sun an i must admit i did solder my last small radar as it was under alot of tenshion but for me supergluein is best
chris

Chris soldering with low temp solder is a doddle. Just apply solder as you would C/A. Then apply heat gun at low temp 10 secs joint made & strong.

Soldered many pieces of thin PE no problems as the low heat does not affect the PE. The low temp solder works at about 130 degrees & does not warp the PE.

Laurie

[Jon Heptonstall]

AN IT came out ok an quite stronge finshed pic below
chris ps hope you dont mind Jon of me putting my pics on your thread if you do say so an i'll remove them
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Hi Chris.You post away :thumb2:
I'm waiting for the 1/72 Flower Class and I've got a few bits and bats that will need soldering
Thanks for all the help everyone.
Jon.

[boatman]

Chris soldering with low temp solder is a doddle. Just apply solder as you would C/A. Then apply heat gun at low temp 10 secs joint made & strong.

Soldered many pieces of thin PE no problems as the low heat does not affect the PE. The low temp solder works at about 130 degrees & does not warp the PE.

Laurie

HI AGAIN Jon exscuse me while just answer Laurie an hi Laurie yes i can solder fairly well not brilliant as you as in real life job i was a welder so i know the princibles behind soldering but i hav'nt got a low temp soldering iron an as this is my last big model i dint think it was worth buyin one as there is no more P/E on my tiger apart from the crane an thats nr built an thank you for pointing this out.

But for me supergluein the P/E is a lot easyier this is just my opinion an i know you think different an havin seen your work on that seaking P/E ITS BEEN DONE BY AN EXSPERT which is you Laurie an im not up to this standard of soldering you have done so we all just do the best we can to get the P/E unit built dont we.
An on my second smaller radar on the back of tigers main mast i soldered this only because it a very difficult shape bent like a banna on the sides an accross the top an bottom an the brass was all under tenshion an very difficult to solder pic below but its done to my sattisfaction so im happy

[boatman]

AN a shot of the nr finished small height finding radar on the back of tiger 's main mast an its on the learn because its fitted only losely on the shaft an it will straiten up when i fit it proberly an tighten up the allen screws on the shaft chris

[boatman]

Hi Chris.You post away :thumb2:
I'm waiting for the 1/72 Flower Class and I've got a few bits and bats that will need soldering
Thanks for all the help everyone.
Jon.

AN HI again Jon a flower class eh will it be the HMS SNOWBERRY ? an i hope you will post this build on here as i would love to see it built an will it be a floaty or a static ?
chris

[Tim Marlow]

Got to be HMS Compass Rose surely!

[boatman]

Got to be HMS Compass Rose surely!

YEA hi Tim that would be great as ive got that film on dvd an in my opinion its one of the best movies of the R/N in W/W/2 pity it wasnt in colour
chris

[Jon Heptonstall]

Ha.Compass Rose if I can't get all the in the info on Bluebell.
static display if all goes well.
Jon.