basic electrical tools/soldering video

[lostforawhile]

hey put together a basic video on electrical hand tools,and soldering. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIT836hJM1M

[87roach]

Good video man, I'm glad you put one out since you do so much wiring yourself. Looking forward to the next one :D

[Vanilla Sky]

I'm glad that you added that you should have a good set of crimpers as well as the standard "all-in-one" tool.

I would also add that a good (emphasis on good) 30 watt pencil iron will do most soldering work in a car. There really isn't a need to have a big 200/260W gun to solder up 18 gauge wiring. I also prefer the feel of a pencil iron myself, so I hardly use my big gun.

How long have you had those Channellock pliers? I have an old pair of Klein linesman pliers that I've worn out (you can only sharpen them so many times). I was wondering if i should buy Klein again or go with another brand, and Channellock was one of the very few brands I was considering.

Another thing you should show is how to properly crimp connectors.

I need a video camera :(

[lostforawhile]

I'm glad that you added that you should have a good set of crimpers as well as the standard "all-in-one" tool.

I would also add that a good (emphasis on good) 30 watt pencil iron will do most soldering work in a car. There really isn't a need to have a big 200/260W gun to solder up 18 gauge wiring. I also prefer the feel of a pencil iron myself, so I hardly use my big gun.

How long have you had those Channellock pliers? I have an old pair of Klein linesman pliers that I've worn out (you can only sharpen them so many times). I was wondering if i should buy Klein again or go with another brand, and Channellock was one of the very few brands I was considering.

Another thing you should show is how to properly crimp connectors.

I need a video camera :(i will do some more later on, i have plenty of pencil irons,but when you are talking about 12 or 14 gauge wiring in a car, a pencil iron just isn't going to do it. 18 gauge really isn't that common in automotive wiring,other then maby speaker wires,there are plenty of areas in a car,that you really need the high watage. i've found that the pro weller will handle anything in the car quick and easy,with no problems. also if you are working inside of a car,the fact that it's not hot all the time helps a lot in tight quarters. i've had my channel locks for years,my all in one tool i just replaced a few years ago,i had one from 90 from school,but somehow i lost it. the GB are also really good,just a little cheaper then the kline,but still an excellent tool. the only thing about the channel locks i don't like,is on the all in one tool,the center screw comes loose or over tightens and the tool won't work right. i think some lock tite will fix this. my one from 90 did it,and the one from more recently did the same.

[lostforawhile]

as far as brand names.i would say channel lock,GB(gardner bender),kline of course, weller makes some good stuff, if you can find used kline stuff, grab it. also ideal makes excellent meters, they are kind of expensive but good,to me they are just as good as fluke, i have a mechanical voltage indicator they made in the seventies, and it still works just fine.

[nswst8]

Awesome, great video!

Now thats what I'm talking about. The pros' showing their skills, tips and tricks.

[lostforawhile]

hey i'm sorry the sound was so bad,i need a regular camera and a dvd burner,then i could add a real mike.

[Sabz5150]

I never liked those pistol irons. Yeah, a standard pencil takes a day and a half to heat up, but for me a big honkin gun is overkill. You seem to handle it well, so I guess it's to each their own :)

It could also be because my soldering experience is with small electronics. Anywho, great vid!

[2oodoor]

the pistol type pretty much covers a wide range of use and you can't go wrong but I prefer the pencil type, made in usa or germany.
I have lower watt pencil for circuit board work and transistorsk, etc.
The tip must be clean and fit tight in the iron, any chance to cool will affect the quality of the soldering

[A18A]

oh cool i got educated today

[lostforawhile]

i've found the gun type handles most wiring in the car especially when it's several wires connected together. takes quite a bit of heat for that type of connection. for smaller stuff i use the pencil type of iron, when it comes to building harnesses i couldn't imagine using anything but a good soldering gun.

[lostforawhile]

the pistol type pretty much covers a wide range of use and you can't go wrong but I prefer the pencil type, made in usa or germany.
I have lower watt pencil for circuit board work and transistorsk, etc.
The tip must be clean and fit tight in the iron, any chance to cool will affect the quality of the solderingand don't forget to use a sponge to keep the tip clean, a damp sponge. on the gun,i have a small wire brush i use to keep it clean, on those you have to keep the two screws holding the tip plenty tight. the big advantage in doing major wiring work,is they heat up fast and melt the solder in the connection fast. if you have several wires, the junction may not get hot enough to allow the solder to flow all the way around the connection with a smaller iron. copper radiates heat well. on the smaller iron don't forget to tin your tip. clean the tip,then apply solder directly to it,and allow the solder to coat the tip. next time i do one of these,i'll show how to do these large 2 gauge connections with solid core electrical solder,paste flux. ,and a propane torch. soldering connections that big is almost like soldering pipes.

[Civic Accord Honda]

i have a Weller soldering iron with a big flat tip which i never use since it gets so damn hot it melts shit haha i always prefer the dollar tree soldering irons they work great for a few months but then they wind up catching fire lol

[lostforawhile]

i have a Weller soldering iron with a big flat tip which i never use since it gets so damn hot it melts shit haha i always prefer the dollar tree soldering irons they work great for a few months but then they wind up catching fire lolthat made no sense whatsoever :confused:

[2oodoor]

sticky, .. anybody?

Great info Tim, good choices.
I have to say though that I can't think of any Weller guns that I have made contact with that are not glued all together and wrapped in black tape. Except of course my dad's which is stll in it's case mostly unscathed cuz I wern't alowed to touch that one.. :hsugh:
Anyway that is a great advantage of the gun type, you can make those bulkhead connections (which I avoid mostly) with plenty of heat, you can have it on stand bye when you are working for longer periods too instead of having the pencil type hot on burning up brand new car seat and whatever else.
I wind up having to use three hands sometimes though holding solder, holding the position of work , and getting the heat to the right spot (sometimes while juggling misc parts and trying to keep the blood from flowing out my ears/:chainsaw:) so another reason I will pick up the solder stick for a quick couple of connections.

[Sabz5150]

sticky, .. anybody?

Please the people :D