Evolv-ing Thread

KTMRider

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awsum140

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It's your fault, Willie! You made me do it, spend money, yet again!

You mentioned that aluminum solder and I had to look. Then, I had to look further and I found one with a 500F melting point. I couldn't resist and ordered it. It came this afternoon and, of course, I had to try it out. It actually works! I did a .... joint of 1/8 to 1/8 aluminum, some scrap pieces, then a brass to aluminum "flat" joint. Both joints are strong, maybe the .... joint isn't as pretty as it could be, but the point is it works!

I was hoping with the lower melting point, to be able to use a soldering iron, temperature controlled station, but it won't produce enough heat with the contact areas I can manage. I ended up using a small butane torch to get it to work, but it did work. Next up is a 150/300 watt soldering gun.

Cleaning up the flux wasn't too bad. I used 91% IPA on a rag and it did take it off. With a little practice, it doesn't "flow" like electronics solder, I think it'll work out for the DNA75 low tank mods I'm working on.
 

BillW50

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I was hoping with the lower melting point, to be able to use a soldering iron, temperature controlled station, but it won't produce enough heat with the contact areas I can manage.
One of those 50 watt temperature control soldering stations perhaps?

 

awsum140

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LoL, spend your money kids! Did you get the Harris Alsolder 500 kit? Mine came today but I haven't tried it yet.

I got the Uniweld kit, 12 feet of solder, looks like a 30ml bottle of flux and a 20ml syringe with a 14 gauge blunt tip needle. The syringe makes putting on just a drop of flux really easy.
 
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awsum140

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One of those 50 watt temperature control soldering stations perhaps?



I've got an old 80 watt station and it won't work. Just couldn't get enough heat to the work even with five minutes of continuous heating. As I see it there are two problems; 1 - aluminum conducts heat well and away from the iron/joint and 2 - relatively small contact area of the tip to the work. It did work fine with the butane torch but I do like the control that an iron offers by comparison.

Edit -

Thinking about it, maybe a hot air station combined with a 60 to 80 watt iron would produce enough heat. Might be an excuse to buy a new combo solder station although it sounds like a lot of trouble.
 
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SlickWilly

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One of those 50 watt temperature control soldering stations perhaps?



That's the one I have, I'll have to try it and see if it works. The kit I got also melt near 500F. And it all else fails I have a big dual heat Weller D550 260W/200W :) The Snap-On man came in one day, I asked him about a good solder gun and he showed me that one. He said, "You'll be able to solder battery cables (car) with that sucker." Well not quite but close LoL.
 

SlickWilly

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Well my one neighbor is pretty bummed today. About a year ago I told him he was digging on my property, his wife's prior husband had pounded my marker in the ground but I had an idea were the line was and he was digging way over the line. Today I see a surveyor out there with him, they found the marker, it's four foot further toward him then I thought and a long..... way from where he wanted it to be. He should have left well enough alone, now his driveway is a foot from my line, I didn't think it was that close. My neighbor should have read my sig line, he wanted to know where the line was, well now he knows. And he knows I know, I was watching.
 

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