U-552 - doing it my way.

[wildspear]

Don,
 I would have to agree with warnster. I think your applying the solder as you would regular solder. With the paste applying it before the heat has always worked best with me.

[billp51d]

#2) When I try to add more than one piece to the trial wire the adjacent joint melts.           Another little trick is to add a "heat sink" between the  adjacent joint and the joint that you are working on. This will draw the heat away from a finished joint. Something as simple a paper clip or alligator clip may work. Hope this helps....
                   Bill

[Siara]

I agree with everything thats been said.

heres my rules:

1. Make sure the surface of the joined metal parts are greese free, and clean.
2. Apply small blob of paste to joint, and slowly start heating up the parts, and paste, untill it runs into the joint.
3. Some copper wires need to be sanded using sandpaper- because they come out the factory coated in some kinda coating, which prevents the solid joint.
4. Use the heat sink- i use the tissue soaked in water. I use the heat sink in close proximity to other joints.

One day i will show SBS from soldering.
Im slightly busy right now, but once the Christmas rush is over, an i finish repairing my van after the accident i will post the SBS.
Till then- practice, practice....

[Don in Cincinnati]

I agree with everything thats been said.

heres my rules:

1. Make sure the surface of the joined metal parts are greese free, and clean.
2. Apply small blob of paste to joint, and slowly start heating up the parts, and paste, untill it runs into the joint.
3. Some copper wires need to be sanded using sandpaper- because they come out the factory coated in some kinda coating, which prevents the solid joint.
4. Use the heat sink- i use the tissue soaked in water. I use the heat sink in close proximity to other joints.

One day i will show SBS from soldering.
Im slightly busy right now, but once the Christmas rush is over, an i finish repairing my van after the accident i will post the SBS.
Till then- practice, practice....

Wow! thanks to warnster, wildspear and Mr Bill for the help. Rest assured that I will follow your advice. Soldering is all new to me so I can use any help offered. I hope to do some more trials right after the holidays and will report progress here.


To Siara:

Sorry to hear about your van and hope you weren't dented as well.

I think I speak for many here who admire your craftsmanship and the artistic qualities you bring to the hobby, so any details you can offer at some later date are more than appreciated. So far as I'm concerned there can never be too much information.

 I am a long way fron doing any in-depth soldering so no real urgency at this end. Thanks again to you and all my new friends on the AMP forum. I hope your holidays are filled with happiness and a lot of new photo-etch! 

All the best,

Don
 

[Rokket]

I like the wet tissue/paper towel heat sink, something with guts! Alligator clips are nice in theory, but cold water...!

[Don in Cincinnati]

I like the wet tissue/paper towel heat sink, something with guts! Alligator clips are nice in theory, but cold water...!

Yeah I like that one too. It is a credit to the AMP forum in general, and Siara specifically that so much good modeling information is made available here, and so many are willing to share it.

Siara's building skills are so advanced that I really appreciate it when he goes into great detail as to how he got from A to Z.  He is a natural teacher and I hope he will find time to share a few tutorials with those of us who struggle. I for one, would love to know what tools and techniques he uses for his micro-detailing -especially in metal, and, of course soldering, as both of these are weak points of mine.

[Rokket]

Yes, soldering, ug! I can solder 2 wires together properly, tho not fast and not always smoothly. But I had such a  nightmare with my VII rails, as mentioned here, solder a joint, solder a second joint and the first melts and drops in pieces...correct and the 2nd melts and drops..."D'oh!" I'll eventually (in a hundred years) have some rails to do for the Gato, so hopefully I'll have my koki paste and half a technique down by then...

[Don in Cincinnati]

Yes, soldering, ug! I can solder 2 wires together properly, tho not fast and not always smoothly. But I had such a  nightmare with my VII rails, as mentioned here, solder a joint, solder a second joint and the first melts and drops in pieces...correct and the 2nd melts and drops..."D'oh!" I'll eventually (in a hundred years) have some rails to do for the Gato, so hopefully I'll have my koki paste and half a technique down by then...

My experience parallels yours exactly. (I'll bet we even use the same swear words! )

I'm bound and determined to do this, rokket. If so many others have mastered it, then why not you and I? (Although I have a sneaking hunch Siara's little tutorials will play a big part in our success, not to mention some of the other folks here looking over our shoulder and offering advice.)

I plan to do a number of tests after the holidays and will keep you informed of the results, the good the bad and the ugly.


Happy Christmas,

Don

[Siara]

Im back in the workshop, and slowly making progress on some of the projects i have started.
Heres the small update on the Kettenwagen model- i made one damaged headlight instead of the 2 good ones. Light body was drilled out, and lightbulb was made from clear sprue- stretched, and the end was blobed using hot knife. Bulb holder from brass tubing.


Windscreen was covered with thin alu foil immitating the canvas, and i also added few brackets on the bonnet to hold the windscreen in folded possition.

[Greif]

Your Kubelwagen is looking very good, Siara.  Did you use lead foil for the fenders?

Ernest

[Siara]

For the fenders i used alu foil, but i used some lead foil in this build- i made part of the roof canvas using it.
I always stash load of different everyday use items- coffee lid foil, alu trays left after chinese night in, styrene from yoghurt pots and so on....
I recycle a lot.

[Rokket]

I never thought a headlight could look so good!

[Anakin]

The best type of Koki paste for our hobby seems to be the 4- M954 type.
The make up of the paste being:  Sn62% Pb36% Ag2%
Melting point for that paste is reached at ~210deg C

Hi Siara!

You can call me blind but i can

[Siara]

This is the product.

I know the visit to the Koki site is slightly confusing.
I have been there.

Rest assured- all of the Koki types are good for our hobby- the differences are minimal, and for us not distinguishable.

Heres one more link where you can get this stuff.

[Don in Cincinnati]

The best type of Koki paste for our hobby seems to be the 4- M954 type.
The make up of the paste being:  Sn62% Pb36% Ag2%
Melting point for that paste is reached at ~210deg C

Hi Siara!

You can call me blind but i can