The worst build quality I've ever seen

[therling]

Lately I've been making the wooden bases that my amp top plate rests on tall enough that I can flip the top plate over and not have the tubes or transformers touch the table in that orientation. Makes working on the amp a breeze!

I slapped together a jig for working in the underside of an HH Scott chassis. All it took was couple of pieces of scrap wood, some non-slip vinyl and a Harbor Freight brad nailer. The way I built it provides high and low angles depending on what I need to reach easily.

 

[ARC Tech-109]

Gives Made In China a lot of credit

 

[trainbuftony]

Dont blame the iron.
It's not the iron.

I and many others use a cheap $11 one from the hardware store to produce joints that would be acceptable on the space station.
It's not the iron...
The builder could have built this with a very expensive hakko, or perhaps as was previously speculated, the same map gas torch he uses for his meth pipe.
We can't know, but we can all strive to not be "that guy".

 

[mike567]

That also happens when you remember that tube socket are numbered clockwise on the bottom and not the top.

 

[gadget73]

re-working PVC insulated wire does tend to make it ugly but the solder joints themselves are quite bad too. You can move things around multiple times and still get a good joint, even if the wires themselves end up looking bad.

and agree its not necessarily the iron, but not necessarily not either. One that just doesn't get hot enough to get the job done produces bad work like this. The dwell time required to get the joint hot enough to melt solder dumps a lot of heat in, so the insulation at the ends melts. There is that old "a poor craftsman blames his tools" saying, but that only applies when its legitimately not the tool that isn't up to the job. An iron that simply isn't hot enough is not going to work well in a master's hand either. The big difference is that someone with experience would realize its the iron, someone without may not know if its the iron or the iron holder.

 

[Pondoro]

Serious question - what soldering iron do you recommend? What brand and composition of solder?

Thanks

 

[Mr Boochie]

For work around and on sockets, sometimes it's better to remove all solders, wires (label them first), and start over --- from the basic socket and work outward to the boards. It's easier to route & wrap wiring and avoid solder "hickeys."

 

[Mr Boochie]

Serious question - what soldering iron do you recommend? What brand and composition of solder?

Thanks

What I've been using for most work.



For large chassis areas, I have one of these.

 

[Pio1980]

I had a temp controlled Weller pencil recommended by a pro after the Weller tempamatic pistol insert died for good.

 

[gadget73]

I have a Hakko 888 (pre-digital). Any temp-controlled thing thats good for 40 watts or better ought to be fine. I think the Hakko is 65 watts. Cans need more watts, I have one of those big American Beauty 200 watt cattle branding irons but honestly I haven't actually used it. Haven't needed to de-solder a can since I picked it up several years ago. I've never had much luck with the "gun" style. Dropped and destroyed my last one many years ago and just haven't felt the need to replace it.


For solder, its most Kester 44 or Ersin, but I'm not real picky honestly. Any rosin core 63/37 or 60/40 is fine. For tube work, .032 - .063 works fine. PCB work I don't like more than .032. Most of mine is quite vintage, I find it at yard sales and flea markets because new solder is stupidly priced. For years I used Radio Shack solder because they had the best prices going. Their flux was messier and didn't smell so good though. I like the smell of Kester, its proper pine rosin flux so it smells a bit like Christmas trees.

 

[lakeeffect]

Could this be the technician? Same name and a fascination with tube amplifiers. Also looks to be about 12 years old when these videos were posted a few years ago

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3gGg-49tutD9XO_tFJFIPw

 

[Mr Boochie]

For solder, its most Kester 44 or Ersin, but I'm not real picky honestly. Any rosin core 63/37 or 60/40 is fine. For tube work, .032 - .063 works fine. PCB work I don't like more than .032. Most of mine is quite vintage, I find it at yard sales and flea markets because new solder is stupidly priced. For years I used Radio Shack solder because they had the best prices going. Their flux was messier and didn't smell so good though. I like the smell of Kester, its proper pine rosin flux so it smells a bit like Christmas trees.

Kester 44. The best all-around solder I've ever used for circuits and wiring under the hood. Someone gave me some Wonder Solder. It's good stuff, too.