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[howard66spary]

Good evening and a happy new year to all


I am just about to start the flying bridge handrails and racks on my speedline tamar 1/12 scale
I struggled with the handrails on the rear deck but got them done , not to sure how they will stand up to use when boat is done


The brass rod required for the wheelhouse are 2.5mm pus other etched parts of a smaller gauge .
I have soldering irons ranging from 25watt to 80watt plus a silverline soldering station and a proxon blowtorch plus a sevivert
gas torch


I used the proxon torch on the rear deck railing but found even with some heat sinks in place the joints were coming un soldered
Is one of the problems that 2.5mm brass rod takes a long time to come up to the right heat
 
I have a selection of fluxes but would value members info on the right flux matched with the right solder for the hand rails and smaller etched parts , all the fluxes i have would be shelved and start a fresh


Also what are members views on liquid solders v paste solders


Thanks to all for their time and a happy new year


Best regards
midships
H W Spary

[Martin (Admin)]

Soldering railings are .... another, Achilles heel for me.... 


I've seen Ron Dean do a good trick, slightly stretching the brass  (pull it held in a vice) to perfectly straighten it.

Full assemble the railing section, on breadboard, off the boat and use solder paste.

Use a more powerful soldering iron than you think you need, so you can 'flash' heat the joint as quick as possible.


 It does take a bit of practice and many people are good at it .... just not me!     
 
 

[6705russell]

I have built a few 1/12 lifeboats now and I always use LA CO flux from Screwfix


https://www.screwfix.com/p/la-co-flux-475g/32957


Coupled with my Irodo gas soldering torch with the blow lamp attachment, don’t try and use a normal soldering tip as it will not get enough heat in the brass, the trick is to get the brass hot enough quickly so that when you dab the solder on it flows straight away, use a couple of house bricks to do the work on..

[6705russell]

Can someone flip that first pic form me please, not sure why that came out like that?


Thanks

[Taranis]

I use electric iron at max 480 degrees for everything.

Heat is controlled by duration of contact.


This is mainly 3.2mm or 1/8" brass

[derekwarner]

There you go Russell..your image upended


---------------

I prefer Bakers Soldering Flux [fluid] and gas heat/flame
60/40 Tin/Lead [flux free solder] 1.5 diameter
Cleanliness is next to Godliness when soldering
An MBM Member Geroge G from Canada has provided excellent examples of soft soldering techniques

Derek

[roycv]

Hi all I use a 25 watt iron but I use a lot of wet tissue as the heat sink.  Especially if the stanchions are mounted on a plastic deck which I also cover with wet tissue.  In the past I have also made a wood jig with correctly spaced holes to mount the stanchions prior to soldering.
The slight stretch of the handrail brass wire hardens it as well and is a very useful method of dealing with coiled wire.  I have used jewelry sources for coiled wire and it is aften cheaper, comes in longer lengths with a good variety of diameters as well.

If you have a lot of bends in the handrail wire to get it in place around the model, I thread all the stanchions onto the wire and then work my way around the hull placing the stanchions and bending the wire as you go.

I once tried theading the wire through afterwards and gave up!
I have noticed in some kits that it is just a square section of balsa under the deck to support the stanchion, I always substitute with hard wood.
Regards
Roy

[roycv]

As an addenda, if you are looking for short handrails, maybe for a single rail on a cabin roof, then try model railway scratch building spares.  The handrail knobs around a steam loco are ideal and come in various scales.
Roy
 

[warspite]

Stretching the brass in a vice was probably a borrowed idea from electricians as the panel wirers used to do this when they were putting 1.0 mm and above wire in control panels, it creates a straight run to allow multiple wires to be kept neat and tidy and therefore easily traced.

[Umi_Ryuzuki]

For things like ladders or masts, I will use a torch and silver solder(56% silver) to make major connections.
Then I will use electrical solder for subsequent joints. The electrical solder can be done using just a 
cheap soldering pen, and the low temperature does not affect the silver solder joints.

 
A lot of people keep asking, so I did a short tutorial.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2vZTAfxPs4

[Martin (Admin)]

   Awesome!    

[GG]

Soldering only remains a mystical process when the mechanism it uses is not fully understood.  There's a note on this subject in the "Tutorials & How To's...." section.


I'm sure that many have seen the result of just learning a sequence of actions that can usually produce a successful outcome.  But, when it doesn't, they are reduced to repeating the same process over and over again in the hope of it somehow working next time.....


Glynn Guest

[John R Haynes]

if I am soldering parts that are close together I use a product called Cold Front  . This is a paste that you can put on the work between items to be soldered that prevents them becoming unsoldered.  I have a 14oz pot from Emmer Wallace ltd 30 Nasmyth road South Colquhoun Park Hillington Park Glasgow G52 4RE  tele  0141 810 5630.
They maybe on-line but you would have to check.  If you are doing a lot of soldering you really need this product

[nemesis]

Hi, It ELMER Wallace, not emmer. nemesis