The basics of soldering.

[xwingband]

YEAH, when you get a glob of solder to stick and when wiped away it leaves a layer of solder, that's a good tinning! It's hard and takes time but you could eventually get a good portion of the tip that way. I wouldn't say you need the whole tip either. Because of the pen style ergonomics I only hold it on a certain side anyways.

The grey solder is a sign of a "weak" joint but also having held the iron there too long is a cause of that too. You can turn a shiny joint grey too if you have to reheat it... I forget a wire occasionally.

I was thinking of film soldering at some point... just have to figure out a way to get a good vantage point and camera mounting.

[Tradeliphine]

Ive searched and read around and I havent seen the exact answer to something that Ive been wondering. Does it matter if I use stranded wire or like a solid copper one? It seems like everyone mentions stranded, but not solid. I was wondering why, what propertys do they differ in, what property is better for what application, or is it just personal preference? I appreciate any info and clarification, ty much

[Lord Maul]

Stranded is better for our application. It can flex much more without snapping

P.S. Thanks for reading the Index.

[Jedi-Loreen]

Yes, solid wire is more rigid and prone to breaking, which can even happen inside the insulation, where you can't see it.

I also think that stranded can be tinned better. The strands sort of "soak up" the solder, for lack of a better term.

[Tradeliphine]

P.S. Thanks for reading the Index.

too tired, sarcasm detection meter is shorting out, was that serious or sarcasm?

thanks for the prompt answers from both of you though, thats a really good point i hadnt thought of with the flexability and concealed damage.

[Lord Maul]

That's serious. I've spent 5 hours easily finding all the threads for the Index and continually updating it. Xwing has spent even more time since he maintained it from the beginning of the forum till the forum change last year. It's nice to know people still read the dang thing

[Tradeliphine]

=x its a very nice list, I clicked it for the first time after you said that... Im kinda stubborn and all, so I like to search by terms, browse threads manually, etc. Especially with a site like this I learn so much just by looking for something else, I just tuck it away in the back of my mind, then when Im out in my garage building I have little epiphanys and say OMG THATS WHAT HE MEANT, or DUH THATS WHAT A DPDT IS FOR!

I will try to use the list more, I see the purple saber link on there, and that is one of my next projects, converting mommas mace windu into something much brighter and purplier. I love the pics Ive seen by Mako, but need to read up on what he did.

Anywho, Im always here lurking and reading, I dont feel right spamming threads and trying to jack my count up, I run a forums too and have too much respect to do that, so while my count may be low, but my knowlege (and accompanying headaches) grows daily, I have now completed my 3rd saber, sink tube orange led, vintage graflex blue led, and now mace conversion seoul p4 white with lee filters hot pink for my sis, Im hooked. Im giving my sis, her husband, and their son each a saber for xmas this year, then next year Ill have them mail the hilts around thanksgiving and Ill put in sound/drivers for them for that years present (by then i will be more comfortable with the process, have the parts, money, and hopefully a nice system in place.

on another derailing of topic, ive seen several sleds for lack of proper term, where people organize all their components in a framework ( usually in Graflex shots, I know some are made by yoda at fxsabers) that slides in and out of the hilt, are they bought somewhere? parts from some real life object I havent thought of, or scratch built? I was bumming around lowers today and found a plethora of threaded rods and washers and grommets, but nothing that looked simple/clean like the ones Ive seen.

[Lord Maul]

Yoda at FX Sabers laser cuts his, they are 100% custom.

The ones most people use are just thin walled 1.25" PVC pipe. You can shape it pretty easily to make a chassis. Erv's tutorial shows a sinktube being used which also works. The main advantage of PVC though is that it is an insulator, meaning nothing can short in it.

[astromech_kuhns]

if i solder my saber toethor than wanted to add US2 or something can you reheat the solder so it comes apart?

[Jedi-Loreen]

I thought you said you knew how to solder? Have you never had to resolder a connection?

Solder doesn't solidify into concrete once it cools. You can remelt it.