You-Tube Video's..... Sheeeesh!

[BATMAN]

I was watching six or seven You-Tube videos on soldering feeders to track. Every single one of them showed the person melting the solder with the iron and not heating the work and touching the solder to it. This would result in a cold solder connection that can break through the vibrations from the trains rolling over them. Some of them showed that to tin a wire, you melt the solder on the tip of the iron and dip the wire in that. What happened to heating the wire and touching the solder to the wire?

I was taught to heat the work and did this with all my feeders and track joints. I have never had a problem, ever. Am I wrong or missing something? Are the rules different for model railroads? All these video's seem to show the way not to solder and I wonder how many people get lead astray watching them.

Does anyone else know of You-Tube videos related to our hobby where self proclaimed experts give advice that is either just bad, or worse is just wrong! wrong! wrong!.....??????

For the sake of our hobby, let's hunt'em down and call them out.

Brent

[jeffrey-wimberly]

What kind of soldering tool you're using can play into it also. I use a Weller 100/140W model 8200 which is quite large and gets very hot in a hurry. Holding it against the rail for even more than a couple of seconds usually results in melted ties, so I opt for the touch and go then watch the solder joint for a few seconds. If it's dull in color it needs to be done again. If it's shiny all is well. Quite often the rail gets hot enough that the solder won't cool quickly and I have to place a couple of wet cotton balls on the rail to cool it.

[Rastafarr]

No, Batman, you're not wrong and you're not missing something. The people making the videos are buggering it up. Heat the work, apply the solder to the work, not the iron. If the workpiece itself doesn't heat up enough to melt the solder, you need either a new tip or a more powerful iron.

Stu

PS: This is why I don't like Youtube: it lacks a much-needed dumbass filter.

[Alantrains]

Hi Batman,

As a telecom tech for 38 years and trained by the best in the business, I agree with you. The only way to get a reliable joint is to heat the  items you are trying to solder then add the solder to them. A little bit of solder on the iron helps to make the heat transfer, but the solder for the joint should be put on the join. We were also taught that the solder holds the joint and that there should be a mechanical connection as well. That's a little hard when soldering to rails however.

I always treat expert advise as possible un-expert advise unless I have seen other advise by the same person and know that it is true.

I have seen lots of youtubes that I wouldn't follow because they just don't make sense, but have found lots of others very helpful.

cheers Alan J

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Alantrains

I have seen lots of youtubes that I wouldn't follow because they just don't make sense

Amen Alan!

[Motley]

Wait a minute, youtube videos that don't make sense? Never heard of that, call the presses!

[rdgk1se3019]

Rastafarr

PS: This is why I don't like Youtube: it lacks a much-needed dumbass filter.

Amen to that......

.......I just might make a few vids showing the RIGHT way to do things and call out all the Fools......<------ notice the capital "F"

[Pruitt]

I usually touch solder to the iron to get a drop of molten solder on the tip, then touch the drop to the rails and joiner at the joint. When the solder wicks into the joint, I know I've gotten a good solder joint while applying the minimum heat necessary.

That works well every time.

I do clean the rails thoroughly before soldering, and use a liquid flux. Never a problem!

[richhotrain]

Motley

Wait a minute, youtube videos that don't make sense? Never heard of that, call the presses!

 

Michael, if it is on the Internet, it has to be true.  

In fact, you cannot put anything on the Internet that is not true.   

Rich 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

richhotrain

if it is on the Internet, it has to be true.  

In fact, you cannot put anything on the Internet that is not true.   

Yeah, right. And Tinkerbell is real.

[richhotrain]

jeffrey-wimberly

richhotrain

if it is on the Internet, it has to be true.  

In fact, you cannot put anything on the Internet that is not true.   

Yeah, right. And Tinkerbell is real.

She is ???  

 

[Overmod]

As seen on /.  --  "Whoooooooooooosh!'

As seen on TV (for the ad with the "French model" -- [/sarcasm]

[BATMAN]

Clickaticlack

So you started it "Batman"  it is up to you to "call them out"  Here is my question.  You talk as if you are the real expert with soldering yet you went to Youtube to watch how to do it?  So either you were looking to just "call out" those people but were afraid to actually do it or you do not know how to solder, Which is it?

You don't have to be an expert to know how to do things the right way. Back in the late 1960s and early 70s, I use to build Dynaco and Heathkit amplifier's and radio's. Everything I ever built in those kits worked the first time I plugged them in. I learned how to solder before I started those.  I have also built, wired and plumbed two houses and was told by the inspectors who knew I was just some *** building a house that I did an excellent job.

I don't consider myself an expert at anything. I am however a capable individual that has had endless job offers throughout my entire life.

When someone is conducting tutorials that make you roll your eye's heavenward, it is frustrating to watch. As far as calling them out, I considered it on the first two I watched and then noticed how many there were on the tube and thought I'd just be wasting my time. So I withdraw the "call them out" statement.

Finally, the reason I was watching was because a friend who was new to the hobby asked me about soldering feeders and I was looking for a video to refer him to.

Finally on another note on the "I read it on the internet" theme. My wife is a Veterinarian. She has come home with horror stories of what some people have been doing to their pets, thinking they were doing what was best for them, where as in reality the were doing nothing short of abusing them. Why! They read it on the internet.

Brent

[tgindy]

There's also allowing the flux, if used, to work to your advantage creating a "solder flow," in addition to some amount of safe pre-heating.  This was something drummed into us a few decades ago in "Stained Glass Class" especially when "tinning foil" (instead of soldering lead came) -- Which in essence is what we do in model railroading.

[wp8thsub]

BATMAN

I was taught to heat the work and did this with all my feeders and track joints. I have never had a problem, ever. Am I wrong or missing something?

No, you aren't wrong but...

When it comes to soldering feeders, I usually will: clean the affected area of rail, apply flux, then use the iron to deposit solder onto the joint, ensuring there is sufficient heat transfer to flow the solder where it needs to be.  For everything else, I heat the joint first and then apply solder, but for feeders I find it cumbersome to mess with aiming the solder exactly where I need it with one hand while holding the iron with the other.  I don't have a problem with cold joints or other failures.  I know it's not the "right" way.

[BRAKIE]

wp8thsub

I know it's not the "right" way.

But,it works and that's how I been soldering feeders to the rail for years.

I simply refuse to preheat the rail..I hate the smell of melting plastic.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

BRAKIE

I simply refuse to preheat the rail..I hate the smell of melting plastic.

Me and you both.