Solder

[John Glover]

Question fellow Tankers. When soldering Aber photo etch should I use I use a non leaded soldering wire or a leaded wire .What have you found to work the best with Aber .Cheers

[Dogberry]

When soldering Aber kits I use the low melt solder paste (183C). You can pre solder the piece concerned, then in some cases bearly touch the piece with the iron and you have a perfect solder joint.

Not wishing to teach anybody how to "suck eggs" but clean/ lightly sand the the ABER Kits before soldering, I find I get better results. They seem to have some sort of "finish" on them.

Since I discovered low melt solder paste I love etched brass kits.

[PainlessWolf]

John!
Dogberry has his thumb squarely on the solution! Having said that, I freely admit to using tiny amounts of Loc-Tite Ultra Gel for very small brass pieces of kit.
regards,
Painless

[tankme]

Liquid flux with solder paste did wonders for my ability to solder photo etch. Drop a little flux where you want to solder, put a little paste on it and hit it with some heat to "tin" each part. Once each part is tinned, a small amount of solder paste and a little heat will join stuff pretty easily. After soldering use a brush and some isopropyl to clean off the flux residue. If you end up with a little too much solder, you can take a small file or small Dremel bit and clean up the "weld".

[John Glover]

Thanks for the reply Lads. Interested in the solder paste. Are there any brands that come to mind as here in New Zealand choice is usually very limited. Cheers

[Dogberry]

I get mine off ebay, but Amazon stocks it. It is not just a modeling thing all the electronic geeks use it. If you have problems getting it, check on their sites. I think Aber have their own.

There are various melt temperatures down to as low as 130C. I use 183C because that was the first one I bought and I got good results with it. You can even get it in a syringe applicator.

I just use a small tub about 35grams and apply it with a cocktail stick. I get through about a tub every two years and I use it a lot. It costs around. 9 GBP or 12 USD.

[jarndice]

I use liquid solder with a Dremel Butane Torch, Use a paint brush to paint the join with the Liquid Solder then wipe the join with the Butane torch. with a little practice it will look like a factory job.
WARNING Liquid Solder is very poisonous, keep it away from the kids, the pets including fish.
Do not be tempted to lick the paint brush or it could be ER for you .

[John Glover]

Thanks for that. I will have a look for the 35 gram tub.