I see people suggesting that you get a better microphone to eliminate “room boom” and noise, but I like the sound exactly the way it is. It makes you feel like you’re standing there in the shop, watching in person. Eliminating the noise and room sounds, to me, would make the video more sterile and “slick”. Keep it real!
I'm not big on dead rooms either but some room treatment when working with amps and high frequency electronics would probably go a long way for helping to prevent tinnitus.
Henry, I could not agree more. Great video content and production, and I too especially appreciate the exclusion of background music. I also really like the fact that there are no weird framing cuts. I read the theory behind that practice, they claim that you have to change the framing of the video with some frequency or people will lose interest. I counter with what I would have thought to be the easiest way to attract and retain veiwers- offer good content! Joe
Oh man, if she starts using background music I'm going to start a petition. XD I find her voice very soothing and sort of therapeutic, for the lack of a better word.
tip for your tip: keeping solder on your iron tip before you turn it off will stop the tip from oxidizing prematurely. Also, applying solder to your tip right before you heat the connection (especially on larger components) will allow the solder to flow more readily across the connection and towards the tip.
Amen to that; I was going to make the same comment. Idle solder, which is what that's called, will also extend tip life because it will keep the iron plating on the tip from being eaten away.
And watering too much sponge is bad too, she should squeeze it right after applying water. Heating solder joints right after applying solder to it. I do it like this, heat element, apply solder and then put away solder and iron when the solder joints are flooded with tin. Keep doing it, nice to see that girl is into electronics, I don't know too many :D
Also having a moderately tinned tip will allow faster heat transfer too. I usually apply the solder immediately upon touching the components to be soldered as soon as it flows throughly its complete. Plus it helps (again as a tinned tip) heat the joint more rapidly.
Great video! As a 40 year veteran of electronics instrument repair, I agree with all of your ideas. However, I believe best practices requires cleaning (wet sponge is ok) and tinning the solder tip before using the iron. Tinning the tip improves heat transfer to the joint. Plus, cleaning and tinning the tip after using the iron can extend the life of the tip.
You need to replace your iron once a year? These soldering irons should last a lifetime... things like Weller’s and Hakko’s shouldn’t ever need replacing. As for tips, if you are needing to replace yours every few months, you aren’t doing something right. From watching this video, I think I may have spotted it @ 2:43 where you say to clean off the tip when you’re done, but you don’t mention that you absolutely must tin your tip too when you leave it to sit there. A non-tinned tip sitting there at 750 degrees (F) will be ruined real quick. Anyhow, I really enjoy your channel. Keep up the good work.
Love what you're doing. Great to see a female in the technical side of music. I hope you can inspire more diversity in the business with your expertise.
Not being sarcastic but THANK YOU for leaving out how to tin your tip. I get tired of hearing it. I’ve been soldering for a LONG time and I still watch videos to catch little tricks. Great video!
Thanks, I appreciate the simple and straight approach. I too prefer a high temperature and short contact at the "site of engineering work". I had difficulties with old solder joints on a iMac power supply (older than 15Y) stored in high humidity environment. They where grey and didn't wanna melt. At the end I used a large tip and a bulky 100W iron. I have sometimes problems to tining wires. I realized it works perfect when I clan the wires with alcohol and add some flux on. The quality of flux, solder alloy and iron is crucial. It s science in itself.
I like the way you say " now we take OUR needle nose pliers" or "now we take OUR iron" it makes me feel that I not only own something, but we own it together! Thanks for the video, I did learn a few things
There are still some amp repair people out there who are somewhat sloppy when it comes to soldering never mind the masses of those that post various builds on youtube. As you state the number one thing to do is tin (pre solder) the components to be joined first and don't play around with the components / join i.e. dab the parts with the iron as this will dry out the flux. This first step is crucial to making good solder joints. Follow your steps and you won't go wrong. Its a pleasure to watch someone who has been trained in the art of soldering and who performs this so well which on youtube is somewhat of a rarity, well done.
Excellent tutorial, one of the best!! Missing is proper tinning of the tip! Tinning promotes better heat transfer, faster soldering, better solder flow. Tinning also reduces de-solder time, and less potential damage to eyelets and boards. Always clean the tip before each solder operation, and tin. I always add new solder when de-soldering. Old solder requires more heat, and does not "suck out" cleanly. (always add new solder) Finally, the preheat recommendations are overstated, and not as much a requirement. Cleaner soldering is obtained by instantaneous three point contact of the tip and the work and solder. Pre-heat isn't necessary on a PCB, and less than half a second second on most solder connections... if even that much. The three point contact of all three, the tip, the work, and solder causes the melting solder to ASSIST in FASTER heat transfer and efficient solder flow. The solder should appear like factory. if it doesn't then you're method isn't correct! If you find you need to pre-heat your work, and end up with melted insulation, definitely wrong. Tip: watch a vintage factory assembly line video. The operation takes less than half a second for the typical connection. It should be that fast.. and a smooth shiny good looking solder fillet. I have been employed by several electronics manufacturers, including IBM, and have professionally restored many hifi amps, turntables, reel to reel decks, etc. The points covered in this video are indeed well explained.. good stuff here!
Liked and subbed. In high school, I was so fascinated with electronics, because I wanted to know how stomp boxes could create such a variety of sounds. I ended up getting an associates degree in Electronics and Communication Servicing in 1994. I built my own distortion stomp box from a schematic diagram, from a particular website, shortly there after. Every time I see a video like yours, be it on the basics, I can't help but watch anyways. I will go back to watch your other past videos. Cheers.
Amazing i got this video coming, today utube has everything. Back in the days there wasn’t internet. I learnt everything on my own ans used to solder everything, never had those tools u have now. Just cleaning the head on a piece of wood and a knife no sponge or weird pen… the old days didn’t have those and it was done! U look nice ;)
You know how to do it! I have learned that in the seventies but you are doing it the correct way! Glad to see people of the next generation who love electronics!
I already knew how to solder. But I'm glad I watched this video anyway. Very informative. On another note, this woman's voice is very smooth and relaxing to listen to. I would love for her to do some ASMR videos.
This was an excellent tutorial with loads of tips for the trade. One thing we used to say was solder “extraction tool” for rather obvious reasons. Bodge wires and all!!
2 tips that will improve your soldering.... 1. Use a chisle tip & you will get better results as you have more contact with the board & will be able to cut your temps down & be kinder to components. 2.use a FLAT FLUSH ELECTRONIC NIPPER instead of the electrical ones in the video. They are far superior!!! I was amazed at how much difference these 2 things made. I would never go BACK! ; )>
Excellent advice on hard wiring can caps. I don’t know why I never worried about overheating them with my heavy duty iron before. I’m sold. It’s refreshing to have a pro from a real working shop making videos like this.
Just wanted to say, thanks to some help from your channel, I was able to successfully replace some old filter caps and eliminate 120 cycle hum. First time soldering or working on electronics at this level. Thanks!
Thank you for this. Ive been wrenching on euro cars for 30 years, never really knew how to solder. Got an original Deluxe Reverb that needs some DIY work.
Excellent video, and I say that as one who did his first amp repair in 1966. I'd add a couple of additional points: First, a joint can only be reflowed once; additional reheating will cause the tin in the solder to crystallize. If you can't get a good joint after reheating the joint once, suck out the solder and redo the connection. Second, I prefer to use a Soldapullt, which has a much larger barrel and is much more efficient than the solder sucker you use. It's particularly good for point-to-point wired amps. The smaller solder sucker may be preferable for PC boards. Third, I clean component leads with a braid-type cleaner before I install them. It's amazing how much gunk there can be on a resistor lead. If you can't find that tool, just strip some braid from a piece of coax; it'll work fine.
I'm not very much into ASMR (and a noob at soldering) but your videos have made me a total sucker... for the solder sucker. Never heard of it before (which probably explains why I'm so bad at soldering) but I just love the sound of it and I'm definitely getting myself one and try to get a little more into this, starting with a cheap Danelectro spring reverb that stopped working and I'm going to get back to life or die trying! Please keep up with these lovely videos!
All great information. I was fortunate enough to have the U.S. Air Force teach me how to solder back in 1980. Thankfully the art of soldering has remained pretty much unchanged since the early 1950s.
I’ve only soldered about 5 or 6 times and learned the hard way that the soldering iron can get too hot. I have a cheap one with no temperature control. So with those cheapo’s the sponge is a must for temperature control as much as it is cleaning. I finally realized my iron was too hot when the solder wouldn’t stay put and harden. Tinning the tip of the iron wouldn’t work either, it would just run or drip off. Instead of a sponge, I took an old wash rag and folded it up into an Altoids tin. It works pretty well.
Great video very informative. That solder sucker is the same one I use and I've had mine since the 70's. It just refuses to die. I just give it a good cleaning and a bit of lube on the O-ring and it's good for another decade.
So cool to have a woman doing a video about electronics! Times have changed and it is for the best. I discovered that some leads have trace of oxidation or oily residue which prevent a good joint. Now I scrape them with iron wool or a fine grit sand paper to clean them to ensure a good contact. Good video !
We ran old fashioned unregulated irons on all day long 5 days a week. There should be no degradation from not actually using it. Its applying resin and using that can scratch the steel outer casing into the copper core. Great works. That drill bit case kind of spooked me out, reminded me of work place. I started soldering with a gun around 1960. I used to hold solder in my mouth LOL.
Nice job. Couple other thoughts here...be especially careful on older boards as the traces lift easier. Boards from the 70's can be really touchy. If a trace gets pulled away from the board, you can brush on some clear nail polish to keep it in place after doing any soldering. And I've learned to change tips when working on pc boards versus point to point wiring. I use a narrow chisel tip for p to p and a pencil point for boards. I also try to scrape off old excess flux because it can become semi conductive as it ages. Carefully use a small screwdriver tip or Exacto knife and maybe a Qtip and some isopropyl alcohol. Keep up the good work.
I have a little bit of advice for you about using a wet sponge. You mentioned in the video that you have to replace the tip every few months. For me, the tips live for 2 years, and I solder every day. First of all, your sponge is dripping with water, which is why the tip gets a thermal shock, which shortens its life. The sponge should be squeezed out - damp, not dripping with water. Personally, I use something like the Weller WLACCBSH-02 to clean the tips.
Great video! +1 for the tip on adding more solder if the sucker won't work. If you don't have a solder sucker or have a stubborn through-hole you are trying to clear of solder like in 5:48, you can also use a toothpick or other sharpened wooden stick to clear out molten solder. There's a good example video of doing this for replacing nixie tubes on the GRA&AFCH channel. Solder wick or in a pinch, flux-laden stranded copper wire can also work.
Excellent presentation, very concise ! Myself, when soldering to the backs of pots, I use a small piece of sandpaper to clean and rough up the surface. Also, I use a big old Weller 240 watt gun to solder to chassis. Works quite well.
Pete, be careful with that big Weller Gun Soldering Iron, the trigger ON/OFF switch induces a pretty strong magnetic field in the unit's coils and can damage guitar pickup magnets if it's within close enough proximity when in use. Don't ask me how I know............
@@hkguitar1984 , Interesting! I never really thought about that possibility. I guess it's safest to treat the soldering gun as if it is a tape-head demagnetizer, where you would turn the device on while held away from the tape head, and then remove it from the area around the tape head before switching it off again. Not that I would normally find myself using a large soldering gun inside the control cavity area of guitar, except possibly for attaching a ground wire to the tremolo mechanism....
My dad taught me to solder as a kid, he was a ham radio guy. It's an extremely useful skill that isn't that hard to master. Buy a few of those kits that give you the board and components and just build them to get practice. I taught both my kids the skill and they took to it quickly.
Thanks so much for this video! I have a ground that came lose from the chassis and I could not get the chassis hot enough to re-solder. Will be getting a lug and screw to attach it!
William Baerga I tuned in to your channel by accident and I have to say you have Blown me away with your knowledge of Electrical repair Wow I'm really impress I would like to see a video on how you started getting into this field.
First iron/gun when I was about 10 you never stop learning and everyone has their own style preference and way it's for everyone and anyone who wants to learn great video and channel nice job
Super helpful refresher for someone that hasn't done any electronics work in many years. Have an amp that needs new filter caps and this was just the ticket. Thanks!
Great video - my tip is for the odd time when you find the solder will not melt (high temp lead free stuff) - I've found if you add some leaded solder on top using the iron to heat both it will then melt and a solder sucker can clear it out. I don't know why this works but it does.
I had one of those Eico signal generators! Converted it into a tube amp! Some cool tubes in there, but the 6K6 in push pull has I think a 10K impedance which was hard to find a good output transformer for
Very informative and good examples used. Many people who occasionally try doing this usually do not invest in proper equipment so before they even start they are at a disadvantage. I would suggest people avoid those soldering irons that cost a few dollars. They don't work properly and the heating element usually burns out quickly anyway. Not everyone want to invest in a soldering station but they should look for a decent product from a reputable brand. The type of solder makes a big difference as well. Lead free solder has a higher melting point and components can be damaged by the increased temperature needed to melt it. Avoid the solder from Dollar stores, I have tried it and it is a nightmare. The leaded solder is still the easiest to work with but not all brands are created equally and you have to weigh the benefits versus the cost of using it where your health is concerned. Many products are now using lead free solder to meet ROHS compliance. Finally I would suggest the tip of the soldering iron is tinned when using it for the first time and keep cleaning it on a damp ( not wet) sponge between use since the tip can build up an oxide layer on the surface when not in use on the stand while it is hot. Naturally components will take longer to remove than to install and they are faulty or damaged anyway, but the process of soldering a new component should be fairly swift to avoid prolonged exposure to heat .
I'm about to replace the pots that controls the tube preamp on a Hartke, along with two equalizer faders. I have no idea why they made those darn equalizer so sensitive to getting hit. ... But... They did. Thanks for the input hopefully I don't blow myself up
This is fantastic, thanks! The part on using jumper wires to fix a blown trace on a PCB helped me fix an SD-1 to Tube Screamer mod I was working on for my son.
A basic intro to soldering video should also cover: a) the use of flux, b) how to clean components and pcbs to prepare for soldering or desoldering, and c) different soldering iron tips and their uses.
Perfect... I was looking for advice on how to solder on an eyelet board, and that was your first example! Thanks. Great video, concise and informative.
Question on your back rack, was trying to identify what test gear you had. Simpson 260, an Eico RF generator? tube tester,, would like to know what you use. I have seen you use your Fluke, but mine might be as old as you, an earlier 87. Back in the day, I used a healthkit MM1 (Simpson 260 copy,) Heathkit C-3 capacitor checker (IT-11 or 28 are newer and common), and a Precision 910 tube checker with the newer tube sockets added, and Xcelite wooden handled nut drivers. Someday I will fix my Hickok 534b tube checker, in the mean time still using the 910 as it handles beam power tubes in our power range. Don't think we need a guitar amp with 6146's or 3-500Z's for finals. Have fun
Thank you for making and sharing this video. It answered a lot of questions I had. At one point it was like you were reading my mind as you immediately went into covering that question. One question I still have, however, is what does it look like to run a wire in case you damage a trace? What type of wire and how does the connection look after repair?
I use a Weller WLC100 (40W). For effect pedal I use a small tip and set it between 3 and 4. For guitar or cable wiring I use a larger tip (the factory one) and go up to 5 if I need to. So my tip to beginners is to use the right tip and set the heat according to what you're working with.
Thank you so much for this. I'm not a rookie but I learned a few things, so thank you for this! What brand of soldering gun do you recommend? I'm in the market for a new one.
Great video as it helps beginners showing how things look when they go sideways, and how to fix them! I'll try to fix my Peavey Bandit silver stripe hiss. Thanks!
For the super anal folks, Milspec standard actually mandates that you cut the leads BEFORE soldering the component, as cutting them after may in some instances, unduly stress the joint.
Hi' I just wanted to express my appreciation for you efforts here . I lost my Dad last year , he had that same drill bit set in the metal case like yours . I have not seen one of those in years , mine is a plastic cover case and I forgot about his until I saw yours and I just want to tell how much that means to me , thank's !
My condolences for your father, that's rough. I lost my aunt a week or two ago and my dad got hit pretty hard by it. Things are slowly getting better. Stay strong my friend.
Colleen can you please show us how YOU safely discharge capacitors to make these things safe to work on. While I have a plethora of experience in a wide array of electronics, working on Tube equipment is not one of them. Just so people know, soldier techniques are very important, and the fill she is trying to explain is referred to as the meniscus. It's a very specific type of arch that fills the gap and slopes up with where the lead exits and enters. It's important because well, solder has some weak points and this is the best form to create the best physical and electrical bond. I became ISO-9000 certified back in the mid 90's, working for the largest electronics manufacture in the world. That certification can mean many things in general, but in my case, it was QA, QC, Assembly, Electrical code, High Potting, Silk screening, shipping, and several other categories. But let me tell you, I'm far from perfect, I've had to go back and rework some of the kits I build and OMG how embarrassing sometimes. Solder suckers are not the ONLY way to get solder off of something. There are other types of tools like a de-soldering iron, solder WICK, which is thin strands of copper wire impregnated with flux that draws the solder towards it.
If you really want temperature control check out JBC soldering stations. Next, don’t clean the soldering tip after soldering. What happens then is the tip oxidizes and you need to re-tin the tip soldering again otherwise the solder will dewet and sit on the tip instead of adhering properly. Also the stress relief of the resistor was in the solder joint resulting in a latent failure. The bend of the resistor was too close to the body of the resistor resulting in another latent failure. The anodized coating on the potentiometer is there to reduce the corrosion of the pot cover. The red terminal is to be crimped and not soldered. Good video for a starter and little more.
The other tech channels don't show us how to solder, or use a multi-meter, or about fuses etc... This is a channel us non-tech tube amp playing musicians can learn from, to help us maintain our instruments - amp's are musical instruments too.
Yes, tip replacement frequently. Iron, I disagree. For 10 years I worked in a shop with my Weller station on for 10 hours a day, 6 days a week. I never replaced the iron. My personal station is a Weller and it's almost 35 years old. I've never replaced the iron and I use it daily. I keep lots of spare tips. Removing solder is sometimes more effective with solder wick instead of the sucker. For the pot, a little liquid flux will help as well. I only use additional flux when soldering something large.
I see people suggesting that you get a better microphone to eliminate “room boom” and noise, but I like the sound exactly the way it is. It makes you feel like you’re standing there in the shop, watching in person. Eliminating the noise and room sounds, to me, would make the video more sterile and “slick”. Keep it real!
Agreed 100%. I find overly close-mic'd, dead audio sort of distracting. I like the sound of the room.
On the fast forward sections, I noticed that you overdub something ambient. Nice touch.
Yes the cosmic noise room Ambience is good
I'm not big on dead rooms either but some room treatment when working with amps and high frequency electronics would probably go a long way for helping to prevent tinnitus.
why not ask for her number while your here sucking up
Great soldering video. It is great to see your videos. You are an insperation for girls and young women everwhere. Thanks!
Excellent video! Thanks for being so clear and concise. And thank you for not using background music!
Henry, I could not agree more. Great video content and production, and I too especially appreciate the exclusion of background music. I also really like the fact that there are no weird framing cuts. I read the theory behind that practice, they claim that you have to change the framing of the video with some frequency or people will lose interest. I counter with what I would have thought to be the easiest way to attract and retain veiwers- offer good content!
Joe
Background music masks trash noise, but she doesnt even have trash noise! I guess her career is pretty sound related so that makes sense
Oh man, if she starts using background music I'm going to start a petition. XD
I find her voice very soothing and sort of therapeutic, for the lack of a better word.
Agreed on the no music. So nice to be able to just peacefully listen and not have your ears assaulted by corporate music all day long
tip for your tip: keeping solder on your iron tip before you turn it off will stop the tip from oxidizing prematurely. Also, applying solder to your tip right before you heat the connection (especially on larger components) will allow the solder to flow more readily across the connection and towards the tip.
Amen to that; I was going to make the same comment. Idle solder, which is what that's called, will also extend tip life because it will keep the iron plating on the tip from being eaten away.
And watering too much sponge is bad too, she should squeeze it right after applying water. Heating solder joints right after applying solder to it. I do it like this, heat element, apply solder and then put away solder and iron when the solder joints are flooded with tin. Keep doing it, nice to see that girl is into electronics, I don't know too many :D
Aye, us oldies have been soldering for many many years and seeing up and coming new techs is good, Keep up the practice.
Also having a moderately tinned tip will allow faster heat transfer too. I usually apply the solder immediately upon touching the components to be soldered as soon as it flows throughly its complete. Plus it helps (again as a tinned tip) heat the joint more rapidly.
I was thinking the same thing, I was a radio repairer in the army and we were definitely taught to tin our iron.
Great video! As a 40 year veteran of electronics instrument repair, I agree with all of your ideas. However, I believe best practices requires cleaning (wet sponge is ok) and tinning the solder tip before using the iron. Tinning the tip improves heat transfer to the joint. Plus, cleaning and tinning the tip after using the iron can extend the life of the tip.
Colleen, you are a joy to watch and listen too. The Sodder Goddess 😍
You need to replace your iron once a year? These soldering irons should last a lifetime... things like Weller’s and Hakko’s shouldn’t ever need replacing. As for tips, if you are needing to replace yours every few months, you aren’t doing something right. From watching this video, I think I may have spotted it @ 2:43 where you say to clean off the tip when you’re done, but you don’t mention that you absolutely must tin your tip too when you leave it to sit there. A non-tinned tip sitting there at 750 degrees (F) will be ruined real quick.
Anyhow, I really enjoy your channel. Keep up the good work.
Love what you're doing. Great to see a female in the technical side of music.
I hope you can inspire more diversity in the business with your expertise.
Not being sarcastic but THANK YOU for leaving out how to tin your tip. I get tired of hearing it. I’ve been soldering for a LONG time and I still watch videos to catch little tricks. Great video!
Thanks, I appreciate the simple and straight approach. I too prefer a high temperature and short contact at the "site of engineering work". I had difficulties with old solder joints on a iMac power supply (older than 15Y) stored in high humidity environment. They where grey and didn't wanna melt. At the end I used a large tip and a bulky 100W iron.
I have sometimes problems to tining wires. I realized it works perfect when I clan the wires with alcohol and add some flux on. The quality of flux, solder alloy and iron is crucial. It s science in itself.
I like the way you say " now we take OUR needle nose pliers" or "now we take OUR iron" it makes me feel that I not only own something, but we own it together! Thanks for the video, I did learn a few things
There are still some amp repair people out there who are somewhat sloppy when it comes to soldering never mind the masses of those that post various builds on youtube. As you state the number one thing to do is tin (pre solder) the components to be joined first and don't play around with the components / join i.e. dab the parts with the iron as this will dry out the flux. This first step is crucial to making good solder joints. Follow your steps and you won't go wrong.
Its a pleasure to watch someone who has been trained in the art of soldering and who performs this so well which on youtube is somewhat of a rarity, well done.
Excellent tutorial, one of the best!! Missing is proper tinning of the tip! Tinning promotes better heat transfer, faster soldering, better solder flow. Tinning also reduces de-solder time, and less potential damage to eyelets and boards. Always clean the tip before each solder operation, and tin. I always add new solder when de-soldering. Old solder requires more heat, and does not "suck out" cleanly. (always add new solder)
Finally, the preheat recommendations are overstated, and not as much a requirement. Cleaner soldering is obtained by instantaneous three point contact of the tip and the work and solder. Pre-heat isn't necessary on a PCB, and less than half a second second on most solder connections... if even that much. The three point contact of all three, the tip, the work, and solder causes the melting solder to ASSIST in FASTER heat transfer and efficient solder flow. The solder should appear like factory. if it doesn't then you're method isn't correct! If you find you need to pre-heat your work, and end up with melted insulation, definitely wrong.
Tip: watch a vintage factory assembly line video. The operation takes less than half a second for the typical connection. It should be that fast.. and a smooth shiny good looking solder fillet. I have been employed by several electronics manufacturers, including IBM, and have professionally restored many hifi amps, turntables, reel to reel decks, etc.
The points covered in this video are indeed well explained.. good stuff here!
I am a soldering noob and really appreciate this video. Many thanks to The Electric Lady!
Liked and subbed. In high school, I was so fascinated with electronics, because I wanted to know how stomp boxes could create such a variety of sounds. I ended up getting an associates degree in Electronics and Communication Servicing in 1994. I built my own distortion stomp box from a schematic diagram, from a particular website, shortly there after. Every time I see a video like yours, be it on the basics, I can't help but watch anyways. I will go back to watch your other past videos. Cheers.
EE here, and I now design and build guitar pedals. Best job ever! Hope ya still build some from time to time. It's a lost art.
Amazing i got this video coming, today utube has everything. Back in the days there wasn’t internet. I learnt everything on my own ans used to solder everything, never had those tools u have now. Just cleaning the head on a piece of wood and a knife no sponge or weird pen… the old days didn’t have those and it was done! U look nice ;)
You know how to do it! I have learned that in the seventies but you are doing it the correct way! Glad to see people of the next generation who love electronics!
I already knew how to solder. But I'm glad I watched this video anyway. Very informative.
On another note, this woman's voice is very smooth and relaxing to listen to. I would love for her to do some ASMR videos.
This was an excellent tutorial with loads of tips for the trade. One thing we used to say was solder “extraction tool” for rather obvious reasons. Bodge wires and all!!
2 tips that will improve your soldering.... 1. Use a chisle tip & you will get better results as you have more contact with the board & will be able to cut your temps down & be kinder to components. 2.use a FLAT FLUSH ELECTRONIC NIPPER instead of the electrical ones in the video. They are far superior!!! I was amazed at how much difference these 2 things made. I would never go BACK! ; )>
Excellent advice on hard wiring can caps. I don’t know why I never worried about overheating them with my heavy duty iron before. I’m sold. It’s refreshing to have a pro from a real working shop making videos like this.
Just wanted to say, thanks to some help from your channel, I was able to successfully replace some old filter caps and eliminate 120 cycle hum. First time soldering or working on electronics at this level.
Thanks!
This was so good. Couldn’t ask for better video to get me started.
Thank you for this. Ive been wrenching on euro cars for 30 years, never really knew how to solder. Got an original Deluxe Reverb that needs some DIY work.
thank you! great explanations for a total beginner like myself
What a great channel
Excellent video, and I say that as one who did his first amp repair in 1966. I'd add a couple of additional points: First, a joint can only be reflowed once; additional reheating will cause the tin in the solder to crystallize. If you can't get a good joint after reheating the joint once, suck out the solder and redo the connection. Second, I prefer to use a Soldapullt, which has a much larger barrel and is much more efficient than the solder sucker you use. It's particularly good for point-to-point wired amps. The smaller solder sucker may be preferable for PC boards. Third, I clean component leads with a braid-type cleaner before I install them. It's amazing how much gunk there can be on a resistor lead. If you can't find that tool, just strip some braid from a piece of coax; it'll work fine.
I'm not very much into ASMR (and a noob at soldering) but your videos have made me a total sucker... for the solder sucker. Never heard of it before (which probably explains why I'm so bad at soldering) but I just love the sound of it and I'm definitely getting myself one and try to get a little more into this, starting with a cheap Danelectro spring reverb that stopped working and I'm going to get back to life or die trying!
Please keep up with these lovely videos!
This is a great introduction to soldering. Paceworldwide has a fantastic, in-depth series of tutorials on soldering.
All great information.
I was fortunate enough to have the U.S. Air Force teach me how to solder back in 1980.
Thankfully the art of soldering has remained pretty much unchanged since the early 1950s.
Most helpful soldering video I've ever seen. The closeups of the basic tasks are incredibly useful. Thanks!
I’ve only soldered about 5 or 6 times and learned the hard way that the soldering iron can get too hot. I have a cheap one with no temperature control. So with those cheapo’s the sponge is a must for temperature control as much as it is cleaning. I finally realized my iron was too hot when the solder wouldn’t stay put and harden. Tinning the tip of the iron wouldn’t work either, it would just run or drip off. Instead of a sponge, I took an old wash rag and folded it up into an Altoids tin. It works pretty well.
im so glad to see u work on electric things and i love to see ur tools
Great video very informative. That solder sucker is the same one I use and I've had mine since the 70's. It just refuses to die. I just give it a good cleaning and a bit of lube on the O-ring and it's good for another decade.
So cool to have a woman doing a video about electronics! Times have changed and it is for the best. I discovered that some leads have trace of oxidation or oily residue which prevent a good joint. Now I scrape them with iron wool or a fine grit sand paper to clean them to ensure a good contact. Good video !
We ran old fashioned unregulated irons on all day long 5 days a week. There should be no degradation from not actually using it. Its applying resin and using that can scratch the steel outer casing into the copper core. Great works. That drill bit case kind of spooked me out, reminded me of work place. I started soldering with a gun around 1960. I used to hold solder in my mouth LOL.
I am now getting interested in this type of work..She makes it interesting.
A good tutorial with nice close-ups and love your style.
Nice job. Couple other thoughts here...be especially careful on older boards as the traces lift easier. Boards from the 70's can be really touchy. If a trace gets pulled away from the board, you can brush on some clear nail polish to keep it in place after doing any soldering. And I've learned to change tips when working on pc boards versus point to point wiring. I use a narrow chisel tip for p to p and a pencil point for boards. I also try to scrape off old excess flux because it can become semi conductive as it ages. Carefully use a small screwdriver tip or Exacto knife and maybe a Qtip and some isopropyl alcohol. Keep up the good work.
Soldering is one of my favorite thing to do!!!!
Every one of your videos are informative and educational. Well done.
I have a little bit of advice for you about using a wet sponge. You mentioned in the video that you have to replace the tip every few months. For me, the tips live for 2 years, and I solder every day. First of all, your sponge is dripping with water, which is why the tip gets a thermal shock, which shortens its life. The sponge should be squeezed out - damp, not dripping with water. Personally, I use something like the Weller WLACCBSH-02 to clean the tips.
Yesss!!! Now I finally have a fellow lady to look up to!
Best video on soldering in an amp that Ive seen
Great video! +1 for the tip on adding more solder if the sucker won't work. If you don't have a solder sucker or have a stubborn through-hole you are trying to clear of solder like in 5:48, you can also use a toothpick or other sharpened wooden stick to clear out molten solder. There's a good example video of doing this for replacing nixie tubes on the GRA&AFCH channel. Solder wick or in a pinch, flux-laden stranded copper wire can also work.
You can also instead of sucking it out use compressed air or even your breath to blow out the solder to the other side
Excellent presentation, very concise ! Myself, when soldering to the backs of pots, I use a small piece of sandpaper to clean and rough up the surface. Also, I use a big old Weller 240 watt gun to solder to chassis. Works quite well.
Pete, be careful with that big Weller Gun Soldering Iron, the trigger ON/OFF switch induces a pretty strong magnetic field in the unit's coils and can damage guitar pickup magnets if it's within close enough proximity when in use. Don't ask me how I know............
@@hkguitar1984 , Interesting! I never really thought about that possibility. I guess it's safest to treat the soldering gun as if it is a tape-head demagnetizer, where you would turn the device on while held away from the tape head, and then remove it from the area around the tape head before switching it off again. Not that I would normally find myself using a large soldering gun inside the control cavity area of guitar, except possibly for attaching a ground wire to the tremolo mechanism....
My dad taught me to solder as a kid, he was a ham radio guy. It's an extremely useful skill that isn't that hard to master. Buy a few of those kits that give you the board and components and just build them to get practice. I taught both my kids the skill and they took to it quickly.
Awesome vids thanks for sharing. You and Uncle Doug both have excellent speaking voices.
Great instructions. Many sites omit these basic steps.
Thanks so much for this video! I have a ground that came lose from the chassis and I could not get the chassis hot enough to re-solder. Will be getting a lug and screw to attach it!
Not just an excellent tech, an excellent teacher as well.
Great tutorial for beginners and old hats alike.
As an absolute beginner, this was a godsend! Thank you!
It’s just a damned shame she actually does not know how to solder correctly!
William Baerga
I tuned in to your channel by accident and I have to say you have Blown me away
with your knowledge of Electrical repair Wow I'm really impress
I would like to see a video on how you started getting into this field.
First iron/gun when I was about 10 you never stop learning and everyone has their own style preference and way it's for everyone and anyone who wants to learn great video and channel nice job
Super helpful refresher for someone that hasn't done any electronics work in many years. Have an amp that needs new filter caps and this was just the ticket. Thanks!
Your vids are some of the best tutorials on TH-cam! I wish you lived in my area, good techs are hard to find!
Great video - my tip is for the odd time when you find the solder will not melt (high temp lead free stuff) - I've found if you add some leaded solder on top using the iron to heat both it will then melt and a solder sucker can clear it out. I don't know why this works but it does.
You hypnotize me. Love your videos
I had one of those Eico signal generators! Converted it into a tube amp! Some cool tubes in there, but the 6K6 in push pull has I think a 10K impedance which was hard to find a good output transformer for
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience!
Very informative and good examples used. Many people who occasionally try doing this usually do not invest in proper equipment so before they even start they are at a disadvantage. I would suggest people avoid those soldering irons that cost a few dollars. They don't work properly and the heating element usually burns out quickly anyway. Not everyone want to invest in a soldering station but they should look for a decent product from a reputable brand. The type of solder makes a big difference as well. Lead free solder has a higher melting point and components can be damaged by the increased temperature needed to melt it. Avoid the solder from Dollar stores, I have tried it and it is a nightmare. The leaded solder is still the easiest to work with but not all brands are created equally and you have to weigh the benefits versus the cost of using it where your health is concerned. Many products are now using lead free solder to meet ROHS compliance. Finally I would suggest the tip of the soldering iron is tinned when using it for the first time and keep cleaning it on a damp ( not wet) sponge between use since the tip can build up an oxide layer on the surface when not in use on the stand while it is hot. Naturally components will take longer to remove than to install and they are faulty or damaged anyway, but the process of soldering a new component should be fairly swift to avoid prolonged exposure to heat .
This is the best solder video I've seen. Thank you so much!
Really good video. Your a good teacher . Thanks for this
I'm about to replace the pots that controls the tube preamp on a Hartke, along with two equalizer faders. I have no idea why they made those darn equalizer so sensitive to getting hit. ... But... They did. Thanks for the input hopefully I don't blow myself up
This is fantastic, thanks! The part on using jumper wires to fix a blown trace on a PCB helped me fix an SD-1 to Tube Screamer mod I was working on for my son.
Ive been looking for a decent video on the basics of soldering for a long time...nice job.
You give good instructions. Can you please make a video on different components and examples of application? Like what makes a fuzz… fuzz??
You are simply the best:)
Very good video. Thanks again!
Finally I can fix my amp!!! Thank you!!🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
These videos are so helpful. Thank you!
Every guitarist should be able to solder. It's a great tool to have. That being said, I need to learn!! lol
Thanks for the video! I would've loved to see you show tip tinning. Also what is that stick, haha
At work we use wooden chopsticks for poking around in the amp. So I’ve just gotten in the habit!
I totally agree she is way awesome for sharing her time and experience with us...
@@FazioElectric It's a good habit. Bamboo chopsticks are handy for poking around electronics because you can grab stuff with them.
@@FazioElectric I am from India 🇮🇳,It's very easy, I have done it many times .
A basic intro to soldering video should also cover: a) the use of flux, b) how to clean components and pcbs to prepare for soldering or desoldering, and c) different soldering iron tips and their uses.
Yes, great topics for new vids!
And how to care for your iron. Including tinning.
Perfect... I was looking for advice on how to solder on an eyelet board, and that was your first example! Thanks. Great video, concise and informative.
Same here!
Question on your back rack, was trying to identify what test gear you had. Simpson 260, an Eico RF generator? tube tester,, would like to know what you use. I have seen you use your Fluke, but mine might be as old as you, an earlier 87. Back in the day, I used a healthkit MM1 (Simpson 260 copy,) Heathkit C-3 capacitor checker (IT-11 or 28 are newer and common), and a Precision 910 tube checker with the newer tube sockets added, and Xcelite wooden handled nut drivers. Someday I will fix my Hickok 534b tube checker, in the mean time still using the 910 as it handles beam power tubes in our power range. Don't think we need a guitar amp with 6146's or 3-500Z's for finals. Have fun
I learned a great deal from this video, thank you.
Great job explaining the basics in a clear way!
Thank you for making and sharing this video. It answered a lot of questions I had. At one point it was like you were reading my mind as you immediately went into covering that question.
One question I still have, however, is what does it look like to run a wire in case you damage a trace? What type of wire and how does the connection look after repair?
Nice tips you gave on this video.
beautiful vid so professional and cool
Thank you so much , love your episodes , wish I would of found your Chanel sooner , you explain things very good and your easy to listen too
I use a Weller WLC100 (40W). For effect pedal I use a small tip and set it between 3 and 4. For guitar or cable wiring I use a larger tip (the factory one) and go up to 5 if I need to. So my tip to beginners is to use the right tip and set the heat according to what you're working with.
Maybe the best soldering tutorial I’ve seen yet.
Well done and subbed 👍🏻
When you get an Ampeg in, I want to see how you deal with the curved leads.
Particularly SVT, Vt-22, or V-4B.
This video as inspiring me to get back into soldering and audio building projects!
Thank you so much for this. I'm not a rookie but I learned a few things, so thank you for this! What brand of soldering gun do you recommend? I'm in the market for a new one.
Excellent video! Thank you!
I love this, thanks so much, cant wait to see more videos
Great video as it helps beginners showing how things look when they go sideways, and how to fix them! I'll try to fix my Peavey Bandit silver stripe hiss. Thanks!
For the super anal folks, Milspec standard actually mandates that you cut the leads BEFORE soldering the component, as cutting them after may in some instances, unduly stress the joint.
Brilliant, brilliant video.
Excellent close ups and great explanations.
Thanks for sharing.
More of the same please.
🤠
Hi'
I just wanted to express my appreciation for you efforts here .
I lost my Dad last year , he had that same drill bit set in the metal case like yours .
I have not seen one of those in years , mine is a plastic cover case and I forgot about his until I saw yours and I just want to tell how much that means to me , thank's !
My condolences for your father, that's rough. I lost my aunt a week or two ago and my dad got hit pretty hard by it. Things are slowly getting better. Stay strong my friend.
Colleen can you please show us how YOU safely discharge capacitors to make these things safe to work on. While I have a plethora of experience in a wide array of electronics, working on Tube equipment is not one of them.
Just so people know, soldier techniques are very important, and the fill she is trying to explain is referred to as the meniscus. It's a very specific type of arch that fills the gap and slopes up with where the lead exits and enters. It's important because well, solder has some weak points and this is the best form to create the best physical and electrical bond.
I became ISO-9000 certified back in the mid 90's, working for the largest electronics manufacture in the world. That certification can mean many things in general, but in my case, it was QA, QC, Assembly, Electrical code, High Potting, Silk screening, shipping, and several other categories. But let me tell you, I'm far from perfect, I've had to go back and rework some of the kits I build and OMG how embarrassing sometimes.
Solder suckers are not the ONLY way to get solder off of something. There are other types of tools like a de-soldering iron, solder WICK, which is thin strands of copper wire impregnated with flux that draws the solder towards it.
Great tips! for pcb desoldering and other tight/small components I prefer usuing de-soldering wick to remove old solder
in my small experience, yes, you need it, but probably a combination of both
Excellent demonstration and explanations! I'm about to start a 5e3 build, and these tips will be very helpful. Thanks!
If you really want temperature control check out JBC soldering stations. Next, don’t clean the soldering tip after soldering. What happens then is the tip oxidizes and you need to re-tin the tip soldering again otherwise the solder will dewet and sit on the tip instead of adhering properly. Also the stress relief of the resistor was in the solder joint resulting in a latent failure. The bend of the resistor was too close to the body of the resistor resulting in another latent failure. The anodized coating on the potentiometer is there to reduce the corrosion of the pot cover. The red terminal is to be crimped and not soldered. Good video for a starter and little more.
The other tech channels don't show us how to solder, or use a multi-meter, or about fuses etc... This is a channel us non-tech tube amp playing musicians can learn from, to help us maintain our instruments - amp's are musical instruments too.
Yes, tip replacement frequently. Iron, I disagree. For 10 years I worked in a shop with my Weller station on for 10 hours a day, 6 days a week. I never replaced the iron. My personal station is a Weller and it's almost 35 years old. I've never replaced the iron and I use it daily. I keep lots of spare tips.
Removing solder is sometimes more effective with solder wick instead of the sucker.
For the pot, a little liquid flux will help as well. I only use additional flux when soldering something large.
Awesome technique. If you do a lot a PCB work, it is worth investing in a reworking station, especially for surface mount components.