Hey Guys....
I just purchased a 1/32 flightpath Flaps and Slats set for the Tornado kit i'm slowly building (this set looks stunning....can't wait to see all the added goodness on the wings)....flightpath recomend soldering alot of their stuff and in this scale i can see it as a good alternative to the numerous glues I would normally use. I'm just wondering if people have tried soldering with success and any recomendations for what sort of soldering iron I should consider purchasing??

Cheers all

Hi matt
i have tried soldering photoetched with a fairly standard iron from a hardwear shop,as long as it has a low or adjustable setting ,
but low melting point solder from my model shop ,
its very fine like the stuff for detailing armour ,
though it can get complicated ,sometimes i find i have to place ,say one endof the object i'm soldering ,on an ice cube to keep that bit from re melting ! etch conducts heat fast!
so i tend to almost alway use a good cyano glue ,quite thin and an accelerator to set it quickly
never had a lot of succes with soldering etch ,personally !
but thats just my point of view ,many do!
cheers mate!!! K p.s. good luck & post some piccies so we can all see ! sounds a bute!

I tried soldering some PE pieces on the Skif BTR-152, but was unsattisfied with the process. Yes, you get a nice bond but you have to hold the pieces precicely and solder them together. I just don't have enough hands.

Model railroaders do a lot of brass soldering and do what is called "Resistance Soldering". Do a Google on this subject and you'll learn more than I myself can teach you.
I know it has to do with the current running through the project and the weld takes place when you touch the other wand to the joint, completing the circuit.
Something like that. Read up.

HTH
Cuhail

Thanks for the pointers guys. I can see myself going back to just glueing the parts....but the techniques mentioned would be a handy thing to learn. I'll see over the next week how much i'd be looking at getting set up and take it from there.

cheers again

Matt it is worth knowing mate
if only to have another skill under your belt so to speak!
but unless the parts are very frail and require strength to support otherparts i would personally stick with glue!
what parts is it exactly?

I have a substitute method for the "ice" mentioned above. I use alligator clips on either side of the joint being soldered to act as "heat sinks". The heat sinks draw off the heat to keep from melting previously completed joints.

Well....this is the reason why I think soldering may be an option as these parts are quite big. The set will make up flaps, slats and spoilers in 1/32 scale. The set is made out of nickel silver too which can be used, unpainted, to add a realistic look for some of the surfaces so naturally i'd like to take benifit of that where possible.

I've taken a picture...as this is my first attempt at using pictures here i hope it works

Wow matt thats a complex set looks really nice i think feel a 1/32 tornado comming on!
good luck mate! keep us posted with pics !
K

You may want to try a new product called "Coldheat", it's a soldering gun that cools down so you can touch it right away and it won't burn you. But the interesting part is that it heats up a small area very quickly ,and I''m think it may be quick enough as to not desturb the surrounding solder joints or warp the metal itself, I've never tried it but it looks like the answer for soldering small parts .

The link is very long, so search "coldheat", thats the way I found it

Hope this helps
(let me know)

cheers
Slug

WOW....that Colheat iron looks pretty handy. I think i'll order one anyway for that price. If I find it not that useful for the modeling I'm working on I know my dad will on his real life plane building

PowerLogik,
Let us know how it works! I keep seeing the commercials advertising it and am very interested in knowing how well it works. I would trust the opinion of a fellow Brother-in-Armorama.

Cuhail

I sure will Cuhail.....it would seem though that everywhere selling this item has sold out and it'll take a few weeks to meet the demans again. Could be a good sign.

Whoaaa that looks ace !
i dont think i'll use it very often but i got to have it!!!!