Solder pot for toroid leads
|
Roy,
? I use a solder pot. The only warning is that the temperature will need some adjusting for the different sizes and types of magnet wire. If it¡¯s too high, not only does it take off the enamel it also starts melting the wire. The one I have is similar to photo. I tested it and put sharpie marks on the dial for the different gauges of wire. It is also good for dip soldering antenna wires.
It is heavy so as not to fall or be pulled off of workbench. I only bring mine out when using it. You¡¯ll need a piece of stiff card stock to take ¡°sludge¡± off of top of molten solder pot. Look on the interwebs for tips to use one. I bought some Oatey 4 in 1 Solder Ingots on eBay to fill the pot. Hope this helps.?
JP
KA3BWP
?
|
|
I don't do that because some wire has enamel that just doesn't melt. Also, it smells like feet! I use a box cutter and scrape it off. I also use the Crochet Lock method to wind them. On the T41, there's a boatload to wind, but the Cochet Lock lets me wind them at about 1/minute. I scrape the lead end that passes through the core first, then scrape the second lead after I've finished winding the toroid and trimmed it to length. Jack, W8TEE
On Friday, May 23, 2025 at 02:12:56 PM EDT, Roy Ashkenaz via groups.io <cqk2rma@...> wrote:
Does anyone use Solder pots for tinning and removing the enamel from the toroid leads? Any hints and tips?
I see a cheap one on Amazon for about $20. Any suggestions if I should buy special solder for this, or use my normal Kester 63/37 solder in it?
|
|
I'd like a solder pot, but it will have to wait until I have a bigger workspace and that day may not come. My bench is so cramped that I think a pot of melted lead would be a rather dangerous thing to have on it! As is, I'm always tripping on cables or catching wires with my sleeve. So I scrape, sand and tin.
?
While waiting for my QMX+ kit to arrive, I bought a small crochet hook but my first attempt at using it was a disaster and since my wire supply was limited, I wound with the normal method. I still screwed another toroid up, but caught the mistake before soldering it in...I still ended up with about 13" of spare wire when finished. Which is still sitting on top of my washing machine and no doubt driving my wife crazy.? |
|
You shouldn't have that much leftover wire if you know the inductance, the wire diameter, and the core material. Kits and Parts has a table that helps to estimate the length of wire needed (). Also, after cutting the wire to length but before winding, grab both ends of the wire with pliers and gently stretch the wire. This gets rid of the tendency for the wire to coil on itself, making it easier to wind. See my QST article on winding toroids (Feb., 2025). Jack, W8TEE
On Friday, May 23, 2025 at 09:45:08 PM EDT, Lawrence KC6WOG via groups.io <lsgoodwin@...> wrote:
I'd like a solder pot, but it will have to wait until I have a bigger workspace and that day may not come. My bench is so cramped that I think a pot of melted lead would be a rather dangerous thing to have on it! As is, I'm always tripping on cables or catching wires with my sleeve. So I scrape, sand and tin.
?
While waiting for my QMX+ kit to arrive, I bought a small crochet hook but my first attempt at using it was a disaster and since my wire supply was limited, I wound with the normal method. I still screwed another toroid up, but caught the mistake before soldering it in...I still ended up with about 13" of spare wire when finished. Which is still sitting on top of my washing machine and no doubt driving my wife crazy.?
|
|
I believe the excess wire is quite intentional, due to Hans' correct assumption that some will make mistakes and need a little more. Knowing I'd already wasted a foot or two of wire, I pre-cut lengths a bit shorter than the recommended length, so I wasn't throwing away a few inches away with each core. It all worked out perfectly in the end and the radio worked flawlessly with no fixes required. Actually, all four of my QRP-Labs builds have worked flawlessly, which I attribute more to Hans' excellent instructions more than my own ability.
?
Jack, thanks for the Kits & Parts link, that's going in my bookmarks. I'll look for your QST article but unfortunately the ARRL decided to not honor their subscription terms so I did not receive that issue.
? |
|
If you're a member, you should be able to look in the archives. Jack, W8TEE
On Friday, May 23, 2025 at 11:01:52 PM EDT, Lawrence KC6WOG via groups.io <lsgoodwin@...> wrote:
I believe the excess wire is quite intentional, due to Hans' correct assumption that some will make mistakes and need a little more. Knowing I'd already wasted a foot or two of wire, I pre-cut lengths a bit shorter than the recommended length, so I wasn't throwing away a few inches away with each core. It all worked out perfectly in the end and the radio worked flawlessly with no fixes required. Actually, all four of my QRP-Labs builds have worked flawlessly, which I attribute more to Hans' excellent instructions more than my own ability.
?
Jack, thanks for the Kits & Parts link, that's going in my bookmarks. I'll look for your QST article but unfortunately the ARRL decided to not honor their subscription terms so I did not receive that issue.
?
|
¿ªÔÆÌåÓýRoy, the scrape and then add flux and solder works fine and is simple.I had an old Radio Shack 110 v heated solder sucker that I removed the rubber bulb and plugged the sucker tip (so the whole end is hot) and drilled out the hole that the squeeze bulb had fastened to to make a solder pot. I saw the directions many years ago for this reuse of the old solder sucker. ?So I use that as a solder pot and it does help. ?I prop it in to position with a small vise. ?Hold the wire in the hot solder for a few seconds to a minute or two. Replace the solder often or just add liquid flux. Dave K8WPE On May 23, 2025, at 2:12?PM, Roy Ashkenaz via groups.io <cqk2rma@...> wrote:
|
|
I wantched a youtube on the "$20 Amazon solder pot" and it looks like he had to fill the solder pot with almost a complete 1 lb(?) bar of solder, which seems to be about $30.
?
So, I went looking a bit more and I found some google articles on building a small solder pot using a spare soldering iron (I know we all have those) and using a copper or brass cap with a copper bolt thru it. As a proof of concept, I built one. Cost for a new 25 watt Harbor Freight soldering iron and the brass cap and screw was about $9. The small cap obviously requires a much smaller amount of solder (than the 1 lb bar). I tried it on some extra wire and it seemed to work fine.
?
I've wound toxoids before and used the scrape the wire and then blob on soldering iron tip before, but I never felt 100% that scrapping the wire was a bit of a pain.
?
Time will tell if I actually use my small soldering pot or the scrap/blob method.
?
Thanks for everyone's help.
?
Roy de K2RMA
|
|
On Sat, May 24, 2025 at 02:42 AM, Daniel Walter wrote:
I also keep the odd ends of wire. When you build a QMX, you have lots of different toroids. I use the odd lengths to wind as many of the toroids as I can. Keeps me from running out of wire in the middle of a build.?Agreed. I keep my odd bits of wire on the washing machine, at present. ;-) ?
I keep several gauges of magnet wire on hand, but didn't have the exact size included in the kit so after screwing up one core, I used the remainder very frugally. Now that you mention it, I do have a couple skein remainders from my QDX builds, so Hans is definitely generous with the wire.
? |
|
On Sat, May 24, 2025 at 02:46 PM, Ron, N6YWU wrote:
KNIPEX Tools - Coated-Wire Stripping Tweezers (1511120)I have had mine for a long time and do not know how I got along without it after they got rid of Strip-X.? I use the default tips; although other sizes are available I haven't needed them.? Very highly recommended.?? 73, Don N2VGU |
¿ªÔÆÌåÓý?Roy, This is very similar to the one I built from an old modified Radio Shack 110 v heated solder sucker years ago. ?It works. Here's the pictures. Dave K8WPE On May 24, 2025, at 2:27?PM, Roy Ashkenaz via groups.io <cqk2rma@...> wrote:
|
Roy Ashkenaz
JP McGinley KA3BWP
jjpurdum
Lawrence KC6WOG
David Wilcox K8WPE
Bruce Akhurst
Donald S Brant Jr