Engines > Restoration of Model Engines
Sirius: Alco "Firefly" version
uuu:
Outside is good - but in gloomy or indoor conditions, it's easier to see the glow that the hot parts are giving off. Ventilation is good - and a necessity if using cadmium-bearing solders (these are banned in the UK now, but I have a small supply of the older stuff).
Wilf
Edit - brass can melt if you get it too hot. Copper can too, but that needs a much higher temperature - so the garage is already on fire at that point. I'm a fan of having the solder on the joint whilst heating - away from the point of max heat - which is drawn towards the heat when it melts - so it liquifies when things are hot enough and you don't need to overdo things.
redhouseluv:
Thank you for the advice, I've seen a few examples for sale on our favourite auction site, what nozzle size should I be looking at the type of small work I'll be using it for?
Jasonb:
A burner around 7 to 8kw will do for most things and I rarely change to anything else. If you go with Sievert then that is a No2941 burner which is 28mm diameter but down to 25mm will be OK. Ideally a 4bar regulator but 2bar will do at a push
I'm the opposite and tend to feed in the stick once the flux flows rather than place bits of solder on the joint unless I have a few odd bits to use up.
redhouseluv:
Perfect, I'll add that to the Christmas list
I'm looking forward to getting to grips with soldering, its something which I have have repeatedly failed at and need to be able to do
uuu:
An advantage of the Sievert (or similar) bottle/regulator/hose/handle/nozzle approach to heating is that for very little extra outlay you can fit a bigger or smaller nozzle for other jobs. As noted, the 7/8Kw is excellent, and can do most things. I'm also a fan of the "cyclone" style of nozzle, which admits the air back at the handle end, so can work in more confined spaces, like inside a locomotive firebox.
As with all these engineering things, practice and making mistakes (I'm good at that) is the key to progress.
Wilf
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