NOSValves Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 Before I began soldering every day I grab the business end of my iron to make sure I'm still among the living... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang guy Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 Before I began soldering every day I grab the business end of my iron to make sure I'm still among the living... Really? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted February 15, 2016 Author Share Posted February 15, 2016 Could "iron" be a metaphor for something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Solder? That's old school. Better living through chemistry I say! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MORE KLIPSCH PLEASE Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 I can solder.......yea I got "mad" skills.....lol lol Not really, but I can get the job done. I've done all kinds of soldering at my shop...fixed wires...opened up some relays and control units to fix cold solder joins....and on some cars I've pulled the backs off the alternator and replaced the brushes while still on the car... So yea I can do what's needed to get the job done.... But would I re-build my x-over's.......No......I would send mine out to Bob, or Dean, or someone that does this work for a living......do I think I could do the re-build....yea I could......but to me it's about the time it would take me.....oh I know it wouldn't take hours and hours.... But what'll happen is.....I'll get them to the shop....there they would sit on my tool box and I would never get to em...cuz I'm working on stuff for my customers.....there's no "free" time at the shop....so they would just sit around and everytime I would look at them it would irritate me....So when I'm ready to have my x-over's rebuilt...I'm going to pull em out of the speakers....put em in a box....send them off....and when I get them back, just put em back in my speakers.... That to me is the easy way.....that's just me..... MKP :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paducah Home Theater Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 I'm weird about soldering, if you give me plenty of finely stranded wire on both ends, or a pc board, I can make a beautiful solder joint. What sucks about crossovers is when you're taking a stranded flexible wire and joining it to a hard solid inductor wire. I'm not entirely sure what you're supposed to do to make that be pretty. The ones I do are butt ugly for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Been soldering for sometime, more so when I worked as a Biomedical Equipment tech. Now only when something I own or get necessitates it. I think my Hakko iron needs replacing though it is old and tired. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blvdre Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 (edited) Other things to avoid: Soldering while wearing shorts. ...ouch. And wear your safety glasses. I caught a blob of flux on my contact lens once, back when I wore those things. Edited February 15, 2016 by Blvdre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvu80 Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 (edited) Then we have the other group; some knowledge, largely incomplete, with limited skill sets - but willing to learn. I am in this "other" group, but where bolded, substitute the word "incomplete" with the word "incompetent." Manuals with words and pictures don't really help this group much, but I think videos would. Opinions? [/quote Videos are helpful, but not as much as GOOD instructions. Instructions step-by-step WITH PICTURES are also extremely helpful, because you don't need to read an entire manual just to parse the few terms or symbols important to the project. When selling a kit to a novice (you have to identify your target customer) an overlay of the component layout is also helpful. Don't let the novice have to guess what kind of board to mount the components to. Don't make them guess what size wire, how long to make the wire, or what size the board is. Gear your instructions to the lowest common denominator. Advanced customers can customize their own modifications. Don't say "mount cross over board to the speaker." DO SAY "take the four #8 1 1/2 inch screws and mount the board six inches from the bottom, four inches from the side." Include helpful hints like "never mount the cross over network directly behind the woofer..." or whatever. Don't Say "solder the ends together." DO SAY "use a soldering pencil such as Parts-Express model #1234 with a tip temperature of 600 degrees. Use a 70/30 silver solder such as Parts-Express #1234. A one-pound spool will be enough to complete this kit. // TIP: You can also use solder that is 90/10, but never used solder which is 50/50. The Weller soldering station PE #1234 is highly recommended...." BE specific. I think you have to be careful with instructions and videos because sometimes parts change due to updated designs, or components that are obsolete and not offered by a company anymore. Component values have GOT to be up-to-date with the kit. If you change resisters from a round one to a square one then change the picture, change the instructions, and understand your once-helpful video is now confusing and it will bring the process to a dead halt until questions are answered about why things look different. The other caveat is sometimes people who have great skills in their craft may not be as good with crafting words in a logical order in technical writing. They might skip a step because it is elementary to them, not realizing their target audience might not have the same detail of sequencing as someone who has done a task hundreds of times. Edited February 15, 2016 by wvu80 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ69 Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Certified aircraft solderer at one time. When I'm sharp my joints are perfect but I'm just not as good as some of the talented guys/girls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Other things to avoid: Soldering while wearing shorts. I was going to say underwear, especially whitey tighties. Or hot glue for that matter. Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted February 15, 2016 Author Share Posted February 15, 2016 If I continue to sell anything at all, it will be a completed network, built as a source for enjoyment. I'll then put it up for sale on AudioGoN and/or eBay. I might sell autoformers and coils, I haven't decided yet. I asked the question, not because I want to sell kits, but because I was mostly curious why more people didn't just build their own. I was thinking about starting a build thread (or two or three or four), but not if the payback is a splitting headache. I figured the inability to solder would be the showstopper. Pictures for that don't work - a person needs to see it happening. My son, Ethan, wants to make guitar pedals, but he didn't know how to solder. I was able to teach him in about an hour - mostly by watching and listening to me. Once I turned the iron over to him, he was making some really nice connections in no time. Absolutely agree about detailed instructions. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete H Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Before I began soldering every day I grab the business end of my iron to make sure I'm still among the living... Are you serious or just kidding? This is so confusing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Then we have the other group; some knowledge, largely incomplete, with limited skill sets - but willing to learn. I am in this "other" group, but where bolded, substitute the word "incomplete" with the word "incompetent." Manuals with words and pictures don't really help this group much, but I think videos would. Opinions? [/quote Videos are helpful, but not as much as GOOD instructions. Instructions step-by-step WITH PICTURES are also extremely helpful, because you don't need to read an entire manual just to parse the few terms or symbols important to the project. When selling a kit to a novice (you have to identify your target customer) an overlay of the component layout is also helpful. Don't let the novice have to guess what kind of board to mount the components to. Don't make them guess what size wire, how long to make the wire, or what size the board is. Gear your instructions to the lowest common denominator. Advanced customers can customize their own modifications. Don't say "mount cross over board to the speaker." DO SAY "take the four #8 1 1/2 inch screws and mount the board six inches from the bottom, four inches from the side." Include helpful hints like "never mount the cross over network directly behind the woofer..." or whatever. Don't Say "solder the ends together." DO SAY "use a soldering pencil such as Parts-Express model #1234 with a tip temperature of 600 degrees. Use a 70/30 silver solder such as Parts-Express #1234. A one-pound spool will be enough to complete this kit. // TIP: You can also use solder that is 90/10, but never used solder which is 50/50. The Weller soldering station PE #1234 is highly recommended...." BE specific. I think you have to be careful with instructions and videos because sometimes parts change due to updated designs, or components that are obsolete and not offered by a company anymore. Component values have GOT to be up-to-date with the kit. If you change resisters from a round one to a square one then change the picture, change the instructions, and understand your once-helpful video is now confusing and it will bring the process to a dead halt until questions are answered about why things look different. The other caveat is sometimes people who have great skills in their craft may not be as good with crafting words in a logical order in technical writing. They might skip a step because it is elementary to them, not realizing their target audience might not have the same detail of sequencing as someone who has done a task hundreds of times. You can't say that specific stuff on every step. It will be repeated about 500 times for no reason. Heathkit had the best instructions. JJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 (edited) Before I began soldering every day I grab the business end of my iron to make sure I'm still among the living... Are you serious or just kidding? This is so confusing. Once the scar tissue builds up it's not too bad... Edited February 15, 2016 by Marvel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillWojo Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 Deang, I like your idea of build threads. Along with some technical discussion on how you figured out the design. Maybe some of us can learn something. I have populated and soldered circuit boards in the past, didn't have a clue what was going on in the circuits, wish I did. I have a basic understanding of some stuff but a lot of analog circuits are over my head. So if you have some great crossover or whatever designs, feel free to share them. BillWojo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bossman Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 I mean in a confident manner - actually knowing why they're doing? I can solder in a confident manner... just get the soldering iron hot, and use to melt the solder on the wires you are trying to solder.. Thats it. what is so hard about that. I am very confident. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 Before I began soldering every day I grab the business end of my iron to make sure I'm still among the living...Are you serious or just kidding? This is so confusing. Once the scar tissue builds up it's not too bad... Yea I'm to the point wear I really have to smell the flesh burning before I realize that 850 degree tip is really hot.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 I'm curious; to those who can solder, but paid to have someone else do your networks - what stopped you from doing them yourselves? You wouldn't sell me the kit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 yup, no probleemo, I fixes stuff all the time, building panels for amp racks, fixing all kinds of PA wiring etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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