WIP: crawler build

sidewinder · Post by **sidewinder** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 11:22 pm

All of our Ace Hardware stores carry it too...and it cheaper than a LHS. Look for a section with K&S in big letters over top of a bunch of brass and aluminum tubing.

I know Shaun used a soldering iron to do his but I've never been able to get a good bond that way...I use a pencil torch for smaller stuff and a real torch (Oxy & Map gases) for bigger stuff and steel/brass/aluminum tubing.

Oh, and if you do order on the internet the link shows the sizes of the wire above the order info...of course I have no idea what size monitor they calibrated it for...

Murdoch · Post by **Murdoch** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 5:14 am

yea an oxy/mapp or oxy/acetylene is the best bet with this stuff. It makes a hell of a difference when you can control the flame temperature.

BilboBaggins · Post by **BilboBaggins** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 6:16 am

Personally I used a 1000 degree soldering iron when I built slotcar chassis with it. Acid flux, coreless solder, Very hot iron and it worked well. I've been nerfed into walls at 40+ miles an hour and the solder connection held up.

sidewinder · Post by **sidewinder** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 10:06 pm

What kind of wattage do you need to get to 1000 degrees? I got a 180 watt iron a while ago but its still in the plastic wrap... maybe I'll give it a try just for fun.

BilboBaggins · Post by **BilboBaggins** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 10:25 pm

sidewinder wrote:What kind of wattage do you need to get to 1000 degrees? I got a 180 watt iron a while ago but its still in the plastic wrap... maybe I'll give it a try just for fun.

It was an Ungar that is 45 watts. I've killed the heating element on a few when I was racing slot cars because as soon as you set up your pit you plugged in the iron. Having it on for so long as many days I did really killed it. But I got smart and bought the heating element instead of the whole iron.

Ungar Irons For Sale

sidewinder · Post by **sidewinder** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 1:31 am

Cool...er, ah...hot? they're not even that expensive. I was looking at digital irons...although for the life o me I don't know why I'd really need one.

crazydave · Post by **crazydave** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 8:25 am

BilboBaggins wrote:
sidewinder wrote:What kind of wattage do you need to get to 1000 degrees? I got a 180 watt iron a while ago but its still in the plastic wrap... maybe I'll give it a try just for fun.
It was an Ungar that is 45 watts. I've killed the heating element on a few when I was racing slot cars because as soon as you set up your pit you plugged in the iron. Having it on for so long as many days I did really killed it. But I got smart and bought the heating element instead of the whole iron.

Ungar Irons For Sale

Really, you can solder piano wire with a 45 watt iron? I never knew, I always thought I needed something a lot hotter. If I knew that I would been playing with piano wire long time ago.

BilboBaggins · Post by **BilboBaggins** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 8:55 am

crazydave wrote:Really, you can solder piano wire with a 45 watt iron? I never knew, I always thought I needed something a lot hotter. If I knew that I would been playing with piano wire long time ago.

Yes you can.

Wait, you don't think 1000 degrees Fahrenheit is hot?

They've held up nicely, I still have a few cars of wire and spring steel (and sometimes brass) that have held together for nearly 20 years. Unfortunately most of the bashing they've seen lately is being tossed box to box when I'm in my garage.

Hmmm. I still have the iron that works and the wire and maybe some steel or brass. Maybe I'll build a crawler.

Oh I forgot, I need money for axles, tranny, wheels and tires.

Forget me building a crawler anytime soon.