# Resistance Soldering Unit



## Zigeuner (Mar 9, 2013)

Deleted.


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## grsman (Apr 24, 2012)

*I want to solder.*

Zigeuner
Looks good to me. What is important is it does what you want.
I have a signal lighting transformer that is good for 20 amps.
I need to make a hand piece of some sorts. I don't know if I
will use a Variac or the transformer taps. I just have to give it a try.
I guess some flexible 12 gauge wire would work.
Tom


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## Zigeuner (Mar 9, 2013)

*Resistance Soldering Unit.*

Deleted.


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## grsman (Apr 24, 2012)

Gaylord
Thanks for the info!
Tom


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## Zigeuner (Mar 9, 2013)

Deleted.


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## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

> Every model railroader should have one of these.


 
Ummm....why? Besides being kinda scary-looking, the Variac, transformer, case, miscellaneous pieces, heavy wire, carbon rod, welding supply store, etc., etc., seems more like a MIG welder than a soldering station. What do you use this monster for? 

JackM

Do the house lights dim when you use it?


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## Zigeuner (Mar 9, 2013)

JackM said:


> Ummm....why? Besides being kinda scary-looking, the Variac, transformer, case, miscellaneous pieces, heavy wire, carbon rod, welding supply store, etc., etc., seems more like a MIG welder than a soldering station. What do you use this monster for?
> 
> JackM
> 
> Do the house lights dim when you use it?



You sound frightened. That was not my plan. No, the house lights don't dim since it draws less than 3 amps for a typical joint. Drawing 3 amps on a 15 amp 120 V line is not much of a draw. I've been using this particular unit on several different model layouts for more than 30 years without a problem. I'm not even selling the units since there's not a lot of money in it. 

I am not the original designer of the resistance soldering device. The plans have been around for many years. They are used to great advantage in the plumbing industry where the plumber wants to join copper tubing without open flame. Apply a little paste flux, some heat and solder and you have a beautiful joint. 

I use it on kit bashing and building models in general. Any place where I need a neat solder joint, it gets a workout. There is no mess, no fuss and it gives a clean joint, every time. 

It has little resemblance to a MIG welder which is a constant voltage supply with a wire feed. I have one of those as well that I use for steel fabrication. 

Almost without exception, whenever I try to share some of my knowledge on the Internet, I get someone like you who either doesn't understand or who wants to pick on my items. 

You aren't a troll, are you?


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

> Do the house lights dim when you use it?


If a transformer is plugged into a standard 120v outlet and is producing 12V @ 10A on the secondary, it's only drawing 120V @ 1A on the primary winding (plus a few percent for losses). 1A certainly isn't enough to dim the lights, blow the breakers, or anything else.

Resistance soldering has been around for decades, and has been used by model railroaders for just as long. I have one, a PBL commercial unit, but my personal preference is a small oxy-acetylene torch. Still, the resistance soldering unit can be used where a torch can't.

Another advantage of the resistance unit is the "tweezers" handpiece/electrodes that can be used to grab and hold a part in place while soldering... impossible with a torch.

Gaylord - maybe you can help me out here... my problem when trying to use the resistance unit is getting a good contact between the tweezers and the part. I seem to get arcing, resulting of pitting of the electrodes and subsequent poor contact. I'm sure it's my poor technique and not the unit itself. Any tips on correct usage?

Thanks!


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## Zigeuner (Mar 9, 2013)

Deleted.


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## Chris Scott (Jan 2, 2008)

JackM said:


> Ummm....why? Besides being kinda scary-looking, the Variac, transformer, case, miscellaneous pieces, heavy wire, carbon rod, welding supply store, etc., etc., seems more like a MIG welder than a soldering station. What do you use this monster for?
> 
> JackM
> 
> Do the house lights dim when you use it?



Try these videos;
American Beauty Professional Soldering Irons, Soldering Stations, Pots and More... Built to Last
https://www.americanbeautytools.com/

American Beauty Resistance Soldering Solutions; Videos on Youtube;
https://www.youtube.com/user/SolderingGuru

Resistance Soldering Brass Modeling Components.





RESISTANCE SOLDERING A TURNOUT





Resistance soldering .032 flat copper sheet to .125 copper bar stock.





How to Use MicroLux #85522 Resistance Soldering Unit





Enough? Lots more on YouTube too.


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## Zigeuner (Mar 9, 2013)

Deleted.


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## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

> I get someone like you who either doesn't understand or who wants to pick on my items.
> 
> You aren't a troll, are you?


 
Forgive me for having a bit of a sense of humor. Let me rephrase the question: since many of us think of soldering as "joining two wires to make electrical contact", why go thru all this.....?? For modeling purposes like joining walls of plastic to create a building or, as I was doing yesterday, attaching a teeeny piece of plastic to the broken throwbar of an Aristo-Craft turnout, why would we want this machinery?

My level of modeling does not involve terms like: _steel fabrication, oxy-acetelene, the plumbing industry, carbon, invisible arc._ I'm more familiar with: glue, 35 watt, hobby shop, and plastic.

On the other hand, Chris's photos and movie links were very informative. I'll bet a lot of the live steam people use it. Very interesting, even if it's probably not what I would need for my hobby uses.

JackM


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Zigeuner said:


> Those are excellent videos. The units being used there have tweezers with power on one side and ground on the other. That's also a very good method. It doesn't use carbon rods but rather two sharp probes. I have a tweezer like that somewhere in my shop. I haven't used it for a while but they do work very well.
> 
> In my case, I just ground the part and apply the power to the carbon holder. I like the carbon for larger parts because it removes the heat when held on the joint after the solder joint is made.
> 
> The tweezers would be best for really small work like an hon3 turnout. I have to find mine or make another pair. LOL.


On the PBL unit I have, the two rods that form the "gripping part" of the tweezers are carbon, as is the single probe on the "soldering iron" tool.  

Thanks Chris - I'm going to have to give this another try the next time I'm making some turnouts.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

> I'll bet a lot of the live steam people use it.


I'm a live steam guy. The loco in my signature was scratchbuilt from brass atop a commercial live steam running gear. On this one, I used a torch.


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## Zigeuner (Mar 9, 2013)

Deleted.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Play nicely together gentleman.


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