Reddit reviews Alpha Metals #am31605 4oz.032elec Lead Solder
We found 10 Reddit comments about Alpha Metals #am31605 4oz.032elec Lead Solder. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Alpha Metals #AM31605 4OZ.032Elec Lead SolderALPHA METALS
Absolutely!
How to Solder
Various soldering irons from Radioshack - If you're doing simple DIY stuff you won't need anything for overkill.
Some lead solder (hard to find at a store, works better than resin solder and won't be legal for much longer so stock up)
A good website for project kits, parts, tutorials, and schematics - site is down for maintenance at the moment
Shameless plug for a class I took- Links to CircuitMaker (abandon-ware but good circuit modeling software, easier to use than PSPICE or similar). It also has charts for reading resistors and standard capacitor/inductor/resistor component values as well as datasheets for common components in audio.
The advanced section of that class with links to schematics, datasheets, and parts stores.
Some more topics to look over
Distortion:
Diode clipper and clamper circuits. Simple, cheap, and easy to build. They also sound pretty good too and there are tons of circuits out there. Tube screamer's use diodes.
Transistor distortion circuits are usually variations on these effects, or by using a transistor as two diodes (I've seen it in a few circuits, kind of weird and I'm not sure it totally works in theory). The Fuzz Face and other "fuzz" pedals use transistor distortion circuits.
I can't find any good sources for using tubes for distortion and I've only done it once for a school project where I had to modify a tube screamer to actually use tubes, and my only source is a textbook that isn't officially published. If I find any later I'll post this again.
Filters, equalizers, etc
Texas Instruments has a good resource on designing active filters, low pass, high pass, bandpass and band reject. Don't skip over the math, it's actually important for designing the filters. You don't really need to understand the complex numbers and transfer functions in the s domain but understanding how to find a cutoff frequency is important.
Probably the most popular filter of all time, the moog transistor ladder filter is pretty freaking cool in design. I have no idea how it works, but it sounds awesome and looks like an advanced DIY project.
Another popular filter, the Dunlop Crybaby. The thing to note is it uses a bandpass filter using a toroidal inductor and capacitor instead of two capacitors. This makes it pretty expensive to build (the housings can be a bitch to find too), but it sounds amazing. I've seen mods with a variable Q pot but I'm not sure how that one works.
Dynamics Processors
How they work is difficult to explain without understanding some circuit theory and electronics and there tends to be math involved (as you may notice from the filter section)
THAT Corporation makes awesome audio ICs and has example circuits for designing compressor/limiter/gate circuits using them. Way easier than trying to figure out FET circuits and how to design a VCA.
Also, /r/diyaudio and /r/diypedals are good subreddits where most people know what they're talking about and are supportive of projects.
Remember if you ever find yourself trying to design something and it isn't working out, there's probably an IC for that. My friend who works for Shure tells me when he interned he was designing a bunch of complicated circuits, and the boss just laughed and told him to order an IC. They make ICs for everything.
How much are you going to be making electronics a hobby? If you're just going to be soldering some boards occasionally you could save a bit on the iron and get this Weller. Also a cleaner. If you go with the 888 that will have a wire cleaner built in. I'm getting old so I personally would recommend at least a magnifying glass. I have this helping hand The clips didn't do much for me but the glass did. There are times where the switch pin just gets lost and the glass helped a lot. I also picked up this kit when I started, primarily for the sucker, but I thought the other tools may come in handy. So far they haven't, other than the solder. The first time I tried to use the sucker I could not get it to work correctly, I just wasn't getting enough of a seal around the hot solder, thinking I'd melt the tip, so I ended up buying a different pump that I still have never used, because I eventually DID learn to use the cheaper sucker. I also can't make solder wick work properly, apparently. If this is your first time soldering/desoldering I recommend getting a cheap practice kit that you don't care if you ruin. I can recommend this one as it has you intentionally foul up joins so you can learn to fix them. You won't need strippers. Flush cutters would be helpful if you need to trim the pcb mount legs off your switches (like Zealios, which you will if you have a GH60 Satan pcb) or trimming LEDs. Work mat would be helpful to keep your work area clean but not necessary. You will need a small screwdriver but I can't remember what size. Tweezers or one of these grabber thingies are always helpful when the screw flips sideways when you are trying to seat it. I used this solder on 3 builds so far and have had no issues with joins failing.
Does this look good?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0747KYF6S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008ZIV85A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000G36BYU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This solder is amazing! 60/40 and thin diameter. Alpha Metals
Soldering Iron
Solder Sucker
Solder just be aware this does have lead in it, so wear gloves and a mask if possible when working with it. it has a small enough diameter that makes it quite easy to do work with switches though
My success rate with wiring guitar builds increased greatly when I bought a "nice" soldering iron and some small diameter solder. You'll get much cleaner joints with a soldering iron that lets you control the temperature. I bought this Weller soldering station, and it was the best investment I've made.
I just bought this and this when i swapped my MX switches out. I mean i guess if you want to get into the SMD hobby it wont be the best, but for just general stuff or using it once in a blue moon to mod your KB it's been perfectly fine.
Oh and this and this helped alot.
That solder looks pretty thick, this one would be easier to work with: https://www.amazon.com/Alpha-Metals-am31605-4oz-032elec-Solder/dp/B000G36BYU
You won't need additional flux.
Try something like this:
Alpha Metals #am31605 4oz.032elec Lead Solder https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000G36BYU/
Sure thing. Like with most hobbies, it's when you first get into things that is the most expensive. Thankfully, it's not that bad to get started.
First off, you'll need some solder. That's a meltable metal used to join two things together. This roll will last you for several projects: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000G36BYU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Next, you'll need a soldering iron. I've been pretty happy with this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KS8XA2Y/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 but people swear by Weller. I'm not sure I'd get that 40 watt one that's a similar price on Amazon though, I tend to keep mine at a fairly high power and it works nicely that way.
(I'm assuming you have a Harbor Freight near you for the other stuff. They're pretty common) Then you'll want a multimeter. This is your cheapest option, and if you check your junk mail you might have a coupon for a free one: https://www.harborfreight.com/7-function-digital-multimeter-90899.html but it's lacking in audible continuity (translation: if you want to check that two points are electrically connected, it beeps if they are). This might be worth the extra money: https://www.harborfreight.com/11-function-digital-multimeter-with-audible-continuity-61593.html. Or if you really have some money burning a hole in your pocket, get one of these: https://www.harborfreight.com/5-in-1-digital-multimeter-98674.html - that has some extra features that really come in handy, but aren't totally necessary either.
That covers the most expensive tools, but there are still a few odds and ends you'll want.