Various questions

[Romelee]

Hi all,

Since making mods i am loving it but am also trying to narrow it down to a fine art with the best tooling and parts so i have some questions, nothing really related to the electrical side of things, just basic tools.

Based only on aluminum boxes.

Epoxy:

I am happy using Epoxy but was wondering do you use 5min Epoxy for all parts? or do you use different epoxy timed ones?

At present i am using 30min epoxy for the first layer/fixing of parts and then putting some 5min epoxy on top of the 30min epoxy.

Do you use the same epoxy no matter what part you are fixing?

Solder:

What size solder do you use for the DNA board wiring, i have been using 1mm 60/40 but i know it's too much so have now got some 0.32 solder on it's way (or is that a bad choice)

Also do you use the same solder when it comes to soldering the wires to the 510 connection (i use silver sealed 510 connectors) and the battery holder tabs?

Also what size solder would you use for joining wires...1mm solder?

Flux

How do you clean your flux off the boards?

At present i use isopropyl but still is a pain to clean.

Wire

I use 20 AWG (Stranded wire) for the in/out and battery and 24 AWG (Stranded wire) for the rest as per recommended size guide by Evolv for the DNA board, now my main problem is getting the wire into the holes provided, i want to tin the wire but there is not a chance in hell that i can tin the wires and get them into the holes on the DNA board.

There is some who say just solder on top on the holes provided and not through them but i do prefer to solder through the hole as i feel it gives the wire more stability.

I have looked all over the UK for single core 20 AWG/24 AWG and simply cannot find anything, i think it might be due to my wording as i just type "Solid core AWG wire or Single core AWG wire"....but i get nothing

Sorry if the questions may sound silly but it is silly not to ask questions.

Some new tools i have ordered so far to make life easier:

1 x Drill press (dremel is just not doing the job)
1 x 100mm drill press vice
3 x 1mm drill bit (Cobalt)
2 x 3mm drill bit (Cobalt)
2 x 6mm drill bit (Cobalt)
1 x 13mm drill bit (Cobalt)
1 x Automatic centre punch
1 x Reamer 5mm too 20mm
1 x Reamer 3mm too 12mm
1 x 3 in 1 oil
1 x 0.32 Rosin solder
1 x Tip cleaner tinner flux
1 x Wire stripper
1 x Epoxy 5min
1 x Epoxy 2hrs

 

[Visus]

I can help with a very inexpensive diy epoxy thats as good or better than super strength  jb weld


Baking soda and super glue(cyanoacryalate) made into a paste dries in like 20 secs to concrete hard

Its awesome

You can find a two bottle super glue pack in dollar stores

[Visus]

You may get better results  "doorbell wire"  in 20ga solid core

[CraigHB]

Love that super glue paste idea.  May have to try that some time.

What size solder do you use for the DNA board wiring, i have been using 1mm 60/40 but i know it's too much so have now got some 0.32 solder on it's way (or is that a bad choice)

I don't solder DNA boards, but I do similar work all the time.  My favorite wire solder is Kester 24-6337-9703.  This is a mildly activated rosin core 63/37 wire with a diameter of .4mm.  That's a very fine guage, but I find it covers me for just about anything.  The limitation with wire solder is not whether it's large enough in diameter, but rather that it's small enough in diameter for the work you're doing.  In some cases a fine wire solder is harder to use for big soldering jobs like atomizer connectors, but it still works.  I actually have some .8mm wire solder on my bench and I never use the stuff even for the bigger jobs.

Also do you use the same solder when it comes to soldering the wires to the 510 connection (i use silver sealed 510 connectors) and the battery holder tabs?

Also what size solder would you use for joining wires...1mm solder?

Like I said, I use the fine gauge wire solder for just about everything.

How do you clean your flux off the boards?

There are various rosin flux pastes, liquids, and wire cores available (like water base and "no clean"), but I like the mildly activated RMA type rosin the best.  It just works the best.  The down side is that stuff has to be cleaned with pure isopropyl alcohol.  I have a small plastic tub and a flux brush I use for that.  Though, immersing stuff in alcohol can be an issue for some things like displays that are not hermetically sealed.  For that stuff, I use a Q-tip and alcohol. 

At present i use isopropyl but still is a pain to clean.

Yes it is, but you can use a no-clean or water base rosin flux if it's a big issue for you.

I use 20 AWG (Stranded wire) for the in/out and battery and 24 AWG (Stranded wire) for the rest as per recommended size guide by Evolv for the DNA board, now my main problem is getting the wire into the holes provided, i want to tin the wire but there is not a chance in hell that i can tin the wires and get them into the holes on the DNA board.

There is some who say just solder on top on the holes provided and not through them but i do prefer to solder through the hole as i feel it gives the wire more stability.

When you solder stuff correctly, solder will flow throughout the connection regardless of which side you apply heat.  So, that should not really be a consideration.  You should be able to solder from the top or bottom with no difference in outcome. 

For high vibration applications, it's actually better to mechanically crimp connections rather than solder them.  Wires that are soldered are brittle at the joints and can snap due to vibration.  That's not an issue for mod making, but it's something to be aware of in general.

I have looked all over the UK for single core 20 AWG/24 AWG and simply cannot find anything, i think it might be due to my wording as i just type "Solid core AWG wire or Single core AWG wire"....but i get nothing

Try a search for "solid hookup wire" and see if that yields better results.  Solid wire is easier to work with.  Stranded wire is normally only required where the wire has to endure an amount of flexing.  Since wires don't normally have to flex after a mod is assembled, it should not be a requirement.

[Romelee]

Thanks again for the replies, all noted 

[Romelee]

Forgot to say, even though i won't be making any mods for sometime due to RL problems it did not stop me buying all new goodies for a future mod i am working on:

3 x 1mm cobalt drill bit
2 x 3mm cobalt drill bit
2 x 6mm cobalt drill bit
1 x 0.32 Rosin solder
10 x Silocone grommets
5 x 18650 battery holders
5 x 16mm vandal proof switches
5 x Box enclosures
11  x Tactile switches
10 x Fuses
1 x Wire stripper
5 x Sealed 510 connectors
1 x Epoxy 5min
1 x Epoxy 2hrs
1 x Etching primer
1 x Satin black spray paint
1 x Sating laquer
1 x Solder tip
5 x Flux brush
1 x Tip cleaner tinner flux
1 x Solder flux
1 x Drill press
1 x 100mm drill press vice
1 x 13mm cobalt drill bit
1 x Automatic centre punch
1 x Reamer 5mm too 20mm
1 x Reamer 3mm too 12mm
1 x 3 in 1 oil
1 x Hobby vice
1 x Dremel router bit
5 x Black rubber feel frames