One of our maintenance people was told to throw out this ‘unknown’ item. He brought it to me and asked if I wanted it.
After looking around on the American Beauty web site, and a call to customer service it looks like I may have bagged over $500 worth of resistance soldering stuff. I need to get the correct ‘plugs’ for two of the tweezers and a couple of ‘want’ items, but WOW, what a find.
No Kiddin WOW!!!
Nice “gift”! PBL has a video on CD that talks about how to use theirs, but there’s also a bunch of you tube stuff as well.
I like the “probe” better than the tweezers, but you can still do a lot with the tweezers.
Next, some good flux and silver solder and you’ll be on your way.
Do you have any plans for a first project?
Holy crap, that’s a find! I’m dying to try resistance soldering but the entry fee is keeping me from experimenting with it.
Bob McCown said:
Holy crap, that’s a find! I’m dying to try resistance soldering but the entry fee is keeping me from experimenting with it.
Somehow, it seems like you could justify it for the race car or the confusers.
Didn’t somebody here post something about a low cost resistance soldering outfit, made up of cast off parts? Seems to me it was here, 'cause I just don’t haunt those other places.
@Bruce - Yep, the turnbuckles for the flat cars that are still adorning my bench. I am making them out of 0-80 nuts and some copper ‘bus bar’ from an old track lighting fixture. You can go to any HVAC supply house and get a paste flux/silver solder in one. Not cheap, but it beats the extra steps of first fluxing and then soldering. I also figure that a small dab placed where you want it, heat it, and the joint is made with minimal mess. Time will tell after I start attempting to use it. This unit is also a bit smaller than the PBL, it is only 100 watts. It might be more controllable, again time will tell.
@Bob - I am usually the guy following the guy that gets the good stuff. Been the story of my life for six decades. About time it was my turn. 
@Steve - Just do an Google search, there are several good articles on building resistance soldering outfits. The one I was planning on following used an old car battery charger. That article has been about for a long time, so I figured it was well proven. My problem turned out to be my usual source for that kind of an item was the good ole fashioned ‘garage sale’, but they don’t seem to be there any more. I can round up what I have found on the net and post it on my web site for down load, as I feel if it is on the net it ain’t copyrighted (unless specifically stated).
One thing that I really like to use is a soldering pad. I first started with one from Micro-Mark, but their 6"x6" is $20. I found one from Gesswein.com - $25 for a 12"x12" one. It’s soft enough to insert pins to hold things in place, but sturdy enough to hold those pins.
For my first resistance soldiering project, I soldered three or four one-foot sections of track (code 332 brass) together to make longer sections that didn’t require half a dozen rail clamps. Saved a bunch of money. I used the joiners that came with the track, cleaned them good as well as the mating rail, then soldered them together.
First half a dozen weren’t very good, but the last 100 went pretty well. I found out that these soldered sections could be bent with a train-li bender with the bender sliding right over the solder joints. For gentle bends, we didn’t even have to cut the tie connectors!
You’ll like the RS machine. Especially for the price!
Got an email from American Beauty today advising that the required parts to convert some additional tweezers to the current connection configuration are available … sweet! AB also makes a nice foot switch that plugs into the wall outlet and the AB plugs into the switch. Going to have to pick up one of those as well. Bruce, if you don’t already have a foot switch for yours, you may want to look into one. Makes for a great third hand for the bench. Look up www.americanbeautytools.com and search for part number 10519.
Daughter in law just took a job, with a nice promotion (and raise) in Houston, TX., so my son and two grandchildren will be moving back in for a bit until she gets all things established there and the relocation can be completed. Oh well, there goes the modeling time for a while. The grands are 3 and 6 and quite active. I will squeak in a bit of testing time with the new (to me) RS outfit and let you know how it works.
Bob C
Oh yeah, that foot switch is a REQUIREMENT - I’m convinced I could NOT operate without one.
I’m also a big fan of the paste solder. Works great.
Hehe…well the modeling time may be stalled a bit, but it sure sounds like you might get more than a bit of running time in with the grands.
Weight loss program???
Bob,
Just saw this. You are one lucky guy. I have had my AB unit for several years. Would trade it for nothing. Where did you say you worked?? LOL
Noel
Noel,
Let’s just say a place where in some circles, money is no object.