How to SOLDER like a PRO! | With Pete Woods

Ever wanted to give soldering a try? With some expert advice from one of the masters, now you can! Down at The Repair Shop, I met with instrument repairer Pete Woods, who has been soldering for as long as I've been alive!
I hope this video helps with a basics introduction how to start soldering!
Thanks for watching! If you're enjoying my journey, please subscribe for free! You'll receive notifications when I upload a new video - every Sunday at 5pm (GMT)!
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LINKS:
www.dominicchinea.com
Dom's Instagram: / dominicchinea
Ranalah Ltd's Instagram: / ranalahltd​​
Edited by Dan Cross: / djcross87

[@MianCowell]

Pete's like the next door neighbour you had as a kid who'd teach you things out of the kindness of his heart

[@DominicChineas]

So true!

[@FFVoyager]

@@DominicChineas you are possibly too young to remember Jack Hargreaves who presented several different TV programmes in the 60's and 70's about rural crafts. I thought he was wonderful to watch when I was growing up. I first saw him on 'How' a programme where he (and others) answered questions that children who wrote in had asked about. (Someone in The Repair Shop will be sure to remember him)

[@welfordxxx]

Flux seems to come as a powder or paste. Pete had liquid flux he applied with a brush. Do you add a liquid to the powder?

[@brittendt80]

He is indeed.

[@mattWallJsy]

We need more of the Dom & Pete show!👍🏽

[@JulieWallis1963]

I have never soldered anything. I don’t ever expect to solder anything. But I clicked on this as soon as I saw it uploaded because Dominic has such a great personality.

[@DominicChineas]

That’s so kind thank you!

[@sharonclaridge]

Pete is a legend - some of the things he's resurrected in the barn are mind blowing. I do like to solder things ... just watching it start to flow is very therapeutic.

[@gordonwebster3809]

when i was 11 we were taught to solder using a coppersoldering iron then we did brazing happy days 60 years ago

[@paulg3336]

Been soldering for 40 years already. I weld as well ,but there is something very satisfying when you get the temperature to the point where the solder flows perfectly into the joint. The science revolves around a liquid wetting a solid ,and just like a detergent reduces the surface tension of water, the flux educes the surface tension of the molten solder .

[@everestyeti]

Thanks Dom, I've always wondered why my soldering was never up to scratch, now I know. Didn't realize there were so many types of solder or flux. Pete is a real legend, watched your vlog with him, really interesting chap.

[@leslieaustin151]

Loved it! I was taught to soft solder, hard solder and braze in my apprenticeship in the 1960s. Such valuable skills. Compounded the skill with electronics soldering in the amateur radio hobby (NEVER use plumbers fluxes or active fluxes for electronics!!). Pete is a wonderful man. A great and very useful video, Dom. Thank you. Les

[@derekgibbs8966]

Thank you both I have learnt more this morning from you both just by you asking and replying simple questions thank you

[@TheXeroid]

Been soldering for years but always good too watch someone who knows what they are doing and passing on some tips. More of these videos please Dom.

[@mikebowers7161]

Thanks very much to both of you! Not only was it interesting but I will be able to use this for reference. I have watched your electrolysis tutorial so many times when I have forgotten part of the process.

[@lou9007]

That has helped me so much, I wish I'd learned from my father years ago but of course, it was a skill I never thought I'd want to use, I'm going to have another go at a garden sculpture I want to make but couldn't get it to solder together, Pete. Dom thank you so much

[@johngardiner6800]

When you mentioned mole skin cloth it took me back to1963 when I started my plumbing apprenticeship and built up my tool kit l still have all my cloths of various sises and my paraffin blowlamp (there were no gas lamps then) but you are no longer allowed to wipe lead joints on water pipes as it's against the regulations today. Bakers flux is kild spirits, we had large carboids of Hydrochloric acid as we did a lot of zinc roofs and only kild spirits comanly know as spirits of salts would allow the soldier to adhere to it. Again pre gas torch, we had large copper soldering irons with wooden handles which were put on top of the paraffin blowlamps which had special supports for this so that you always had one for working while the other was heating. (As an aside when doing this type of work if you had a cold the fumes would cure it in a few hours. Your nose would run profusely for an hour or two then goodbye cold)

[@darrencoyle3290]

I could listen to him all day..thanks Dom nice one .

[@PeterJewell2]

I have only ever done electrical soldering (with flux-cored solder). This video was very interesting as an introduction to trying other types of soldering. It may help me identify (and think about using) some of the soldering kit dotted about my late dad's workshop, among the things inherited from my great uncle. Most intriguing is the electric soldering iron that's the size of a chair leg. Not sure it's been used in 40+ years!

[@more.power.]

Thank you Pete for educating us in the art of soldering. Dominic excellent episode lets have a go at Tig welding, yes please.

[@stephenjohnbetts1058]

Great video Dom, soldering is something I’ve always struggled with so this post is really helpful. And to have Pete showing how it’s done correctly is fantastic. We could watch you and Pete for hours, you’re both laidback nice blokes that want to help by passing on your knowledge. Cheers.

[@richardwhatton1249]

Great to watch Pete working, he makes everything look so easy. Kind regards, Richard.

[@digitaIgorilla]

Now why wasn't school like this? I learned something new today. Thanks Pete, thanks Dom.

[@philf5043]

All these skills should still be taught at school as I was and more than likely Pete was.

[@johnsholian4318]

It’s always fun to watch and listen to Pete. I think a silver soldering tutorial from Brenton should be on your list in the near future. Well done Dom, Dan, and Pete!

[@bandiflip]

Love it…. Can’t wait for the next one…..I’m as excited as you I think !! 😊

[@judithbarnett2966]

I'm not going to be soldering (again) in a hurry but you two are the best. More Dom and Pete please! 😀

[@rogerbond7811]

Dad taught me to solder when I got my first train set around the age of 8. Been doing it ever since on and off at work and D.I.Y. One of the best bits of my apprenticeship was the tinplate work with the big tinman's irons. For one test we had to make a 1" cube from brazing rod with soldered joints then tip it off the bench and it had to remain intact after hitting the concrete. Like Pete not over fond of lead free solder. Thanks for the insight still learnt something after 60 years of soldering.

[@debluetailfly]

Was doing some plumbing and couldn't get the copper to solder. I called a friend who sometimes helped a plumber. He couldn't get it to work either! He went to the plumber and got some different flux, and it worked fine. I threw my flux away! Good informative video. It has been hard in the past to find much info about soldering.

[@matthewhibbs9602]

Thanks Dom and Pete a thoroughly interesting insight into your crafts. Keep up the good work. 👍

[@markthompson1699]

Love this. Keep up the campaign to get us back to doing it ourselves. Over the years we've become a throwaway society, when actually just a few relatively basic skills and tools you can keep things going strong. Next step is to do some more basic metalworking skills, you get Will to do some basic woodworking skills and Mark to do some basic electrics!

[@marieeaton-smith5168]

Loved listening to you both. More Pete and Dom in the pipeline?

[@bigbadjohn10]

Pete is a National Treasure!

[@craigd6261]

Thanks Pete and Dom. I now realise how little I actually know of soldering, and how I've just scraped by.

[@Simon_W74]

I have done basic soldering of Plumbing and wiring. I used to watch my Dad solder his model Railway models. A very fascinating video.

[@swojto2598]

Hi, when I used to solder lead telephone cables or joints with mole-skin the flux I used was tallow. This was soaked into the mole- skin to stop the lead solder from sticking to it. It does take a lot of skill to do well. Not all telephone engineers could do it.

[@andybriggs4066]

I enjoyed that ,it was like my grandad talking to me lol great video Dom as per

[@nigelroberson8911]

Great video. Would love a tutorial on riveting. Not pop rivets but snap head iron etc using snaps.

[@marshallluddite]

Great lesson, I will still be crap but will keep going !

[@KyushaStyleTuning]

I'm just getting in to soldering and have found this very informative. Thank you. 😎👍

[@gav2759]

Great stuff Dom and Pete, thanks for posting. For anyone interested in watching more soldering, Rick Bischoff at the "Luminary Shoppe" does some nice work on his carriage lamps.

[@453421abcdefg12345]

I think the main problem most people have with soldering is that they try to melt the solder with their heat source, the secret is to heat the job, then run solder into the joint. The "oxygen" you mentioned from the compressor is compressed air, not pure oxygen, you with find the Bakers fluid (killed spirit) is the only sure way of getting a good solder joint on steel such as a bowden cable nipple. Chris B.

[@conwaynoel3715]

Absolutely, Englishman French , you hit the nail on the head . I've been soldering electronic components together for decades and anytime I've tried to teach others to solder they start by melting the solder onto whatever needs to be joined. A good set of clamps, like a ' helping hand " and an explanation of what " tinning " is and how important it is often removed the mystery and indeed the misery of burnt fingers !!

[@gbwildlifeuk8269]

It doesnt need to be pure oxygen as hes using propane. To use pure oxygen you would use acetylene. That said, compressed air is made of the same air you breathe in and out, but that air is compressed into a smaller size and kept under pressure. When you take atmospheric air and then physically force it into a smaller volume, the molecules take up less space; the air is compressed. Atmospheric air and compressed air are both made up of: 78% Nitrogen, 20-21% Oxygen, 1-2% water vapor, carbon dioxide & other gases The “ingredients” in the air don’t change when it’s compressed-just the amount of space those molecules take up. I think youre confusing compressed air with compressed oxygen gas which is 99.5% pure oxygen. Bakers fluid is an active flux which cleans the material youre soldering. You can use a passive flux, (paste flux) equally well, but as he said in the video, you must clean the components first. When soldering steel the tinning prior to the soldering is the key, not the bakers fluid. The easiest method for tinning is to use tinning paste.

[@453421abcdefg12345]

@@gbwildlifeuk8269 Yes we know all that, I was just pointing out that the air from the compressor is not pure oxygen, there is no need to use pure oxygen as the temperature required for soft soldering is only in the region of 250 degs,and most soldering is done with a soldering iron which coveys its heat by being in contact with the item being soldered. I think we all know the composition of fresh air. Chris B.

[@jpmetal6783]

hey from portugal... very good lesson " how to solder " whith someone who has wisdom

[@beautifulsmall]

Ive had a fascination with lead since melting it in condensed milk tins inside a paint tin furnace driven by a bike pump. HCl and Zn, interesting. Used plumbers solder flux paste on some thin wires , a few days later the residue ate right through them, aggressive , needs cleaning. . The compressor is just air I guess, not additional oxygen from a bottle. MAP is great. Nice flux for the rusty iron. soldering to stainless, such a pain. Great to see an expert share his experience. How very British with the Hallmarking. High temp cable ties.... Pleasure to watch.

[@geofo60]

Very enjoyable video gentlemen. Pete took me back to the 60's when he mentioned Tinman's solder. It was the common material for finalising bodywork repairs. We used Syflux which was like a thick grey liquid & was applied with a brush. The surface had to be spotlessly clean or the solder wouldn't stick. Siflux was so expensive that when the excess was filed off it was collected in a wooden box, then portioned out, placed in a wooden mold & melted back into sticks to be used again.

[@StevesConsul]

What a great video Dom I remember trying to solder car radiators back in the day, I always struggled until someone told me about Baker Fluid, it used to come in a little tins with a screw top. Pete is a diamond geezer one of the best, thanks for teaching us Pete.

[@simonclark9367]

That's really useful, I'm dismal at soldering but I can already see why I've found it so hard!

[@johnwadlow2617]

That took me back a bit to my apprenticeship days !!!

[@alexandermacgillivray598]

Cheers chaps,Happy repairing.

[@steveNCB7754]

That is one of the biggest issues, especially for beginners; holding the pieces in the correct position and alignment, so you have two hands free to hold the solder and the iron/torch. Whilst tempting to use vices or heavy (usually steel) ‘lumps’ to hold things down or prop the work against, they then draw the heat away from the workpieces making soldering more difficult if not impossible. Enjoyable video. 👍

[@Grummash]

Probably your best video so far… You had a clear idea about what you wanted to cover, and Pete’s knowledge and experience just came tumbling out! 👏👏👏

[@DominicChineas]

Brilliant thank you!

[@brendawilliams700]

I can remember my dad having a soldering iron that he heated up on the gas stove. Don’t think mum was best pleased

[@miketherefurbisher8000]

What a Great guy Dom!!. I really enjoy theses in depth videos you do with the repair shop Experts. Thank You.😀👍

[@asciimation]

I've done electrical soldering for years, started as a kid. As a student I had holiday jobs doing electric assembly and we used to practice by soldering together cut off component pig tails into geometric shapes. I've always found a very hot iron and working fast works for me. As I did more and more mechanical stuff I found that electronics experience helped enormously. Then I got into welding and silver soldering and brazing and so on and now I can do lead tinning on cars and gas welding aluminium car skins. I wouldn't say I am expert at any of it but enough experience makes it easier and easier to give new things a go. The one to watch is when people talk about silver soldering. There is silver soldering and then there is silver electrical solder. For electronics I HATE lead free solder. I won't use it on my own project. It just doesn't work as well.

[@Point221b]

Hi Dom, can TIG, MIG, stick, gas weld, braze, even gas weld ali, but simple soldering always gave me problems! 🙄 You and Pete have spurred me on to have another go ! 🙂

[@yellowgas66]

Thanks Dom and thanks to Pete lm learning something new every time I watch your videos! 👍

[@derekblake9385]

This was very handy, just about to solder using bakers flux on my live steam traction engine and I wasn’t sure how to use it. Do now 👌

[@andyarmstrong1493]

Ex PO/ BT I love to solder, it is a skill, never lost it. Wish I could weld anything!

[@lubosibroxparty6583]

When I was a electrician I used to come across big ceilings roses in grand homes and the now electric chandelier would be screwed to a round wooden rose which was attached to a pipe soldered on a fixed plate above about 125 years ago for the gas lights.

[@samrodian919]

Dom if you want to see soldering at pinnacle of the art, get yourself to a firm of church organ builders and watch a "Metal Hand" soldering a pure lead or a spotted metal organ pipe where the substrate's melting point is only just above the melting point of the solder. You will be amazed Spotted metal is a mix of lead, tin and antimony, and the antimony causes the metal as it's cooled from being cast to chemically migrate to its sister metal. So the lead runs together and the tin does the same and usually it causes a beautiful spotted sheet where the spots are between seven to ten millimetres in diameter.

[@BunnyKins1970]

Fun! It's the hot melt glue of metalwork. 😁 Thanks, this was very helpful and I hope to try to make something with the info. 💚🐇🐴💚

[@johng7rwf419]

Preparation and cleanliness are the watchwords for soldering... Great video, many thanks..

[@reachforthesky1849]

I was not aware of active flux. Top tip. Thank you

[@p.m3735]

Great episode, really interesting 👍

[@Big.Al.3]

Really enjoyable film. Thanks Dom and Peter.

[@StephenBoyd21]

Just a great skill and when it is done right, it seems so easy.

[@stephenblaze4571]

Great video Dom and thanks to Pete for sharing

[@FFVoyager]

Absolutely fascinating. Fantastic tip at the end too!

[@andyb2965]

Brilliant, definitely a skill I'd like to learn.

[@MrPossumeyes]

Excellent. Thanks, Dom. Thanks, Pete!

[@todmillard5812]

Brilliant video. Many thanks to both of you for sharing your knowledge.

[@sarahhall738]

My mum's summer job while in what we would call high school was working in a TV factory. She was in the ariel department first year stripping wires and twisting together the second year soldering with tiny blobs of solder. Being told to be careful and not burn herself. So my mum knows how to solder 😁

[@michaelmiller641]

Very helpful,and entertaining as well, thanks Dom and Pete!

[@adrianlynch9435]

Cracking video from you Dom and Pete.

[@Whitefirekith]

Pete needs to write a book...Dom! :D

[@hughtempleton8640]

Thank you so so much guys for Sharing your fantastic knowledge with us now I have a better understanding of how to solder . 👍😀

[@bobt3374]

Hi Dom. That was interesting to watch Pete is a mind of information.

[@danielsellers8538]

Welcome it’s good to see you progressing with your career

[@charliekingpin8568]

As usual really interesting, more top tips! Many thanks

[@DominicChineas]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

[@mdturner3723]

Great to see Pete sharing his skills. Lets have more of this Dom, may be using a polish mop

[@DominicChineas]

Polishing is another brilliant idea and something Pete is so good at!!

[@simonclark9367]

Can I second that idea!

[@hujiproductions8457]

Nice video. Done soldering when plumbing but most of my soldering has been for electronic circuits - rather more delicate!

[@darwinsfish]

Same here, just started learning some electronic soldering - there’s some great articulated gizmos for holding the work to be soldered. Used to do lots of diy plumbing progressing from presoldered Yorkshire fittings to end feed but now all plastic and not such a sense of achievement.

[@patrickhostler5939]

I shall never look at my soldering iron in the same way ever again!!!

[@raeh9]

Great Video to watch learned a lot Thanks

[@DominicChineas]

Thank you, I’m so pleased about that!

[@Qspecialman]

Great stuff!!!

[@mechanoid5739]

Soldering, like welding, is 10% theory 90% practice! The only thing I wish Dom added was DO NOT BREATH IN THE VAPOURS FROM THE FLUX! Particularly the Baker's!

[@brianmicky7596]

Hi Dom, Thanks , Sorted , Nice one Pete , All the best Brian 😃

[@daviddavis6065]

a cool video thanks so much

[@marticon9286]

Dom I love your videos and this one so useful. The number of Ad breaks is getting beyond a joke though😢😢

[@mattlammin6649]

Love the video, made me realise how lucky I am to have a big tin of flux my dad got when he was an electrical engineer! God.knows how old it is!?

[@DominicChineas]

I bet it’s still good!!

[@rogerdavis5914]

Brazing was always my favourite

[@davidcoombe1811]

reminds me when I was a shop boy we would make a shunt out of solder 60/40 very carefully solder in to a base the next op was calibrate the value but being solder it would melt so good for the calibrators

[@dan.barrett]

Number one should be the correct soldering iron or torch everything else after that!

[@wellseyspeedshop]

Hi Dom I like it that you have a ranalah in the repair shop

[@ImolaS3]

Awesome! Can we please have a Brenton video on silver soldering (hard soldering) too?

[@burgundyexpress]

You can't beat experience!

[@likeakite]

Thanks

[@siukcnc]

Glad you also got the rothenberger mapp gas out, even if it was just to dismantle, as the UK manufacturer of one of the best wall mounts for them I'm just a tad biased! 😀

[@yoyopg123]

It would really help if someone who knew their soldering stuff (not me) made some sort of decision flow chart guiding the novice through series of questions to determine the correct flux and solder combination to purchase. You could start out with something basic like "what application are you soldering for? - Electrical, plumbing, mechanical, stained glass, etc. etc. Then you ask the series of questions that are pertinent to those applications that establish things like metals used, cleanliness of materials, application, strength requirements, etc. etc. that eventually get you to the ideal combination of flux, solder, and heat source for your particular project.

[@Simon67316]

Brilliant tutorial, learned a lot. Just wondering if Pete knows about stainless steel metal cable ties they sell in Toolstation? May or may not come in useful in certain situations. 👍

[@carlstevens3850]

Genius❤

[@barrybautista4781]

Have a look at the luminary shop.

[@DavidCulshawmer-r]

i used to wipe lead to lead joints in my plumbing days , that needs a very soft flame , lots of patience and a lot of concentration , this was only done when fixing a leak in the water main as it entered the house though , some times it was lead to lead and some times it was copper to lead , i wouldnt even try it now because its been too long ago since i was a plumber

[@guerrilladivision7327]

couple of newbie questions, what is the set up from the gas cylinders ? Are flashback arrestors used on both propane and oxygen feeds? and why don't the flux brush bristles melt? (wanting to learn to braze with jewlery torch) Great Vid as ever . Cheers 🙂

[@michaeljohnson4636]

Yes on the oxy/acetylene and propane

[@BeekeeperBen]

Hey man love the show, what make over shirt is that your wearing?? I need it in my lift looks so warm. Thanks happy fixing

[@DominicChineas]

It’s so warm! It’s made by Mcnair