I need a good boffin.

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Dr. Medulla
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Re: I need a good boffin.

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Kimmelweck wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 5:38pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 5:20pm
revbob wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 5:10pm
Sparky wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 4:25pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 2:27pm
Boffin-ish question. I've got an old iPod with a shit battery. I can pick up a new battery fairly cheaply, but the connections need to be soldered (three small wires onto a circuit board). I don't have a soldering iron, nor am I inclined to buy one just for this. So my question to those in the know is whether electrically conductive glue would do the trick for something like this?
I haven't tried it in years, but I recall using some as kid, can't recall what brand it was, but it worked. think the hardest part would be applying the glue sparingly, perhaps a toothpick would work?
Yeah never used it, a soldering iron is pretty cheap and have had one since I was a kid. There whiteout type pens that dispense conductive material too but you'd still have to attach the wires. Get a good magnifying glass and a few whiskeys to settle your nerves before you start.
Did a little pricing and a basic soldering kit isn't that much more than the glue I've found. Maybe that is the safer option, tho I've never soldered before, either. Don't imagine it's that difficult, tho.
Man, this conversation reminds me of building kits as a kid. I was soldering when I was 6 years old – late 70s. My dad was the manager of our local Heathkit electronics store and he’d give me 5 bucks to sit in the front window of the store building kits – radios mostly but there were a few other items too. The old-timers would come into the store and see a little kid soldering. It would give them confidence and they’d leave with all kinds of stuff.
So, I'm now in the position of having to be able to do something a six year old could. Dammit … :disshame:
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

gkbill
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Re: I need a good boffin.

Post by gkbill »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 5:44pm
Kimmelweck wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 5:38pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 5:20pm
revbob wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 5:10pm
Sparky wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 4:25pm


I haven't tried it in years, but I recall using some as kid, can't recall what brand it was, but it worked. think the hardest part would be applying the glue sparingly, perhaps a toothpick would work?
Yeah never used it, a soldering iron is pretty cheap and have had one since I was a kid. There whiteout type pens that dispense conductive material too but you'd still have to attach the wires. Get a good magnifying glass and a few whiskeys to settle your nerves before you start.
Did a little pricing and a basic soldering kit isn't that much more than the glue I've found. Maybe that is the safer option, tho I've never soldered before, either. Don't imagine it's that difficult, tho.
Man, this conversation reminds me of building kits as a kid. I was soldering when I was 6 years old – late 70s. My dad was the manager of our local Heathkit electronics store and he’d give me 5 bucks to sit in the front window of the store building kits – radios mostly but there were a few other items too. The old-timers would come into the store and see a little kid soldering. It would give them confidence and they’d leave with all kinds of stuff.
So, I'm now in the position of having to be able to do something a six year old could. Dammit … :disshame:
Hello,

Turn to Groucho:


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Re: I need a good boffin.

Post by Kimmelweck »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 5:44pm
Kimmelweck wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 5:38pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 5:20pm
revbob wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 5:10pm
Sparky wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 4:25pm


I haven't tried it in years, but I recall using some as kid, can't recall what brand it was, but it worked. think the hardest part would be applying the glue sparingly, perhaps a toothpick would work?
Yeah never used it, a soldering iron is pretty cheap and have had one since I was a kid. There whiteout type pens that dispense conductive material too but you'd still have to attach the wires. Get a good magnifying glass and a few whiskeys to settle your nerves before you start.
Did a little pricing and a basic soldering kit isn't that much more than the glue I've found. Maybe that is the safer option, tho I've never soldered before, either. Don't imagine it's that difficult, tho.
Man, this conversation reminds me of building kits as a kid. I was soldering when I was 6 years old – late 70s. My dad was the manager of our local Heathkit electronics store and he’d give me 5 bucks to sit in the front window of the store building kits – radios mostly but there were a few other items too. The old-timers would come into the store and see a little kid soldering. It would give them confidence and they’d leave with all kinds of stuff.
So, I'm now in the position of having to be able to do something a six year old could. Dammit … :disshame:
I believe in you! :mrgreen:

Nah, it’s easy. Just hold the iron on the connection for a second or two to heat the parts and then touch the end of the solder to the connection. There’s a braided copper wick you can get to remove old solder too. They key is to not hold the iron in place too long or you might fry a sensitive component. If it’s just a simple connection – piece of cake. Have a small piece of damp kitchen sponge handy to wipe excess solder off the iron tip when you're done. I still have my 40+ year old soldering iron and have used it occasionally to reattach loose wires in like an electric guitar or something.
The chair is against the wall. The chair is against the wall. John has a long mustache. John has a long mustache.

Dr. Medulla
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Re: I need a good boffin.

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Kimmelweck wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 5:55pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 5:44pm
Kimmelweck wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 5:38pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 5:20pm
revbob wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 5:10pm


Yeah never used it, a soldering iron is pretty cheap and have had one since I was a kid. There whiteout type pens that dispense conductive material too but you'd still have to attach the wires. Get a good magnifying glass and a few whiskeys to settle your nerves before you start.
Did a little pricing and a basic soldering kit isn't that much more than the glue I've found. Maybe that is the safer option, tho I've never soldered before, either. Don't imagine it's that difficult, tho.
Man, this conversation reminds me of building kits as a kid. I was soldering when I was 6 years old – late 70s. My dad was the manager of our local Heathkit electronics store and he’d give me 5 bucks to sit in the front window of the store building kits – radios mostly but there were a few other items too. The old-timers would come into the store and see a little kid soldering. It would give them confidence and they’d leave with all kinds of stuff.
So, I'm now in the position of having to be able to do something a six year old could. Dammit … :disshame:
I believe in you! :mrgreen:

Nah, it’s easy. Just hold the iron on the connection for a second or two to heat the parts and then touch the end of the solder to the connection. There’s a braided copper wick you can get to remove old solder too. They key is to not hold the iron in place too long or you might fry a sensitive component. If it’s just a simple connection – piece of cake. Have a small piece of damp kitchen sponge handy to wipe excess solder off the iron tip when you're done. I still have my 40+ year old soldering iron and have used it occasionally to reattach loose wires in like an electric guitar or something.
Thanks for the preview. It is pretty straightforward—three wires from the battery to the circuit board. I'll let you know when/if I do it (it's a bit of a musing for me right now).
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

revbob
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Re: I need a good boffin.

Post by revbob »

Resist the urge to hold the soldering iron near the tip.

Dr. Medulla
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Re: I need a good boffin.

Post by Dr. Medulla »

revbob wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 6:17pm
Resist the urge to hold the soldering iron near the tip.
Ha! No chance of that. My first priority when using any manly tools is don't hurt yourself.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: I need a good boffin.

Post by Kimmelweck »

Funny story that should probably go in the NHL thread – my dad’s regional supervisor at Heathkit was a guy based in Pittsburgh. Ray Dick was his name, which always gave my younger brother and me a chuckle. Super eccentric guy, long dead. Anyway, Ray happened to be in town the night Wayne Gretzky beat Phil Esposito’s single-season scoring record in February, 1982. I was 9 years old. Ray asked my dad if he wanted to catch the game. My dad said, you’re crazy Ray. The Sabres-Oilers game had been sold out for weeks. So Ray gets on the phone to Memorial Auditorium, just an hour or two before the game, and says “This is Ray Dick and I wanna speak to Phil Esposito.” Esposito was at the Aud to watch his record be broken. After several minutes (my dad had the speaker phone turned on and listened to the whole thing), suddenly Phil Esposito is on the phone. “Hey Phil, Ray Dick here, I wanna see the game tonight. How about hooking me up with a ticket?” Phil says, “Ray Dick, you son of a bitch! The game’s sold out! Whattya want me to do?!”. “Come on Phil, you owe me one!” Phil: “Ok, hold on, goddammit.”

A few minutes later, Phil is back on the line. “Ok Ray, I got you a ticket.” Ray says: “One? I need two! I need another one for my friend!” Phil: “Goddammit Ray! Hold on!” Several minutes later Phil is back on the line. “Ok I got you a couple tickets, standing room only. They’ll be waiting at the will-call window. You son of a bitch!” Ray: “Thanks.” Phil: “Goddammit.” Click, the call ends.

So my dad caught the game. Gretzky beat Esposito’s record, and went on to get a hat trick. Gilbert Perreault got a hat trick that night as well. The following morning, my dad is getting coffee and reading the paper at Dunkin Donuts. In walks Wayne Gretzky. My day got him to sign the paper, which I still have around here somewhere – it may be at my parents’ house. :mrgreen:

http://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes. ... ort&st=cse
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Re: I need a good boffin.

Post by Sparky »

Kimmelweck wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 5:38pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 5:20pm
revbob wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 5:10pm
Sparky wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 4:25pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 2:27pm
Boffin-ish question. I've got an old iPod with a shit battery. I can pick up a new battery fairly cheaply, but the connections need to be soldered (three small wires onto a circuit board). I don't have a soldering iron, nor am I inclined to buy one just for this. So my question to those in the know is whether electrically conductive glue would do the trick for something like this?
I haven't tried it in years, but I recall using some as kid, can't recall what brand it was, but it worked. think the hardest part would be applying the glue sparingly, perhaps a toothpick would work?
Yeah never used it, a soldering iron is pretty cheap and have had one since I was a kid. There whiteout type pens that dispense conductive material too but you'd still have to attach the wires. Get a good magnifying glass and a few whiskeys to settle your nerves before you start.
Did a little pricing and a basic soldering kit isn't that much more than the glue I've found. Maybe that is the safer option, tho I've never soldered before, either. Don't imagine it's that difficult, tho.
Man, this conversation reminds me of building kits as a kid. I was soldering when I was 6 years old – late 70s. My dad was the manager of our local Heathkit electronics store and he’d give me 5 bucks to sit in the front window of the store building kits – radios mostly but there were a few other items too. The old-timers would come into the store and see a little kid soldering. It would give them confidence and they’d leave with all kinds of stuff.
Now there's some genius sales and marketing skills!
God, what a mess, on the ladder of success
Where you take one step and miss the whole first rung

Dr. Medulla
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Re: I need a good boffin.

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Kimmelweck wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 6:45pm
Funny story that should probably go in the NHL thread – my dad’s regional supervisor at Heathkit was a guy based in Pittsburgh. Ray Dick was his name, which always gave my younger brother and me a chuckle. Super eccentric guy, long dead. Anyway, Ray happened to be in town the night Wayne Gretzky beat Phil Esposito’s single-season scoring record in February, 1982. I was 9 years old. Ray asked my dad if he wanted to catch the game. My dad said, you’re crazy Ray. The Sabres-Oilers game had been sold out for weeks. So Ray gets on the phone to Memorial Auditorium, just an hour or two before the game, and says “This is Ray Dick and I wanna speak to Phil Esposito.” Esposito was at the Aud to watch his record be broken. After several minutes (my dad had the speaker phone turned on and listened to the whole thing), suddenly Phil Esposito is on the phone. “Hey Phil, Ray Dick here, I wanna see the game tonight. How about hooking me up with a ticket?” Phil says, “Ray Dick, you son of a bitch! The game’s sold out! Whattya want me to do?!”. “Come on Phil, you owe me one!” Phil: “Ok, hold on, goddammit.”

A few minutes later, Phil is back on the line. “Ok Ray, I got you a ticket.” Ray says: “One? I need two! I need another one for my friend!” Phil: “Goddammit Ray! Hold on!” Several minutes later Phil is back on the line. “Ok I got you a couple tickets, standing room only. They’ll be waiting at the will-call window. You son of a bitch!” Ray: “Thanks.” Phil: “Goddammit.” Click, the call ends.

So my dad caught the game. Gretzky beat Esposito’s record, and went on to get a hat trick. Gilbert Perreault got a hat trick that night as well. The following morning, my dad is getting coffee and reading the paper at Dunkin Donuts. In walks Wayne Gretzky. My day got him to sign the paper, which I still have around here somewhere – it may be at my parents’ house. :mrgreen:

http://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes. ... ort&st=cse
This is really thread mutating, but whatever. My serious hockey friends back in the day didn't rate Wayne highly because he was one-dimensional. He didn't play defence (at all) and he didn't fight (at all!). If he wasn't on offence, he just floated. They all thought Gordie Howe was better. I didn't know enough to argue or agree, but in retrospect I see how little they appreciated how much he changed the game. The point is to score goals, right? And he was better than anyone on the ice at the time. Who cares that he didn't fight (he had Dave Cementhead for that).

That said, the Oilers were an Alberta team and nobody from Saskatchewan could ever support an Alberta team.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Kimmelweck
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Re: I need a good boffin.

Post by Kimmelweck »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 7:41pm
This is really thread mutating, but whatever. My serious hockey friends back in the day didn't rate Wayne highly because he was one-dimensional. He didn't play defence (at all) and he didn't fight (at all!). If he wasn't on offence, he just floated. They all thought Gordie Howe was better. I didn't know enough to argue or agree, but in retrospect I see how little they appreciated how much he changed the game. The point is to score goals, right? And he was better than anyone on the ice at the time. Who cares that he didn't fight (he had Dave Cementhead for that).

That said, the Oilers were an Alberta team and nobody from Saskatchewan could ever support an Alberta team.
Yeah my fault for wandering off-topic a bit, but my Heathkit soldering experience reminded me of the Heathkit Ray Dick story. We always wondered what the hell Ray Dick, regional electronics store supervisor, had done that Phil Esposito owed him a favor. And Gretzky sure did have a way of taking over and dazzling the crowd in a way that few have done since.

My dad built his first computer, a Heathkit naturally, around 1979. Pretty sure he got rid of it long ago, but I bet it would be worth a good bit today. My brother and I played the simplest video games on it, for hours on end. Just a grey screen and letters or numbers to make up the graphics. There was a game called “Fireman” where you had to move the cursor back and forth to catch babies as they were tossed out of a window at an ever-quickening pace. Anyway, I come from a soldering family. Good luck with that Ipod if you decide to tackle the repair. It should be pretty simple, probably take 5 minutes tops.
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Re: I need a good boffin.

Post by revbob »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 6:37pm
revbob wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 6:17pm
Resist the urge to hold the soldering iron near the tip.
Ha! No chance of that. My first priority when using any manly tools is don't hurt yourself.
I was working on a project one night very late and I grabbed it like I would a pen. The burn scars were there for a LONG time.

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Re: I need a good boffin.

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Kimmelweck wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 8:11pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 7:41pm
This is really thread mutating, but whatever. My serious hockey friends back in the day didn't rate Wayne highly because he was one-dimensional. He didn't play defence (at all) and he didn't fight (at all!). If he wasn't on offence, he just floated. They all thought Gordie Howe was better. I didn't know enough to argue or agree, but in retrospect I see how little they appreciated how much he changed the game. The point is to score goals, right? And he was better than anyone on the ice at the time. Who cares that he didn't fight (he had Dave Cementhead for that).

That said, the Oilers were an Alberta team and nobody from Saskatchewan could ever support an Alberta team.
Yeah my fault for wandering off-topic a bit, but my Heathkit soldering experience reminded me of the Heathkit Ray Dick story.
Thread mutation is valued here more than shitting on the Clash!
My dad built his first computer, a Heathkit naturally, around 1979. Pretty sure he got rid of it long ago, but I bet it would be worth a good bit today. My brother and I played the simplest video games on it, for hours on end. Just a grey screen and letters or numbers to make up the graphics. There was a game called “Fireman” where you had to move the cursor back and forth to catch babies as they were tossed out of a window at an ever-quickening pace. Anyway, I come from a soldering family. Good luck with that Ipod if you decide to tackle the repair. It should be pretty simple, probably take 5 minutes tops.
The game sounds a lot Ka-Boom on the Atari 2600.

I have a vague recollection of those late 70s computer kits. A friend had one. A whole lot of colour-coded pegs that you attached wires between and the like is what stands out. Not that the result did much. Very very geeky at that point.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: I need a good boffin.

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revbob wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 8:45pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 6:37pm
revbob wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 6:17pm
Resist the urge to hold the soldering iron near the tip.
Ha! No chance of that. My first priority when using any manly tools is don't hurt yourself.
I was working on a project one night very late and I grabbed it like I would a pen. The burn scars were there for a LONG time.
You'd been drinking, right? :shifty:

I'll undoubtedly be wearing gloves if/when I do this.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: I need a good boffin.

Post by revbob »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 8:52pm
revbob wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 8:45pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 6:37pm
revbob wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 6:17pm
Resist the urge to hold the soldering iron near the tip.
Ha! No chance of that. My first priority when using any manly tools is don't hurt yourself.
I was working on a project one night very late and I grabbed it like I would a pen. The burn scars were there for a LONG time.
You'd been drinking, right? :shifty:

I'll undoubtedly be wearing gloves if/when I do this.
I dont think so, was just doing it really late had soldered a whole bunch put it down then went to grab it to do something quickly. That hurt, plus the smell.

Dr. Medulla
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Re: I need a good boffin.

Post by Dr. Medulla »

revbob wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 9:06pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 8:52pm
revbob wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 8:45pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 6:37pm
revbob wrote:
27 Jul 2021, 6:17pm
Resist the urge to hold the soldering iron near the tip.
Ha! No chance of that. My first priority when using any manly tools is don't hurt yourself.
I was working on a project one night very late and I grabbed it like I would a pen. The burn scars were there for a LONG time.
You'd been drinking, right? :shifty:

I'll undoubtedly be wearing gloves if/when I do this.
I dont think so, was just doing it really late had soldered a whole bunch put it down then went to grab it to do something quickly. That hurt, plus the smell.
Speaking of scar tissue (sort of), on my right elbow I have a patch of skin that is basically plasticky scar tissue. When I was, I dunno, 18, I took a tumble on my bike and scraped up, among other places, that elbow. It became infected and I dicked around way too long—like, weeks—to get penicillin, so that by the time it healed, I had had this eerie smooth patch of skin. Just the dumbest shit—what the hell was I waiting for? I've come to appreciate that patch of scar tissue as a visual reminder that I am, fundamentally, too stupid to live.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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