The tube amp soldering class....

OK, a number of folks have expressed interest in attending a soldering class to get their soldering skills up to par prior to actually sitting down to build their tube amp. What I need to know is;

1 - How many people are going to be attending this workshop?

2 - How many volunteers would be willing to spend some time to assist me with this class, if needed? **Must have plenty of experience with soldering.

Thursday [8:00PM] will be the soldering class.
Please post in this thread and no other thread to let me know if you can either assist or whether you will be attending. Later on, I will be adding to this post a short list of tools that you will want to have to make this experience as smooth as possible for your amp build. In the meantime, I need to know if anyone is willing to lend a hand and how many folks will be attending the soldering class.

Thanks, fellas.





Here are the list of attendees so far.....

Eddie
Don
Matt
Bill
Brian
Ray
Roy
Gary
Chauss
frenchguy

The class will be instructed by Mark and myself and will offer close to a combined 50 years of soldering experience.

Im in!

I'd be happy to help Tom. I've burnt my fingers a few times doing stuff.

I can bring a couple tables I think. Chairs, not so many, so people need to bring what they can.

I think the tables are kind of important because it's really easy when using an iron to have it tip down and burn what it's setting on! Burn marks on nice cabin tables might not go over so well at the end of the week! The tables/chairs will also be needed for the amp build then too.

Mark

I should probably attend as I have only done limited soldering just so I get off on right foot plus bought a new unit for this so shoulod break it in beforehand!!

Tom,

We will not arrive until late Thursday. Therefore, Matt and I will be unable to attend. We have both soldered before. Therefore, we do know what end of the gun to hold. However, our skills are limited. A soldering station and sponge are new to us.

Don, we are currently looking at changing the date and time of the class. Do you know what time you are hitting the cabins?

Thanks, Mark. You da' man!

Tom,

Traveling with two women, the chances of getting away real, real early are pretty slim, especially with these two. Coming from Central Fl. a pretty good hop. As a result, we may stop in Dillard, Ga on the way up for an early dinner, which is an hour to hour and half from the cabins. Therefore, I would guesstimate between 5 and 8.

We can always get up early Friday morning for some pointers from Roy or another early riser. Seems to me he is up long before the sun rises. Maybe that is an option we can think about before the build. A short tutorial of 30 minutes or so for those that arrive late Thursday.

We do have limited solder experience. Therefore, I think we will be OK. Just not familar with a sponge. (well, I take that back. One of my old girlfriends used one ) I assume it is for cleaning the tip.

I do not see an issue with holding it at 8:00pm on Thursday night. Let me check the other itinerary and see if this will conflict with anything. The idea of holding a quick tutorial/hands on at 8:30-9:00AM the day if the amp build isn't a bad idea either....though, I would rather NOT do that. Friday's gonna be busy enough and I gotta cook/serve breakfast for everybody so time will be at a premium already. If Roy or another person is willing to step up to the plate for the quick tutorial, then that would be most appreciative.

Thing is, folks will be using new irons. They will be doing something that requires a bit of technical skill and they will be working with heat that can burn furniture or even themselves and 30 minutes really isn't enough time to get someone up to snuff. Especially someone who has not ever soldered before. Plus, there will be unforeseen issues with certain irons with certain solder....that I can promise you. We need time beforehand to resolve these issues and get everybody up and rolling once the workshop actually starts.

That said, there will be some folks that will be assisting Bob during the amp build. Anybody who clearly needs help will be assisted [again, for the first amp only]. So if you can't show up until the amp build, you aren't completely out of luck.

Yes, Don. It's for cleaning the tip.

Tom,

If we are the only novices that can't make the class on Wednesday, don't change to Thursday evening on our account. I feel positive we can con someone into giving us a quick tutorial that evening or early on Friday. We have soldered marine switches and the like on our boats, so I feel once we get up to speed on the "sponge" cleaning, we will be good to go.

I will be more than happy to send a PM to the "go to man" at Carverfest for that quick tutorial availability if you would like!

I wouldn't worry about it, Don. It actually makes more sense this way. The more folks that attend, the quicker and less frustrating the actual amp workshop will be. We'll make it work and nothing at this point is set in stone. That's why we are chatting about it now, so that things go smoothly when we get there.

Kna'mean?

Whatever works is fine with us.

Tom,

If we are the only novices that can't make the class on Wednesday, don't change to Thursday evening on our account.

I just deleted some of Don's thoughts, but you can read it all above.
Don can correct me if I am wrong, but life has shown us we can do anything average guys do.
I really did not see that when I was an expert in my small world.

Once retired, I found I could do other things, especially the things that held interest to to me that I had not had time for before. Things I once had a guy in for, I now do, and do it better. Well not always, but I do it, and take pride that I do it.

I read and learn. I am an average guy and I find I can do what most guys do in any area.
I am as average as the next guy.

To that end, sometimes I find specialty tools rule the day. It is often better to buy a guy who has the tools for a one off thing.

As to Bob's class, I am buying the tools as this is what audio guys dream about.

I will prepare, stumble and re-group. At the end of the day, with lots of help I will not only have a great amp. I will be able to teach the next class.
Average guys can do anything.

Tom.

I could do with some pointers, but will not be arriving until very late Wednesday

If it's held on Wednesday morning I will not be there, but if it is changed to Thursday I"m in.

Brian

Thursday at 8:00PM will be the soldering class. Be there or possibly fuck up on your own amplifier.




**Please note, this thread has been cleaned up to include only those posts that are relevant to the topic at hand.

Thursday at 8:00PM will be the soldering class. Be there or possibly fuck up on your own amplifier.




**Please note, this thread has been cleaned up to include only those posts that are relevant to the topic at hand.

Perfect, I need all the help I can get.

Brian