You solder then BEFORE you insert them into the slots of the channels. Don't burn the wood. And don't forget to link the chainplates before you close the gaps with solder, unless you also have seams on the chainplates to solder.
Soldering is a skill that I will have to learn very soon as outside of canoes it seems to be needed frequently. PT-2@PT-2 I dont think soldering would really bother the wood any, especially if you use some clamps or forceps to absorb the heat just past the join you are making. I just wish the kits manufacturer would have been more clear on their intentions for the strops to begin with, then our OP wouldn't be guessing what to do. I dont mind people asking questions at all, but kit manufacturers seem to expect everyone to know what they were thinking designing a kit. What the hobby needs is more clarity in the steps of construction for those who dont know everything( no target in mind, just a general observation )
Biggest thing, dont rush it. Make sure the parts are clean. Apply a little flux where you want solder to bind then apply heat with your iron.
hold the solder to the join and when the part reaches the right temp the solder will wick in where the flux is. Remove the iron and let the part
cool a minute. It takes practice but after a few test pieces you'll have the idea and get pretty good.
After looking at those strange ears on the deadeye strop, it may be that you are supposed to tie a loop of line around them. If the slot in the channel is wide enough to contain those ears, they could be easily hidden by being filled and painted over. Even if you don't, they are not easily seen. The ends of the brass wire strops I used are not connected at all, and the seam where the ends come together is hidden in the slot where they pass through the channel. Even though the ends are not connected by solder as recommended by many ship modelers, they seem to be strong enough, and are not distorting under the tension of the rigging. If you made them from copper wire though, the line tension would pull the loop holding the deadeye open, because the metal is too soft. Any method of securing the ends of the iron strop is an improvement.
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Thanks for your tutorial for a needy student. Homework time! PT-2
Well...a perfect time for some kit bashing. I would abandon these strops and make my own with black wire if suitable gauge. Wrap around the deadeye, twist closed below it Including a lower loop, place in slot on channel and lock in place with a drop of CA. There are other methods of course. My point is if one method is troubling as is the case here go ahead and do something different!
Excellent example of working around a problem in the best of flow like water around a rock. PT-2
I agree--I haven't done a kit yet that had a deadeye/channel system that was logical and durable. The main thing is don't make the holes in the channels any bigger than absolutely necessary because the last thing you want is for one of them to pull loose.