tried to to solder some track this week

[marriedshades]

Well I'm not ready to mount my track perment. So i been practicing on soldering some old sectional track before I do it on the layut. Practice. makes perfect not that good yet.

 

[fcwilt]

Soldering is really not that difficult once you fully understand the process and use the correct tools and materials.

And practice is important.

When in doubt try to find information on how best to join the two materials involved (or perhaps two pieces of the same material).

I have soldered all sorts of things over many years but recently had to solder brass and spring steel wire together.

I had to do some research to find out how to do that because none of my usual approaches worked.

So practice, study - repeat as needed.

Good luck!

 

[marriedshades]

Practice is what I'm doing scrape track is great for that.

 

[Iron Horseman]

Well I'm not ready to mount my track perment. So i been practicing on soldering some old sectional track before I do it on the layut. Practice. makes perfect not that good yet.

Are you soldering feeder wires to the track or are you soldering track to other track?

 

[marriedshades]

Both started with putting to track sections to together once i get it to hold together then ilput on feeder wire on

 

[kenw]

you are using joiners, right?

 

[marriedshades]

Yep easery to hold the track in place

 

[Cjcrescent]

My advice is to make sure, when soldering "heavy stuff" together like track, is to use a "big" iron. I handlay my track, and for that I use at least a 40w iron. The trick is to get the rail hot enough to solder, without distorting ties, when you're using flex or sectional. For that you need a hot iron, that has the wattage to heat the rails fast. This is a job that smaller 25-15w irons cannot do well.

Make sure the surfaces are clean that you are soldering, and heat the work and not the solder. Let the solder flow to where you are making a joint. You'll find less clean up with a file afterwards. Practice and soon you'll be seeing what I'm talking about. Joints so clean that you can't see the solder holding the rails together.

 

[marriedshades]

Looks like i will need to put new tips in my solder gun and give it a try. i have been using my wand

 

[Cjcrescent]

I never could solder track well with a gun, due to having to wait for it to heat up every time. The irons stay hot.

 

[marriedshades]

I just in practice mood on soldering. though i getting good a soldering pins on my trees. so i have plenty of time using both to see what works best for me.

 

[Cjcrescent]

That's what you have to do. Try different tools & techniques, and see what works best for you.

 

[mikekc.reedjefferson8]

When soldering any joints the most important thing is to make sure all parts are clean and free of corrosion. A bit of flux on the top of the solder makes the solder flow much faster.

 

[Iron Horseman]

Both started with putting to track sections to together

Are you planning on soldering your track in the "final" layout? I stopped soldering track about 15 years ago as I realized it didn't buy me anything. Good tight railjoiners on track that doesn't move seems to last forever.

 

[photoman475]

I use a 75 watt Weller soldering gun. Once it heats up, it does a nice job of soldering the two rails and the joiner together. I do need to get a new tip, which would make the work a little easier to do.

I've found that if you put the tip against the joint and let it heat up both rails and the joiner, the solder flows nicely and makes a solid joint. Ever since I started soldering my joints, the electrical pickup for the locos has been much better. Also, don't solder the inside of the rails! I did the first couple of tries when learning the procedure and found out how well that works when the solder is a blob and the loco comes by. Ooops. I also don't solder every joint, allowing for the rails to expand and contract.

Photoman475

 

[runaway_geep]

I soldered a good bit of Code 70 and Code 55 rail with my Weller 25w Iron, just a little dab of flux and away we go! In 5 years, I had one break... and that was a botched solder joint on my part.

 

[jfb]

try oatys liquid solder it flows well and holds.

 

[fcwilt]

try oatys liquid solder it flows well and holds.

What sort of resistance does it have in that application?

 

[rzw0wr]

I use organic flux and a 35 watt Weller iron.
I also use either Rosin core or solid core. I prefer the solid core.
I quit cleaning my tip with a wire brush and use a wet sponge instead. When the tip gets too bad I will use course steel wool.
I have found that it is easier with smaller solder.
I bought a pound of .020" solder.
Works great and you don't get the big globs.

 

[rodney mcgiveron]

G'day all..Totally agree...I also bought a temperature control iron too...My old dinosaur would get so hot that the solder ran 'too much'..nothing more annoying..I'm not the world's best solderer but this new s.iron makes it better for sure...Cheers Rod