I'm laying down flex track ( code 100) and since I'm powering the mini layout with Digitrax , I'm soldering feeder wires to the rail joiners , running the feeders through small holes drilled in the roadbed and benchwork . So far so good .
For soldering I'm using one of those light duty pencil type soldering irons .
To the question : Can I solder the rail joiners in place without melting the ties ? ......fluxing the area , tinning the iron tip and then touching the rail .......do I need a heat sink ? I haven't soldered for about 5 years now and can't remember ....getting old
T
If you do not want to "melt some ties", a damp cloth on the rails, close to the joiner - flux between the joiner and the rail for good/clean thermal transfer - and a tinned iron with just enough extra solder on the tip, for the connection, should hold the damage down to a minimum.
Remember: for a good solder joint, the "work" ( in this case the rail and the joiner ) needs to be hot enough to melt the solder, or at least allow it to flow between, and fuse to, the pieces being soldered.
Thanks for the damp cloth idea ......if I still mess up ,somehow ,I'll either hide it with ballast or cut out the bad ties with my nippers and glue some others in place .
T
I put a metal piece on the rails -- it should have a bit of mass, but I use track gauges as they keep the rails in place as the ties solidify again. Heat sink goes as close to the soldered area as possible; they only draw off the heat that is going to be wasted anyway.
Thanks David .... laying track and wiring is my least favourite part of the hobby .
T
teejay Wrote:Thanks for the damp cloth idea ......if I still mess up ,somehow ,I'll either hide it with ballast or cut out the bad ties with my nippers and glue some others in place . T
If, at first, you don't succeed :o - - - Hide the evidence !!!!
Got another bright idea
.....the area where I would be soldering the rail joiners will have no ties in the immediate area as they are either removed or slid back . Right ? What if I slide a thin metal bar in that area and make contact with the underside of the rail joiner ....the metal bar could be two or three times longer than the tie because it will just stick out . Would this act as a sufficient heat sink ?
Just wonderin' ...I'll go back to sleep now .
T
teejay Wrote:Got another bright idea .....the area where I would be soldering the rail joiners will have no ties in the immediate area as they are either removed or slid back . Right ? What if I slide a thin metal bar in that area and make contact with the underside of the rail joiner ....the metal bar could be two or three times longer than the tie because it will just stick out . Would this act as a sufficient heat sink ?
Just wonderin' ...I'll go back to sleep now . T
You do not want to "cool" the rail joiner, if that is what you are trying to solder to the rail. You just want to keep the heat from traveling down the rail, and melting ties.
You could also use a damp paper towel for a heat sink. Once again, the rail, and the joiner have to be hot enough to melt the solder, or you won't get a good electrical joint. A liquid, or paste flux, helps transfer the iron's heat to the rail and joiner.
I would also recommend that you use some scraps for a few practice runs, to see for yourself how much heat and time are required for a good solder joint.
Personally, I go in hot and fast. I use a large solder gun to make the joints relatively quickly. Though a hotter iron will heat things up faster, I find that if you solder them in a reasonable time frame, the heat doesn't transfer through the rails fast enough to melt the ties.
I feel like lower power irons heat things more slowly, and by the time the joint is good and hot, the heat has begun to spread to other parts.
The heat sink idea is also a good one, and probably ideal.
Just to add my two-cents worth, I've soldered a bunch of rail joiners on N scale track without any kind of heat sinks and never melted a tie. The secret, if there is one, is to use flux. I use a water soluble liquid flux, I brush it onto the rail and the joiner, apply the heat first, then put the solder where the end of the joiner is on the rail. That way, the solder isn't touching the iron and so when it melts, you know the metal is hot enough and the solder will wick underneath the joiner. Keep the iron on the joint for a second or so after you've removed the solder wire.
I usually use the soldered joiner for any wire connections since it already has solder on it, it takes less heat to complete the connection. First, tin the end of the wire using flux, heat and put solder on the end. Next, hold the wire next to the joiner and heat both at the same time until the solder melts. Hold for a second then remove the heat.
I use a temperature controlled iron set for 700 degrees. I also clean the iron tip on a wet sponge each time I go to make a solder connection. This is important because it removes the oxidation buildup on the tip.
