12-08-2009, 05:02 PM
What you would like to do to have smooth curves is exactly what most of us recommend...join the two lengths using an appropriate joiner, align them to be straight, and solder the joiner so that it retains both ends positively. Then, you can fashion your curve.
However, you can increase the strength of the join even more by staggering the locations of the joiners. What you do is insert the sliding rail into the spike heads of the other piece and go in about four or five ties. There is where you solder that join. It usually means that you must break off the spike heads on at least one tie, but you still get a better curve out of this staggered join when you go to shape it.
-Crandell
However, you can increase the strength of the join even more by staggering the locations of the joiners. What you do is insert the sliding rail into the spike heads of the other piece and go in about four or five ties. There is where you solder that join. It usually means that you must break off the spike heads on at least one tie, but you still get a better curve out of this staggered join when you go to shape it.
-Crandell