Flex Track & joiners

[Anonymous]

Haven't done this in 40 years. How do I secure flex track with rail joiners? The fit is so loose the tracks do not stay united, especially on a curve. Crimping w/ needle nose pliers didn't work.

What's the trick?

Thanks,

Jeff

[canazar]

Jeff,

I am not sure what the problem is... meaning that I wish I could see whats going on.. Here is thought that migth help. joiners, will not, effectivly hold the track in place. You are going to have make sure it is nailed down or secured. The flex track as a bunch of predrilled holes in it that are ment for the nails. If you have to cut, or trim, yo might have to add your own holes with a small pinvise, or finger drill. Also, tryingto get flex track to hold a curve with a joint in the middle is tough. Takes alot of nails to hold it secure.

Also, if you have some good soldering skills, you can solder two peices together straight on the tabe, then lay it down as one 6ft peice. You will have alot fo trimming at tthe end as the inside rail pushes out, but is great way to save on "The freakin frakin thing" of getting stay in a nice line around the curve.

Hope that helps a little Jeff,


Best Regards
John Kanicsar

[SteelMonsters]

For curves, line the joint to get a good line up with the jointer and solder the jointer in place. Then place the track to the curve This should be done for curves to prevent kinks and any current carring joint for reliablity.

To solder, you should have about a 30 watt iron, less might make it harder to not melt ties. It'll take some practice in any case. Use solder with rosin core, acid core won't work. The best place for the iron for jointers is pressed against both track pieces and the jointer. Simotaniously apply solder untill it melts and gives a decent flow and move it quickly to run outwards on both sides. If you get it too hot, the ties will melt meaning you need to apply heat faster. You will get it after some tries.

I personally find dipping the tip in first rubbing alcohol, then wiping rubbing it on to a moist sponge and finally tinning it by appling solder to the tip helps a lot with heat flow.

[simon1966]

http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/004/379dcjrm.asp

Look at this article. Covers more than soldering, but was how I started and it works great.

[rrinker]

I solder the joints on two sections to form curves, but on straights and where there are turnouts, I don't solder, and the rail joiners fit tightly. Did you get the right rail joiners? There are often slight differences in brands of track, especially if you are using Code 83 in HO, and the joiners from one brand will fit too loosely on the other brand of track. The HEIGHT of the rail is the same, but the width varies.

--Randy

[cwclark]

did you remove a couple of ties before installing the rail joiners and did you purchase the right rail joiner for the right code of track?...here are some pictures i threw together with explanations on laying flex track.... click the right arrow for more pictures until you see the completed process..hope it helps...chuck http://community.webshots.com/photo/137793353/200142080vaBTvT

[dknelson]

Perhaps you are using rail joiners of one manufacturer and track of another. Sometimes this is OK but there are times when the cross section is so different that the joiners of one are too loose or impossibly tight on the track of the other maker
Dave Nelson

[Anonymous]

Thank you, John, Marc, Troy, Randy, Chuck,

Wrong joiners. I have the adhesive roadbed and the article explained it well. Now to reinvent my soldering skills for the curves.

Jeff

[TBat55]

I strongly believe that rail joiners should be used for expansion and contraction and never relied on for electrical conductivity. My view is based on a Northeast cellar layout with stone walls, little extra heating in winter, and a dehumidifier in summer. Better to solder feeder wires to the bottom of the rails. And if you solder flex track together to form better curves, cut the expansion gaps between feeder wires.