soldering track

[BR60103]

Rick: at some point you will have a slight hangup in the soldering and leave the iron on the rail for 10 seconds too long,
Watch out for "weathered" rail; it will probably not take solder until the weathering is removed.

[BR60103]

Rick: at some point you will have a slight hangup in the soldering and leave the iron on the rail for 10 seconds too long,
Watch out for "weathered" rail; it will probably not take solder until the weathering is removed.

[Anonymous]

I have decided that real men solder in N scale; any wimp can solder in HO....lol! Seriously, once you have melted 2 to 4 railroad ties you'll get the hang of soldering. Use the wrecked ties track in the back of your layout. Do a few practise runs before you solder "for real."

Here is how I solder to my N track - Peco 55. First I tin my feeder wire (stranded - 22 gauge). Then I make a right angle bend on the one end going onto the track. You will discover after a few soldering that the right angle can be very small (the tip that is soldered).

Now dip the tinned and right angled feeder wire into the liquid rosin flux. With a paint bru***hat you know will be destroyed, paint the rail (outside or bottom) with liquid flux. Now put the tinned end of the feeder to the spot to be soldered (where the flux was painted on). Put the iron on top of the rail, but bend it down until the tip touches the wire, pushing it in and against the track. Hold it there until you see the solder from the tinned feeder, flow between the feeder and the rail - about 4 seconds. Then hold wire while removing iron, wait about 8 seconds and continue to hold the wire, then you are done. No need to tin the rail; in fact, tinning the rail can glop up the whole joint and get solder on top of your rail.

Also keep filing the head of your soldering iron to keep it nice and silvery, don't use it when it goes dull grey to black. Also when tinning the tip of your iron (add flux first), only put a small amount on. Why? Because when you touch the top of the track, excess solder will go on your track. I use a slightly not tinned enough iron, when I solder track.

Once you get this technique down, takes about 15 times, you won't need heat sinks.

[Anonymous]

I have decided that real men solder in N scale; any wimp can solder in HO....lol! Seriously, once you have melted 2 to 4 railroad ties you'll get the hang of soldering. Use the wrecked ties track in the back of your layout. Do a few practise runs before you solder "for real."

Here is how I solder to my N track - Peco 55. First I tin my feeder wire (stranded - 22 gauge). Then I make a right angle bend on the one end going onto the track. You will discover after a few soldering that the right angle can be very small (the tip that is soldered).

Now dip the tinned and right angled feeder wire into the liquid rosin flux. With a paint bru***hat you know will be destroyed, paint the rail (outside or bottom) with liquid flux. Now put the tinned end of the feeder to the spot to be soldered (where the flux was painted on). Put the iron on top of the rail, but bend it down until the tip touches the wire, pushing it in and against the track. Hold it there until you see the solder from the tinned feeder, flow between the feeder and the rail - about 4 seconds. Then hold wire while removing iron, wait about 8 seconds and continue to hold the wire, then you are done. No need to tin the rail; in fact, tinning the rail can glop up the whole joint and get solder on top of your rail.

Also keep filing the head of your soldering iron to keep it nice and silvery, don't use it when it goes dull grey to black. Also when tinning the tip of your iron (add flux first), only put a small amount on. Why? Because when you touch the top of the track, excess solder will go on your track. I use a slightly not tinned enough iron, when I solder track.

Once you get this technique down, takes about 15 times, you won't need heat sinks.

[emdgp92]

You can also use a pair of Vise-Grip pliers as both a heatsink...and to hold the wire against the rail.

[emdgp92]

You can also use a pair of Vise-Grip pliers as both a heatsink...and to hold the wire against the rail.

[BR60103]

For heat sinks, I use metal track gauges. If you get carried away and leave the iron on till the ties get soft, they will keep the rails in gauge till the ties harden again.
I usually use a spike or two to hold the wire against the rail. This cuts the number of hands required down to two. The spikes should be removed after the solder cools.

[BR60103]

For heat sinks, I use metal track gauges. If you get carried away and leave the iron on till the ties get soft, they will keep the rails in gauge till the ties harden again.
I usually use a spike or two to hold the wire against the rail. This cuts the number of hands required down to two. The spikes should be removed after the solder cools.

[Anonymous]

Right, DON'T use acid flux; it will corrode your copper wires. The zinc chloride liquid flux i referred to is Tix Flux, is claimed to be non-corrosive and highly suitable for electronics soldering, and I get it at the LHS.

[Anonymous]

Right, DON'T use acid flux; it will corrode your copper wires. The zinc chloride liquid flux i referred to is Tix Flux, is claimed to be non-corrosive and highly suitable for electronics soldering, and I get it at the LHS.

[Anonymous]

I ment don't use acid flux. I use zinc paste (rosin) flux myself. I dip the soldering tip and the solder into it and solder away. Never used liquid since I am still using the same tin of paste I purchased over 10 tears ago. It doesn't take much flux. You are suppose to clean the area after fluxing, but I never have. I think the ballasting takes care of the residue.

[Anonymous]

I ment don't use acid flux. I use zinc paste (rosin) flux myself. I dip the soldering tip and the solder into it and solder away. Never used liquid since I am still using the same tin of paste I purchased over 10 tears ago. It doesn't take much flux. You are suppose to clean the area after fluxing, but I never have. I think the ballasting takes care of the residue.

[Anonymous]

Used rosin core solder without adding flux, works ok but takes a little longer for the solder to flow and often melted ties. Tried using liquid flux (zinc chloride) and the improvement is terrific; the liquid flux penetrates into the rail joiners and the solder flows in fast and smooth.

Also wise to 'heat sink' the rail both sides of the joint with alligator clips or needle nose pliers with rubber bands wrapped around the handles. Clipped to the rails, they draw the heat out of the rail b4 it can damage ties.

Stranded wire can be used, just remember to twist the strands and 'tin' them first - the solder applied to the strands holds them together like solid wire and makes soldering them to the rail easier. Also if you solder to the underside of the rails, the wires and solder are hidden by the ballast.

[Anonymous]

Used rosin core solder without adding flux, works ok but takes a little longer for the solder to flow and often melted ties. Tried using liquid flux (zinc chloride) and the improvement is terrific; the liquid flux penetrates into the rail joiners and the solder flows in fast and smooth.

Also wise to 'heat sink' the rail both sides of the joint with alligator clips or needle nose pliers with rubber bands wrapped around the handles. Clipped to the rails, they draw the heat out of the rail b4 it can damage ties.

Stranded wire can be used, just remember to twist the strands and 'tin' them first - the solder applied to the strands holds them together like solid wire and makes soldering them to the rail easier. Also if you solder to the underside of the rails, the wires and solder are hidden by the ballast.

[Anonymous]

I use lots of speaker wire for main feeds. It's fairly cheap. Solid core wire is easier to solder to rails so I run it through the table. I would not use solid wire for "buses" at it breaks far easier than stranded. Ever try finding a broken wire under benchwork 10 min. before guests? I use to solder all connections, but lately have been using small wirenuts with no problems and no burnt fingers. I also use lots of alligator clip jumpers for quick temporary connections for tests. They seem to never get finished. I just buy more jumper cables. I hate working under the bench. It's a real rat's nest. I pity anyone other than me who would try to troubleshoot it.

[Anonymous]

I use lots of speaker wire for main feeds. It's fairly cheap. Solid core wire is easier to solder to rails so I run it through the table. I would not use solid wire for "buses" at it breaks far easier than stranded. Ever try finding a broken wire under benchwork 10 min. before guests? I use to solder all connections, but lately have been using small wirenuts with no problems and no burnt fingers. I also use lots of alligator clip jumpers for quick temporary connections for tests. They seem to never get finished. I just buy more jumper cables. I hate working under the bench. It's a real rat's nest. I pity anyone other than me who would try to troubleshoot it.

[BR60103]

yes to the rosin core solder.
For wire, any light gauge copper wire. Up to 18 gauge is usable in HO, but most people probably use a very light e.g. telephone cable size wire to go from the rail to under the roadbed or table, then a larger wire. A few inches of light wire doesn't hurt, but fifty feet of it will.

[BR60103]

yes to the rosin core solder.
For wire, any light gauge copper wire. Up to 18 gauge is usable in HO, but most people probably use a very light e.g. telephone cable size wire to go from the rail to under the roadbed or table, then a larger wire. A few inches of light wire doesn't hurt, but fifty feet of it will.

[Anonymous]

rosin core electronics solder and any rosin flux will do. Don't use acid core or flux.

[Anonymous]

rosin core electronics solder and any rosin flux will do. Don't use acid core or flux.

[Anonymous]

What type of solder would you use to solder track and what type of Flux, also same question about the wire. Thanks in advance

[Anonymous]

What type of solder would you use to solder track and what type of Flux, also same question about the wire. Thanks in advance