Have problems with soldering flex track

[cp1057]

One tip I learned from the MR article a few issues back is to solder the flextrack before bending it into position. I used to try soldering joints together on a curve and ended up with one heckuva kink no matter what.

Make sure you apply the solder to the rail/joiners, not to have it flow off the iron onto the rail.

Charles
Hillsburgh Ontario

[msprater]

I have soldered all my track joints, and electrcial feeds to rails with no problem. I've had no problems with kinking due to expansion, though temps in the RR room range from the 60s to the 80s. As a TV Engineer, I can offer the following about soldering from experience. (1) make sure the rails, joiners, iron and the solder are clean. (2) Use a good, stable-temp iron, set for around 750 degrees F. The key to keeping from melting ties is to get on and off quickly, and that cannot be done with a cool iron. (3) Use a good electronics, rosin-core solder. I prefer solder with some silver content for all my work, and it works extremely well with nickel-silver rail. A touch of liquid or paste flux prior to soldering helps if rails are tarnished. (4) Touch some solder to the hot iron just to sweeten the tip, then apply the iron to the rail and joiner together, using a small chisel or round point tip. A second later, apply the end of the solder to the meeting point of the iron's tip, joiner and rail. The solder should flow quickly and easily the entire length of the rail joiner in a second or two. Be sure to do this only on the outside of each rail so as not to impede wheel flanges. When the solder has flowed, remove the iron. and let cool. The same technique is used for attaching feed wires -- the wires must be in held firmly in place against the rail before heat and solder can be applied. For minor adjustment with a hot iron after attachment, I use 1/8" wooden kabob skewers, packs of which can be found at your supermarket. The wood won't sink heat away from the joint. (They're also handy as uncoupling tools and for cleaning and gluing).

[Jacktal]

I use a steel ruler that I clamp on the inside of the rail joint I wi***o solder.Along with the clamps it acts as a heat sink,prevents bumps of solder on the inside of the rail and also keeps the rails aligned.Very little filing is needed to fini***he joint after.

When a rail joint is within a curve,I cut the tracks to proper lengths then solder them on my workbench before I install them on the layout so that I get a smooth joint and don't hurt rail spacing.

[michaelstevens]

[8D]
The one tip, which I have found to be the most important -- and which I picked up from MR within the past couple of years -- is to always solder both rails in the straight on (and level) position, before nailing down into any desired curvature.

[:)]

Enjoy and Happy Xmas !!

[:D][:D]

[Anonymous]

Something all of you folks forgot to mention (though lots of good tips guys) : keep the solder gun or iron tip TIGHT. That means, after every few solders, retighten those nuts (on a gun) or that little screw (on an iron). When you solder, the tip is expanding and contracting and those nuts or screw loosen ever so slightly over a few on/off cycles. The result is the heat transfer from the gun/iron to the tip drops off. So you hold the tip to the rail longer and so the ties melt before the solder flows. If you keep the tip very clean, tin it, and retighten the tip every few solders, you will find you can touch the joint and solder it so fast the ties don't melt. Use rosin core solder, solder on the outside of the rails, lightly clean (I just file it lightly) the joint before soldering. At critical loactions where you want to make sure soemthing adjacent doesn't melt, wet paper towels as a heat sink works great, but again generally not required if yoiu follow the advice above. I would discourage the use of heavy heat sinks like pliers or metal weights. They suck up too much heat and can backfire, requiring you to hold teh gun on the rail longer and possibly melting ties. I find a dual wattage gun as ironrooster describes is fastest and I don't ever have a tie melting problem following the above. Note: I do remove 2 ties on each side of the joint, as typically recommended, before soldering.

[snowey]

as you can see, the choice of iron is up to you. I've had sucess with a 35-watt pencil-tip iron, but have also used an 80-watt iron with a chissel head and that also worked. You can also use a soldering gun.
However, PECO makes a product called track connectors which I've heard you can use in place of soldering. I have some, but haven't used them. They may be hard to find, though. I had to check at 6 different hobby shops. Everyone either didn't have them, or thought I meant rail joiners.

For heat sinks, you can also use 2 wet cotton balls, one one both sides of the joint.

[Anonymous]

Take 2 paper towels, wet each one (soak 'em), fold them into small squares, and place one on the track, one on each side of your solder joint about 1/4" away from where you're working.

This will keep the ties from melting if you take too long with the soldering iron.

[bcammack]

I don't know about needing a powerful iron. All of the soldering I have done on code 80 track has been with a 12-watt Weller iron and I've not had any issues with melted plastic ties. You have to make sure that everything is pre-tinned before you make the final joint. Wet the joint with molten solder as the iron contacts it and the heat transfers quickly.

Regards,
Brett C. Cammack
League City, TX

[Anonymous]

thanks paul

[IRONROOSTER]

Personally I use a 100/140 watt gun which really heats up fast. I also clean the rails where I'm soldering with a wire brush in a moto tool. For heat sinks I use two pair of pliers laid across the rails as close as possible to the joint one on each side, but any hunk of metal will do. I pu***he ties as far back as I can from the joint. Touch the gun to the rail and the solder to the joint, once it flows your done. For joining wire to the track, I tin the wire (as above) and again use the pliers on either side for heat sinks. Make sure your tip is clean (file it if necessary) and tin it (melt solder on it). The key is to get in and out quickly and then let every thing cool. A little practice and you'll do fine.
Good luck
Paul

[Anonymous]

thanks mark will rember.
i was ging to solder the lines untill i came to the turnouts so it has the space to expand.

Living in Sydney Aus i would expect ot get some expansion

[DMNolan]

Your iron has to be very hot, so you can get the rails hot, quickly, to get the soider to flow. If you have a low power soldering iron, when you attempt to heat the rail, it doesn't have enough power to heat the rail quickly and you will end up melting the crossties near the solder joint. If you are having trouble with melted crossties, you can use aligator clips, place one on each side of the railjoiner you are soldering, to act as a heat sink.

I know this has been discussed at length before, but I don't solder most of my flextrak. I prefer to put a wiring drop about every 6 feet and solder short pieces of track. I have a margin or error left in the rails, for expansion or contraction depending on changes of the season and temperature. If you solder every railjoiner, you take out the room for expansion/contraction and sometimes will end up with a kink in you rails.

Good luck. It just takes some practice.

Also, what kind of solder are you using? I use a fine solder, I got from an electronincs supply house. It is made to solder computer boards and circuits. Don't use an acid core based solder, which is/was sold at radio Shack.

[Anonymous]

thanks

[Anonymous]

There was an article in a MR just a few copies ago, the thing i learned from it was to put some solder on the wirefirst, use a rosin core flux and then with the wire touching the track side when you heat the track the solder on the wire melts to it, It does take some practice and a few melted ties will happen but it does get easier.

[Anonymous]

Tryed a few times soldering flex track ot little results please help