soldering for dcc

[1arfarf3]

Reading info soldering joiners and track and feeders to track but confusing trying to find exacltly what is needed.

I did find 60/40 rosin core solder .032 diameter.

I have the WLC 100 Weller Iron

What else do I need exactly?

Thanks.

[jrbernier]

  I use a 'scruff' brush(Micro Mark) to clean the sides of the rail, then I apply a good 'solder paste' to the area before I solder.  I also 'tin' the feeder wire with your rosin core solder.  Your 100 watt iron is more than enough - I use a 40 watt pencil tip for my track soldering.

  Test our skill on som scrap track - You need to get the heat into the area, let the solder 'flow' and get out of there.  After mastering that skill, you are good to go!

Jim

[Mark R.]

If you are new to this, you might have trouble with that 100 watt iron, that's a LOT of heat. Too much heat and you will easily start melting ties. I use a 30 watt iron from Radio Shack that works very well for this.

Mark.

[gmpullman]

1arfarf3

What else do I need exactly?

In addition to the good suggestions above I may add:

I keep a bamboo skewer handy (like big toothpicks) because sometimes when I finish the joint I need to hold the wire in place before the solder cools enough to hold. You have to be quick (sometimes you wish you had a third hand).

And that brings up the next suggestion. Get a decent soldering iron stand. Nothing worse than trying to set down that hot iron and it wants to roll off the table or roll against a plastic structure. Some have a sponge pad for wiping the tip which is handy, too. http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-Soldering-Iron-Holder/dp/B0002LLWEU/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1395532424&sr=1-1&keywords=soldering+iron+stand This is a cheapy, for a couple bucks more there are heavier ones. I see the  WLC 100 Weller Iron is part of a station so maybe you have a stand. Can you dial down the heat with that?

And, optionally, I have used small spring clamps to act as heat sinks that you can clip to the rail and this keeps the heat from creeping away from the soldered area. I only like to use these if I have to solder near switch points and other areas where a little stray heat might damage the plastic.

I have done all my code 83 (and some 100) with a 35 watt Weller (the older USA one) You could get away with 100 watts but you would have to be FAST.

I'm pretty sure all my solder is 50/50 (or not), rosin core. IF that 60/40 gives you trouble, try the 50/50. I have some that is .022 diameter that will come in handy for PC board and decoder installs, too.

Have fun, Ed

[rrinker]

60/40 is pretty standard, 50/50 is going to work a lot differently since it's non-eutectic. 50/50 is for plumbing. 60/40, and even better, 63/37 is for electronic and electrical work.

A 100 watt iron is much too large for soldering track. 35-40 is about right. If you will also be installing decoders and doing other soldering besides the rails, I suggest an inexpensive soldering station like one of the ones from Xytronics, the LF-389 is usually well under $50 and is a true temperature controlled unit, which keeps the tip clean longer and also allows you to turnt he heat down for fine decoder wires, and turned ALL the way down, it can shrink heat shrink without melting it all over the tip. Save the 100 watt one for your feeder to heavy bus wire connections, where a 40 watt won;t be enough.

Some paste flux can help - I use a water-based product called solder-safe (I think) for soldering track - it worked for building Fast Tracks turnouts as well as soldering rail joints. I put a little bit in the rail joiner before slipping it on, the join the two pieces of track, and finally solder the joint - the flux being in the bottom of the rail joiner helps wick the solder in and keeps it from making a bump on the running surfaces of the rail. When soldering a rail joint, I apply the iron to the outside, and the solder to the inside - the solder wicks into the joint and if there is any excess, it ends up on the outside where it won;t interfere with wheels or flanges.

                        --Randy

[gmpullman]

gmpullman

I'm pretty sure all my solder is 50/50 (or not), rosin core. IF that 60/40 gives you trouble, try the 50/50. I have some that is .022 diameter that will come in handy for PC board and decoder installs, too.

Edit:

Correct you are, Randy. Upon further inspection my Kester "44" is 66/44 and I have some silver bearing 62/36/2 .022 dia. for fine work. I should have checked before making my post above! Ed

[rrinker]

 I have a heavy spool of 63/37 .015 for the small stuff. I can;t believe with all the soldering I do, I still have most of it. Only problem is the big spool plus very fine solder means most of it is a tangled mess. I take small lengths of it off at a time, which I put in this small tube sort of thing that came with my Fast Tracks turnout fixture and kit, it has a nice little hole in the cap to draw the solder out. I use some much thicker stuff, whatever Radio Shack has, for the big bus wires.

               --Randy

 

[NP01]

A couple things people have not discussed-

1. let the iron heat up well, then "wet it" with solder. Shiny but not drippy. 

2. Wet the wire as well. You could have a bit of a blob here but not required. 

3. You never apply solder to iron and transfer to the item to be soldered. You always heat the subject parts and touch the solder wire to the subject parts. It flows around, then quickly take the iron out. 

4. Clean the tip. Sometimes sandpaper us handy. Not recommended, but works. 

Hope ts helps. Soldering is frustrating sometimes but quickly turns enjoyable. 

[NP01]

rrinker

... eutectic ...  

Long time since I used/ heard that word. Can you name another eutectic mixture  ... There is a 3-part one, missing it right now ... 

[MisterBeasley]

What else do I need exactly?

Burn ointment.  Seriously, there isn't anyone here qualified to give soldering advice who hasn't burnt himself more than once.

[MisterBeasley]

Something else - a damp sponge.  Once the iron heats up, wipe the tip on the sponge to remove old flux and excess solder.  If it doesn't hiss, the iron's not hot enough yet.

I personally use a variable-heat pencil iron.  I bought one of those wire-coil stands for it, which can reduce your need for burn ointment by holding the iron safely and securely while keeping the tip out of harm's way.

I like to solder my feeder wires to the underside of rail joiners.  I solder the feeders crosswise, so they don't interfere with the ties as much.  I use red and black for feeder wires, and religiously keep my feeders color-coded so they match up with the red and black bus wires.  I have a short section of scrap track for soldering feeders to the rail joiners.  I put two joiners on each end, turn it upside down and solder to the underside, which holds the rail joiners firmly in place.  Wait until they cool, or remove them with pliers.  You will conserve burn ointment that way.

[rrinker]

 Even better thant he wet sponge - copper scrub pad. Item number 103 is the stand that came with my soldering station:

http://www.howardelectronics.com/xytronic/stands.html

That's a copper scrub pad in there, copper so it doesn;t ruin the iron tip. Big advantage over the wet sponge is that it doesn;t cool the tip like touching it to a wet sponge will. You cna find these copper scrubbers in the grocery store or a kitchen supply place, they are used to clean copper pots, since a ordinary steel scrubber would ruin the soft metal. I just poke the iorn tip in the pad a few times and it's nice and shiny. Just have to either use it in your hand or figure out a way to attach it if you don;t have a stnad like the one I have. Sometimes I think that stand was worth the price of the whole soldering station. It's very secure (base it heavy) so it doesn't tip and the iron doesn't fall off, plus it has that copper thing and the little holes along the side store the extra tips (which after over 6 years I still haven't had to replace - the beauty of a temperature controlled systems).

                  --Randy

 

 

[peahrens]

Clean the flux residue off when done with alcohol. 

I used a Weller 2-heat setting gun (from home Depot) pretty successfully.  I did use alligator clips on each side to as heat sinks.  It is easy to begin to melt ties.