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flex track and signals

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  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern CA Bay Area
  • 4,387 posts
Posted by cuyama on Friday, January 8, 2016 11:39 AM

jfb
solder does melt copper i can attest to that

That would be odd and suggests a problem with technique. Billions of electronic devices in the world have components soldered onto copper-clad boards with heat.

As noted earlier ...
63/37 solder (used for electronics) melting point: 361° F
Lead-free solder is a little higher: 430-460° F
Copper melting point: 1,984° F

Tags: soldering
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Pittsburgh, PA
  • 1,796 posts
Posted by JoeinPA on Friday, January 8, 2016 1:41 PM

I guess that we should inform the plumber's union to stop sweat soldering copper pipes before they melt all of them.Big SmileDevil

Joe

jfb
  • Member since
    December 2015
  • 145 posts
Posted by jfb on Saturday, January 9, 2016 6:14 PM

that could be my soldering issue right there to heavy of a metal to solder with. I am still asking though who sells around 32 gauge wires and connectors any ideas? I used liquid oateys for most of my soldering areas and have had decent sucess with some breakage. I before model railroading never soldered before so real world experience was not in my grasp.

  • Member since
    January 2016
  • 1 posts
Posted by Christmas Village 1941 on Saturday, January 9, 2016 10:51 PM

I am just joining this discussion to ask a question.  I want to add an HO loop track to my Disney Christmas Village that is on a narrow (24") board at one end (the other end is 48" wide).  Can I buy sectional HO curved track with an 11 inch or shorter radius ?  If not, can I easily bend flex track to make an approximate 180 degree turn on an 11 inch radius ?  If so, what would be the best (easiest to install correctly) flex track to buy ?

I just installed a Bachman HO Holiday Special Trolley with point to point operation using Backman's HO E-Z Auto Reversing Track System.  We like that trolley system so much that I wanted to add a continuous loop track to the 9 foot long village.  If push comes to shove on the short radius curve, I will use another trolley on the loop if I cannot use a regular HO locomotive.   But, I wouldalso like to run some Disney HO trains on that loop if I could. 

 

jfb
  • Member since
    December 2015
  • 145 posts
Posted by jfb on Sunday, January 10, 2016 8:12 PM

1. I found smaller 18-22 gauge connectors at menards that were smaller in diameter then the others and will be hidden by bushes for the signals. 2.thank you for the advice about the flex track.3 I am using wooden dolls for the track alignment on my flip down edges and computer board for conductivity after drilling. 4. i put in 22 hrs of work this week and wire tied mini wire looms and used plastic wire looms around them and they are thouroughly marked. I am  also using a 205 atlas connector to manually control the signals.

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Bakersfield, CA 93308
  • 6,526 posts
Posted by RR_Mel on Monday, January 11, 2016 6:20 AM

jfb

that could be my soldering issue right there to heavy of a metal to solder with. I am still asking though who sells around 32 gauge wires and connectors any ideas? I used liquid oateys for most of my soldering areas and have had decent sucess with some breakage. I before model railroading never soldered before so real world experience was not in my grasp.

 

OK here goes.  32 AWG wire is available at TCS –
 
 
I buy my micro connectors off eBay in 40 pin strips and cut them to size with my Atlas Track Saw.
 
 
 
 
I hope that this info is what you're looking for.  I now use the micro connectors for all of my connector needs on my layout. 
 
Mel
 
Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

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