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Flex track curve techniques

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  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: 4610 Metre's North of the Fortyninth on the left coast of Canada
  • 9,352 posts
Posted by BATMAN on Monday, October 26, 2020 8:42 AM

I prefer to solder afterwards if I am using a brand of track that stays put after you bend it. With the springy stuff, it depends. How's that for an answer. As far as the electrical end of it, Alan Gartner says that everything should be soldered to something meaning if you don't solder the joint, have a feeder. If you solder your joints have a feeder every second section. I follow that formula and have never had an electrical issue. A little redundancy is in my nature.

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

  • Member since
    February 2018
  • From: Flyover Country
  • 5,557 posts
Posted by York1 on Monday, October 26, 2020 8:04 AM

This is one of the issues I had when I started.

I worked and worked at getting the track curved and then soldered.

Then I joined the MR Forum, and read posts about soldering the track before curving it.

Thanks to this forum, my flextrack-laying life became much easier.

York1 John       

  • Member since
    October 2020
  • 3,604 posts
Posted by NorthBrit on Monday, October 26, 2020 7:18 AM

FlattenedQuarter

Or is this another stupid question lol?

 

As we say in the UK  'No question asked is a stupid question'.    

The only stupid question is the one not asked.

Happy modeling

David

To the world you are someone.    To someone you are the world

I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought

  • Member since
    July 2007
  • From: Yorkton, Sk, Cnd
  • 441 posts
Posted by wvg_ca on Monday, October 26, 2020 7:03 AM

the flex trax itself can have the curve started, but the last six inches or so should be straight to ensure a staight joint later in that area ...

the gap itself can be across from each other, or spaced a little, both methods are used ...

best results are obtained with track metal joined and then soldered in place

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • 7,486 posts
Posted by ndbprr on Monday, October 26, 2020 6:45 AM

A long standing procedure

  • Member since
    March 2020
  • 86 posts
Flex track curve techniques
Posted by FlattenedQuarter on Monday, October 26, 2020 6:44 AM

Has anybody tried soldering 2 pieces of flex track together before forming curve? Or is this another stupid question lol?

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