I am a new railroader and have chosen the MRC Express 1.6 amp system to start my layout. I have about 150-200 feet of track which is all flat with no grade and only plan to run 2-3 locomotives at a time. I have made terminals every 8 feet on all track and in all yards on the layout to draw power. These terminals are 22 gauge wire and the main power source under the table is 12 gauge. I am having trouble getting the terminals to solder to the rail. I am using the solder provided with the iron and maybe it is simply the wrong kind; any suggestions? Thanks!
You'll get lots of different suggestions since everyone has a method that works for them.
In my case, I use a 15 watt pencil with a chisel tip, .032 rosin core solder, and no additional flux.
I hold the pencil with the edge of the tip parallel to the rail and pressed into the web, so the entire width of the tip is in contact with the web of the rail. Then apply the solder to the web of the rail next to the tip (and not to the tip itself). It should only take a second or two until the solder flows.
The two tricks, if you can call them that, are enough heat and clean surfaces to be soldered. For rail, I use a Scotchbrite scouring pad. Works well and no grit or metallic particles left behind.
Make sure you have the right tools and materials.
Ideally you want a small chisel tip on a hot iron. Thermal mass is important. The iron should be at least 60W so it heats up and stays hot. Not hot enough, the solder doesn't flow and you get cold solder joints. Also clean and tin the tip, a little solder on the tip helps improve contact and heat flow.
If the iron is too weak, and with a small tip, the rail is a massive heat sink, and will suck the heat out of the iron quickly. If it takes too long to get the work up to the required temperature, you get bad joints, and melt ties.
For solder, you want 63/37 Sn/Pb alloy with rosin core. One of the reasons your joints are not working could be a lack of flux, which cleans the work and allows the solder to flow. You can, and should buy a small container of rosin flux, liquid or paste, to apply to the joint as well, since often there isn't enough flux in the solder. A little bit is all you need. A can of flux cleaner is useful for removing any residues, which will only be spread across the layout by every train that encounters them.
Do Not Use Acid Core or Acid Flux, that is for plumbing.
With a hot iron, a tinned lead, and clean rail, you just add a little flux to the spot you want to solder to, put the lead in place, touch it with the iron and add a bit of solder. The solder should melt and flow almost instantly.
Practice also makes perfect doing this.
... and one more answer.
I use a 35 watt chisel tip iron and 60/40 or 63/37 rosin core solder. Clean tip, clean surface and it works just fine. I can also make a good joint with a 25 watt iron, I just prefer the slightly larger mass of the 35 watt one. If you need over 60 watts, something is wrong.You should never need extra flux if you have good electronics grade solder. You can also clean flux with denatured (not rubbing) alcohol.
Pre-tin the rail and the wire to make the job really easy.
Disclaimer: I've been soldering electronics for over 40 years. Don't expect perfect results right away.
The mind is like a parachute. It works better when it's open. www.stremy.net
Lots of good advice.
Also make sure the tip is new and tight. If it is new, keep it that way.
Unplug the iron as soon as you are done. Unlike a soldering gun, the tip on a pencil type is always hot when plugged in.
Jim
All good advice. I use a 30 watt soldering iron, with rosin soldering flux and 60/40 rosin core solder. Make sure your solder tip has been cleaned off and 'tinned' with solder before you start. Here are some pointers.
Holding the feeder to the rail and holding the soldering iron takes some skill - You really need a 3rd hand! Once you have it down, it goes pretty fast. I have soldered feeders to every piece of rail on the layout. I have soldered the rail joiners on curves and where curves meet straight rail to insure that there is a smooth transition as I join flex track. Our club uses #18 feeders with a #12 bus, again every rail has a feeder.
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
I gotta ask .... what kind of track are you using ? At one time somebody was making track with steel rail - I got some by accident one time myself. That stuff is nearly impossible to solder to.
Take a magnet and see if it sticks to the rail. If it doesn't, heed the advice given above.
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
Mark R.At one time somebody was making track with steel rail - I got some by accident one time myself. That stuff is nearly impossible to solder to.
Tyco had a product called "True Steel".
It was a new low, even for Tyco.
jrbernier Holding the feeder to the rail and holding the soldering iron takes some skill - You really need a 3rd hand!
Not really.
I use 22 gauge solid wire for my feeders. Strip about an eighth of an inch and bend a right angle about 3/16ths from the end. Then, bend that over to the side perpendicular to the first bend. (It's hard to explain, but you'll essentially have two 90-degree bends, but in two different planes.)
Now drill a 1/16th hole down through the roadbed, sub-roadbed, etc. right next to the rail. Insert that feeder, and align as necessary so that 3/16 end lies right in the foot-web crease of the rail.
If you sized that hole correctly for the gauge of wire you're using, it should hold it just enough that a slight twist will get that end to sit in the crease, and pulling it down just enough to start to bend that 2nd bend in the feeder will give it enough "spring" to hold it in place.
Now, apply your pencil (one hand) to the web as I mentioned in my original post above, right where the feeder is laying against that web, and apply the solder (other hand) to the web/corner of the feeder.
Weather and ballast and you'll never even know it's there.
Terminals are wired, soldered, and weather; thanks for the help! Tonight I plan to wire the terminals to the main line, clean the track and run trains! As for cleaning the track for the final prep; would a minerals spirits work to get the grime off before I run? I thought I would vacuum the entire layout with the hose and then wipe down the track with mineral spirits, sound logical?
The vac is a good idea, but unless your track is really gummed up I personally think mineral spirits is a bit of overkill. Isopropyl alcohol is probably a better choice.
But no matter what you use, the proper precautions should be taken to prevent against inhalation of vapors, ignition of fumes, irritation of bare skin, etc.