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JJ: I think you need a bit of practice at sodering and do some of the basics. If your soder is beading up and not flowing there are two reasons, what you are trying to soder to is not properly prepared (too dirty) and the other is what you are trying to soder to is not hot enough to accept the soder as a flow. Iron may not be hot enough. <br />To rectify this you have to follow a few steps. <br />First of all make sure that all is clean, your soder gun tip, the wire that your are trying to soder on, and the track that you are trying to soder the wire to. You can use several methods to clean, from wire brush in dremel to emery paper (fine sand paper). Once these are clean add soder to the tip of your sodering iron and coat the tip, make sure that the tip is hot enough. Then add some flux, liquid or paste, to both the end of your copper wire, aprox 1/4 to 1/2 all the way from the end, then put some flux on the cleaned area of the track. Then touch your sodering iron to he fluxed area of the copper wire and add some soder, just a small amount, to the tip of your sodering iron then touch the fluxed area of the wire, to "coat" the wire. Make sure it flows freely, then do the same with the rail. I agree strongly with others and use wet cotton balls near the area where you are going to soder, this will prevent the heat from transfering down the rail and melting ties. Once you have coated the proper name is <br />"tinning", the wire and track, put the two together, put a little soder on the tip of your sodering iron and touch it to the wire and track and the soder should flow smoothly. Leave the sodering iron on just long enough for the soder that is on both parts to melt and the little bit that you have on the tip of your iron to flow into the seam, then remove. Wait until cool then wiggle the wire carefully to ensure proper bonding. If this does not work then maybe you do not have a hot engough sodering iron. I would recomend taking a couple pieces of scap track or rail and do a little practice first. If I have not sodered for a while I, plus a lot of other modelers, take a few pieces and do a little practice before I start on the layout, does not hurt to proactice first. Hope this helps. Ron..
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