You don't use rosin core solder. Go to Radio Shack and get Electronics solder which is what you want to use for soldering. A spool will last you ten years. Stay cool and run steam....
You don't use rosin core solder. Go to Radio Shack and get Electronics solder which is what you want to use for soldering. A spool will last you ten years. Stay cool and run steam.... </font>[/QUOTE]Hmmmm I'll have to look into this I always use whatever is at hand.
steve n geeky, I power my track the same way those atlas things do...solder feeder wires directly to track joiners. Even with 4" width of vision steve, using a GOOD soldering iron, silver solder, and that brown goop flux, its a doddle. I do them in strings of 4 onto 'normal' track joiners, 4 at a time...4 reds, 4 blacks. I then drill a hole in the benchwork where the tracks join, use those joiners with the wires facing in between the rails and pass the wires through the hole. Cant even see em. My method? "Tin" the wires first if they are stranded type...dip the end of the wire in the flux, put some solder on the tip of the iron (at around 210 degrees C), then put the soldering iron against the wire. The solder will run off the tip and turn the wire end silver. You othen put the track joiners into a clamp, use a pin to put some flux on the bottom of them, put soome solder on the tip, then while hoolding the wire against the track joiner, touch it with the iron tip....flux hisses and runs, solder on tip transfers to wire, solder melts on wire and runs onto track joiner...bingo. If you use solid core wire, the tinning is optional....
Thanks Dis Is Me - I'll try that. Thanks again for the Xtracad drawing you did for me way back when. It really helped a lot in getting me this far.! geeky - I have a few of those for Unitrak I'll be using and trying to make more like Dis Is Me suggested. Bob - As always thanks for the advice! I'll be using it.
Steve: Electronics solder is what you use for compter boards and parts. I've been using it in model railroading for years. There is already flux in the electronics solder. Using rosin paste to solder, reminds me of a plumber repairing a pipe. You just don't use that type of soldering technique in model railroading or when you wire a decoder in a loco. Stay cool and run steam....
Steve, Maybe the best soldering tip anyone could give you is to keep the tip of the iron clean. When the iron sits unused (plugged in), carbon or residue builds up on the tip. This will prevent the tip from conducting heat. To clean the tip, wet a kitchen sponge and keep it near you while soldering. Use this damp sponge as a blotter with the tip of the iron. It will keep the tip clean. Once you clean the tip of the iron on the wet sponge, use a little solder to tin the tip of the iron. Do this just before you solder the lead, track, or whatever. When nothing works, use a little flux on the tip of the iron, then wipe on the damp sponge. It is important to tin the tip after cleaning, or residue will build up again as the iron sits unused.
My little roundy round is about 32"x40" aprox. It's a preformed styrofoam base from Noch I believe. I found it ontop of a garbage pile, someone had cleaned out the attic. There were a few pieces of Lone Star track attached. It was painted in various greens, the edge is an original color. I repainted it and built a new mountain, converting it to "Red Rock Canyon". The original mountain/tunnels can be seen to the far left. As far as track plan it's just a double loop up and over itself. [ January 24, 2006, 08:12 PM: Message edited by: BALOU LINE ]
The stuff I have that I bought months ago has rosin at its core. Isn't Rosin the same as flux? Thanks Hutch John - Good to know. There is a chance that the Ooops Landia will be double loop up and over.
I keep the passion (for now) with the vision in my head and of course updating the layout plan. I have been very active in increasing my rolling stock inventory. I have most of the operations planned out (how many unit trains, mixed freights, etc.) and what locos are assinged to what duty. Since October I have been purchasing locos and rolling stock for these trains. I have been concentrating more on locos than freight cars as locos can be hard to come by at times. Combine the rolling stock expansion with home projects, there is no disposable funds remaining. At some point I will have to decide enough is enough and switch gears to layout construction. I will not do that until I am 90% please with my layout plan. I am at about 85% now So I stay fired up with the planning and detailed planning and re-planning. And when I have to run some trains or go crazy, I fire up the Plywood Central.
Now that you mention it, that _is_ one of my reasons. I fear that wiring will take Much longer than Iwant it to and I'll be dead in the water. This would be a "not good" result. Thanks for the reminder.
Bob - I'll take that as a compliment Only 1/2 wish it were true. For I am happy with who I am And the things that I _can_ do. SFG [ January 26, 2006, 09:15 PM: Message edited by: Grey One ]
HOOYA!!! I work at an Armory during the week with a really large drill floor (think gym). I often wonder what kind of layout could I build in there . Is this a sign of mental illness . I am no master at soldering either (thought I was pretty good until I did some a little while ago). To give myself some credit I was using an ancient soldering Iron that I bought in '94 .....same tip I soldeir some leads (much too large 18 gauge) directly onto the underside of my unitrack. I used the sodlering iron to melt out a small trough....then I tinned the wires and soldering diretly to the bottom of the rail. I did semi destory three pieces of track in the process but came away with five sucessful tracks. I say try it .....what do you really have to loose, maybe a few pieces of track....not too bad in the long run. That being said, I am seriously thinking about the kato leads as well. I wont have a feeder on every piece of track (which may give me a headache later) so I will really have to stop and tink aobut the cost vs labor issue. I figure I too will have a maze of wires with detection blocks, reverse loops, turnout control, lights, etc etc etc. if I can reduce the wring mess a little, it might be worth it. Bob highlighted a great solution for connecting the feeds to the bus with the solderless connectors. but the issue of solderiing to the track remains. I guess the best way to go is to purchase a sodlering station and learn by trial and error like everything else. Would be cheaper and more reliable in the long run. As far as a second layout.....I would certainly keep it simple. track only and maybe some day in the far far future apply some more details. Reason being, allot of that scenery is not reusable. I was thinking of doing that tothe plywood central.....I have now decided not too....better to spend that money on rolling stock or the actual layout. In fact, I may end up using snap track on the plywood central once the actual layout starts. No need to have an expensive kato turnout on the test / temp layout. of course, the pre-formed plastic solutions are not a bad idea either just to have something that looks better than plywood to test / run trains until the main layout is done. I know where you are coming from my brother.....just take a deep breath, relax and think about how nice your actual layout will be once up and running. Food for though, the longer you delay work on your actual layout, the longer it will be until you can run trains on it. this may sound silly but think about it, the temp layout is not going to be truly enjoyable when you have much larger dreams in your head......I know, I am living this somewhat. Just keep your test loop simple.......Plywood Central 2.0
Thanks Matt, The Ooops Landia will be a sinple double loop over / under with a siding and small yard. I think a total of 7 turnouts. Most of the turnouts will be kato #4s. Still a few unpowered Atlas could be interesting.
