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Soldering to Rail Base-Web, was resistance soldering
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ROBERT HULTMAN
If the tweezers are metal, they're also acting as a heat sink (in some applications, this may be desired). What I rig up is a wood stick-probe-splinter-skewer to apply pressure to the wire to hold it to the rail base-web, then solder using a Weller soldering gun, pull the gun away as soon as the solder melts & runs....... this is to minimize more heat transfer to the rail & thus increase risk of melting plastic crossties........... If no plastic crossties of concern, then obviously a moot point. Bob Hultman in Brentwood TN
On Friday, December 18, 2020, 10:01:56 PM CST, Rich Randall via groups.io <rrand4449@...> wrote:
reverse spring tweezers for some reason solder does not stick to them
Rich Randall
Gettysburg, PA Modeling The Milwaukee Road at Avery, ID, in O Scale The BSME is now on facebook:
-----Original Message----- From: Steven Low <steven.charleslow@...> To: w4dccqa@groups.io Sent: Fri, Dec 18, 2020 12:46 pm Subject: Re: [w4dccqa] resistance soldering Thank you to all for your replies. Much useful information here. Let me ask another dumb question. I do try to solder the feeder to the side of the rail but have trouble securing it in contact with the rail. You can't just use the soldering iron tip because when you pull away the wire may come along with it before the solder cools, holding it in place. Are there some sort of clips or some technique to ensure the feeder stays in contact while the solder cools?
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The tweezers are metal and they are also the current conductors. The tips are tungsten and get hot along with the joint being made. When power is turned off they cool with the joint and hold the parts together until the solder solidifies.
Dale Gloer
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Don Vollrath
I use solid wire rail feeders. Pre-clean the joint area with a metal brush then Pre-bend the wire into a ‘J’ shape to lay against the outside web of the rail and stay there without any clamp. Then apply a drop of liquid flux. Then apply the hot tip of a soldering iron, about the same width as the wire, against the wire and rail head. When the flux starts to sizzle feed in small diameter solder directly to the rail and wire. Remove iron when the solder flow looks adequate and let cool. The heat cycle takes only a few seconds.
DonV
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Jennifer Lobo
Exactly... Geoff Clarke
On Sunday, December 20, 2020, 09:21:09 a.m. EST, Don Vollrath <donevol43@...> wrote:
I use solid wire rail feeders. Pre-clean the joint area with a metal brush then Pre-bend the wire into a ‘J’ shape to lay against the outside web of the rail and stay there without any clamp. Then apply a drop of liquid flux. Then apply the hot tip of a soldering iron, about the same width as the wire, against the wire and rail head. When the flux starts to sizzle feed in small diameter solder directly to the rail and wire. Remove iron when the solder flow looks adequate and let cool. The heat cycle takes only a few seconds. DonV
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PennsyNut
An alternative: Before laying the track. Solder the feeder to the bottom of the rail. What can be done is: place track upside down/on metal to pull heat away. Cut the little web between the ties so that you have a 1/26" space of bare metal on the bottom of the rail. Then, do what Don just said. Apply flux, hold a tinned wire to the rail, touch briefly with the iron/tip small enough to fit and watch it make a good joint. Then, you can bend the wire straight up. Done. When laying the track, just make sure you drill the hole through the roadbed and base. The beauty of this is that you can hardly see the feeder at all. And ballast will ensure it's invisible. (If you've soldered the wire across the rail base, it's easy to bend. It's not really possible to solder it along the rail, there isn't enough room. Now for my disclaimer. I have not done that. What I did was solder the feeder to a rail joiner and now all I can do is hope that the electrical connection lasts 20 years. <small grin> But again, that feeder on the joiner is also pretty close to invisible. It's unfortunate that in HO, a rail joiner does not look prototypical. And ballast don't hide it.
-- Morgan Bilbo, slightly over one year with very basic DCC
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Jim Zarnick
This approach to solder to the bottom of the rail, the rail base. I position the rail, including bending flex track, secure with push pins, mark rail and roadbed where to solder wire and drill holes. Take away to solder and drill, then test fit. Remove to apply thin layer of dynaflex 230 and then install.
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Same process for switches, Including the frog, but also drill the tortoise throw rod hole and confirm sufficient play to make it all work. Takes a little extra time but results look great. Bottom line though: have fun! Sent from Xfinity Connect Mobile App
------ Original Message ------ From: PennsyNut To: w4dccqa@groups.io Sent: December 20, 2020 at 11:02 AM Subject: Re: [w4dccqa] Soldering to Rail Base-Web, was resistance soldering An alternative: Before laying the track. Solder the feeder to the bottom of the rail. What can be done is: place track upside down/on metal to pull heat away. Cut the little web between the ties so that you have a 1/26" space of bare metal on the bottom of the rail. Then, do what Don just said. Apply flux, hold a tinned wire to the rail, touch briefly with the iron/tip small enough to fit and watch it make a good joint. Then, you can bend the wire straight up. Done. When laying the track, just make sure you drill the hole through the roadbed and base. The beauty of this is that you can hardly see the feeder at all. And ballast will ensure it's invisible. (If you've soldered the wire across the rail base, it's easy to bend. It's not really possible to solder it along the rail, there isn't enough room. Now for my disclaimer. I have not done that. What I did was solder the feeder to a rail joiner and now all I can do is hope that the electrical connection lasts 20 years. <small grin> But again, that feeder on the joiner is also pretty close to invisible. It's unfortunate that in HO, a rail joiner does not look prototypical. And ballast don't hide it. -- Morgan Bilbo, slightly over one year with very basic DCC
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wirefordcc
From: w4dccqa@groups.io <w4dccqa@groups.io> On Behalf Of PennsyNut via groups.io
Sent: Sunday, December 20, 2020 11:02 AM To: w4dccqa@groups.io Subject: Re: [w4dccqa] Soldering to Rail Base-Web, was resistance soldering
An alternative: Before laying the track. Solder the feeder to the bottom of the rail. What can be done is: place track upside down/on metal to pull heat away. Cut the little web between the ties so that you have a 1/26" space of bare metal on the bottom of the rail. Then, do what Don just said. Apply flux, hold a tinned wire to the rail, touch briefly with the iron/tip small enough to fit and watch it make a good joint. Then, you can bend the wire straight up. Done. When laying the track, just make sure you drill the hole through the roadbed and base. The beauty of this is that you can hardly see the feeder at all. And ballast will ensure it's invisible. (If you've soldered the wire across the rail base, it's easy to bend. It's not really possible to solder it along the rail, there isn't enough room. Now for my disclaimer. I have not done that. What I did was solder the feeder to a rail joiner and now all I can do is hope that the electrical connection lasts 20 years. <small grin> But again, that feeder on the joiner is also pretty close to invisible. It's unfortunate that in HO, a rail joiner does not look prototypical. And ballast don't hide it.
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Exactly what I do, only I pre tin it
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Robert J. Richter 283 Elm Street North Reading, MA 01864
-----Original Message-----
From: w4dccqa@groups.io [mailto:w4dccqa@groups.io] On Behalf Of Don Vollrath Sent: Sunday, December 20, 2020 9:21 AM To: w4dccqa@groups.io Subject: Re: [w4dccqa] Soldering to Rail Base-Web, was resistance soldering I use solid wire rail feeders. Pre-clean the joint area with a metal brush then Pre-bend the wire into a ‘J’ shape to lay against the outside web of the rail and stay there without any clamp. Then apply a drop of liquid flux. Then apply the hot tip of a soldering iron, about the same width as the wire, against the wire and rail head. When the flux starts to sizzle feed in small diameter solder directly to the rail and wire. Remove iron when the solder flow looks adequate and let cool. The heat cycle takes only a few seconds. DonV
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