My BIG Model Railway Move...!!!

[Chrissaf]

JJ,

My 'How to Solder' tutorial you said you read has a statement that to get the best results you need the 'right tools for the job'.

The heating tool above, is a heating tool specifically designed for gently heating plastic to shape and smooth it. A soldering iron by comparison would melt right through plastic without even flinching. I doubt very much that the tool in your photo will efficiently melt solder and heat up the items being soldered to aid free flowing soldering without resorting to cooking the joint. Personally, I would invest in getting the proper tools for the job in hand.

[Brew Man]

Yes, get yerself a 25W Antex, they're about £30 from Amazon.

[JJ73]

Thank you Chris & Brew Man - that is just what I wanted to know - I wasn't quite too sure - Thank you for verifying that for me 🙂 I'll get a proper Soldering Iron then Thank you 🙂🚂🚂🚂

[atom3624]

Don't forget, as Rob's said - probably a few times - practice, practice, practice.

I've soldered quite a lot, but still stuff up.

YT is your friend in this as well.

Al.

[Brew Man]

Yes and doesn't it leave you red faced when people are watching. rage

[Yelrow]

Lead free solder, saves the red faces, as it actually works.

[JJ73]

ALWAYS BUY FROM YOUR LOCAL MODEL SHOP...

Look what I got today from WD Models in C'field, Derbyshire...

I think that Chris said to get a 15 W. S. I. but when I got to WD's, he only had an 18 W or an 25 W & the nice bloke inside (Alan) said I ought to go for the 25 W b/c it would be better for the job in hand - an 18 W is ok just for soldering wire but an 25 W would be better!!!

Right as I haven't solder in an a very lonnnnnnnnnnnng time - I'm of to have some pratice (& film it of course!!!) & have another read up of Chris's "How to Solder"!!! Wish me Luck 🙂🚂🚂🚂

[Chrissaf]

JJ, All credit to you for supporting your local model shop, but I think you may have paid a bit over the odds by going to one. That Antex XS 25W iron is less than £24 inc VAT from CPC with free delivery.

[JJ73]

I know Chris - but I just like to go to the shops (I know a bit old fashion) & get it there & then - means that there is no waiting for days / weeks or even months for the item & also you have to make sure that you in on the day of delivery so that you don't miss them!!!

I don't mind paying a little over the odds if it saves all the hassle of the above!!!

Any way I've been have a bit of a pratice of soldering - on 4 bits of old rail - what do you think...

🤔🚂🚂🚂

[JJ73]

Oh I also forgot to say about my Local Model shop - he is cheaper than Hornby prices - the money I save is what I spend on a few items that more exspensive - swings & round abouts really!!!

2 examples - with both the Rocket's Flat Bed pack & the 3rd Class Carriage pack - the white price tag is what I would have paid if I had bought it from Hornby & the orange Tag is WD's Price!!!...see below

🙂🚂🚂🚂

[96RAF]

@jj

You will find it easier if you polish up the area to be soldered. I use a fibreglass pencil but be careful as the fibres that come off get on your skin and itch like crazy same as the old loft insulation did.

Try soldering some old wire to the outside or underside of the rails as this is how you do bus droppers or link wires, or put one rail on top of the other at right angles and practice soldering the base of one to the other as this is similar to doing the copper sleepers.

You should also practice tinning cable ends. Twist the strands together, hold the wire against the iron and apply solder with your third hand. You may want to get one of those helping hand things with croc clips to hold your work while you do the soldering. Very useful.

You will likely never need to solder rail ends together, but practice make perfect, so press on.

[Mac-_-]

I like to support my local shops too JJ, but a tenner thinking_face.

If your soldering for power too the tracks then like RAF said above the sides (can be done when track is laid) or under before gluing/pinning down. I personally go for soldering under the track, easier too hide, plus I'm lazy, one hole does both droppers wink.

[JJ73]

Thank you both but I'm not sure what you mean by 'bus droppers'??? is that another word for link wires??? 🤔🚂🚂🚂

[Yelrow]

Je, if people run DCC, many run 2 wires round the layout, and solder wires from them to the track, they are called Droppers, as they drop through hokes drilled in the baseboard. some people, like me, also do this on Dc layout to improve overall running. Link wires, join things together, like linking signals, points, or even wires soldered to joiners, as they can be linked . I struggled when I started DCC, to understand why it is a BUS, still do, but I worked our droppers.

[96RAF]

@john

Bus is short for busbar, which derives from the latin omnibus meaning ‘for all’, hence a bus is a connection bar for all electrical wires.

The two bus wires connect all pos and all neg wires together, i.e. one for all pos and one for all neg wires.

[Fishmanoz]

And a dropper is a link wire between a rail and the correct bus bar wire.

Further to Rob on your soldering - yes, you need more practice. Using your rail example, after you have cleaned and tinned as Rob says, you need to push those rail ends hard together, heat by having the iron in contact with both rails, then feed more solder into the joint. When you do that, a good joint forms when you can see the melting solder flowing onto each rail end. Your solder is sitting in blobs showing it has not flowed onto the rails.

Good soldering usually only happens when there is good mechanical contact between the tinned items to be soldered. Like twisting tinned wire ends together first. Or making sure a tinned wire is lying flat against a tinned rail side firmly before flowing more solder onto the heated joint to solder your dropper wire to the rail.

[JJ73]

This is turning out to be a bit of a learning curve for me!!! Thank you every one - I really do appricate it!!! 🙂🚂🚂🚂

[Yelrow]

JJ, you are welcome. When you have achieved soldering to the copper strips, you can call yourself, a solderer. They are going to be your hardest challenge, but tis only way, really, that your lift out section, will ever work. bon chance.

[JJ73]

A Soldering Practice Update!!!...

Yes I have been practising soldering - I have made a connection wire & I'm going to make 2 of these from cutting wire from the end of 4 R8250 old controllers, here is a close up...

this is what the connection wire looks like...

& this is what it will look like when it it finished & yes it does work - cos I've tested it!!! 🙂

I know not perfect - but it will do!!! 😉😊🚂🚂🚂

[atom3624]

Insulation and heatshrink will be your friends JJ.

If that's not going to be used for anything, then fine, but never leave bare wires unless you need to.

Al

[Yelrow]

Yup, i always tape soldered joints with insulation tape.

[Rog RJ]

@JJ

Twist your wires together before soldering them together, if you need to use heat-shrink, remember to slip it onto the wires BEFORE soldering. Heat-shrink is MUCH better than insulating tape (but harder to remove).

[Jimbo1707820979]

Good tip from Rog. Also, different colours of heat-shrink can be useful for identification.

[Chrissaf]

JJ, just trying to offer you some advice. Your example joint below could be a lot better.

Your soldering is blobby [most likely because you are using 'lead free' solder and possibly without flux]. The wires as others have said have not been adequately twisted together.

The images below show what can be achieved with a more appropriate technique and when using 60/40 Tin/Lead Multi-core solder containing flux. Notice how the solder flows into the wires, rather than just siting on the wires in blobs as in your image. Notice also, how your insulation has ridden back due to the joint being cooked as you have tried to get the 'lead free' solder to flow. The insulation in my wires is still pristine as they were cut.

[Yelrow]

JJ in my view, a roll of insulation tape, costs far less than heat shrink, and carefully done, looks pretty neat. I have never used anything else, and must have taped over 1000 wires, over the years. its expense for expense sake, (just my view).