Fast Tracks

Please forgive me if this question may seem utterly absurd, but I would like to know...

Can a resistance soldering system be used to solder the rails to the PC ties?

_________________
"Life is about learning"

Short Answer - Yes.
Long Answer - Yes.

Longer: It's different. I've used resistance unit for non-FastTracks handlay, built in place with PC ties, but not with a fixture. Does work really well for soldering electrical drops, but you have to have the assembly set up on a cart to move around the layout with while doing that process. Just haven't tried with a fixture.

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-ed mccamey-
COSLAR RR - http://www.coslar.us/
NMRA Standards and Conformance Department
PROTO & FINE Scale Coordinator
I estimate I have about 5 pounds of coupler springs somewhere in the vicinity of my workbench.

Sambear,

I have had good success with my American Beauty, 105-A3 Resistance Soldering Unit. It sits on top of my work bench and I use a foot switch to control the power.

I am using their tweezer electrodes that I have bent slightly to allow me to reach into close quarters to do some joints (guard rails) and inside the flangeways on double crossovers.

I also use solder preforms to control the amount of solder applied to each joint.

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Chuck Lobaugh
cfl9280@sc.rr.com
"oldsnowtop" ... A seller of switches on eBay

Sambear,

Like Chuck Lobaugh I also use an American Beauty unit (105A12), which is a 250 watt station and prefer it to using an iron. However, I haven't tried it on scales smaller than HO, which could be a bit tricky because of the smaller rail and ties. You have to be careful when soldering the switch points to the throwbar because you can "blacken" the point rails real quick - been there, done that. On large scales, expecially S and O it's an absolute dream to use. I highly recommend resistance soldering if you're going to be building a lot of handlaid track.

Feel free to contact me offline if you want more information.

Sambear

Sorry about that, I didn't some of my options set correctly.

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- Terry -
Customer Service - Fast Tracks HobbyWorks Inc.
service@fast-tracks.net

I agree that soldering the points with a resistance unit is tricky,

I don't do it (anymare), I crank up the old iron for these two joints.

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Chuck Lobaugh
cfl9280@sc.rr.com
"oldsnowtop" ... A seller of switches on eBay

Sorry, I do not understand what the photos are showing? Are they showing the solder wire, cut to length, and left on the ties before the rail is put on it?

_________________
"Life is about learning"

Correct.

You are looking at a ribbon of solder resting on a PC Board tie in a small dab of flux from a syringe. The rail is then placed in the fixture and the heat from the resistance solder is applied to the rail.

Since solder flows TOWARD the heat source, all the solder migrates to the area between the rail and the PC Board tie.

I attempted to outsource the solder ribbon, but I was unable to find a manufacturer that didn't a minimum 50 to 100 lb. order bufore they would start up their pre-form machines.

I make my own ribbon by drawing a PVC pipe coupling over the .015 round solder until I wind up with a ribbon that is .005 in. thick. Usually three or four strokes is sufficient.

When I have a couple of dozen ribbons made up (they are typically 10 to 12 in. long), I bunch them together and use an X-acto knife to cut them into individual pieces about 3 to 4 mm long (sort of like chopping celery).

I capture the rail with the tweezers over the tie where the joint to be made and hit the foot switch to get the current flowing. It normally takes about three seconds for the resistane soldering unit to heat the rail and melt the solder. You can actually feel the rail move downward as it makes intimate contact with the copper tie as the solder melts.

After cutting the power off, a couple of seconds of holding the tweezers in place is sufficient to allow the solder to solidify, then it's on to the next joint.

All of this came about, because I was unable to get my fingers to hold the rail in place and feed the solder at the same time that I was holding the iron in my other hand. Now I hold the rail lightly in place with one finger while my right hand is holding the tweezers.

If you will send me your address using my eMail account, I will send you a sample of some finished joints.

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Chuck Lobaugh
cfl9280@sc.rr.com
"oldsnowtop" ... A seller of switches on eBay

Very slick Chuck. I'll have to dig out the resistance unit and give it a shot for the construction phase. Key is the tabs of solder, now why didn't I think of that. Great to pick up some new tricks!

One thing - resize your photos with picture editing before uploading. A 4x6 or 6x8 size posts well and the details don't actually get lost. This will help the forum posting greatly.

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-ed mccamey-
COSLAR RR - http://www.coslar.us/
NMRA Standards and Conformance Department
PROTO & FINE Scale Coordinator
I estimate I have about 5 pounds of coupler springs somewhere in the vicinity of my workbench.

I built my first 3 turnouts with a standard pencil style soldering iron and then remembered that I had an old American Beauty resistance set in the shop. It took a bit of adaptation and coordination [hold down rail, move solder close, place tweezers, press down on foot petal, feed solder, LIFT UP FOOT, let solder freeze, then pull hands away] but I found that I get dramatically better welds with far less excess solder. I use liquid flux and haven't had the need to "flatten" the solder and place it under the rail (Though that would be a slick trick for getting those frog points attached!). Properly fluxed, solder flows between the electrodes and often gives an almost invisible weld. I have had a few hot fingers and awkward feeds and occasionally (mostly on guard rails) have to reheat while pressing down with a tool.

I've gotten to where I solder almost everything now with resistance. Recommend it highly.

Drawback? The units are expensive though they can be homemade fairly cheaply and there are units on the market for less than the American Beauties.

Robert

Chuck, Robert, thanks, this is helping me. I had thought my first posted question was odd but it seems I have stumbled onto something better.

I will then need to lean toward buying a good resistance solder system. Granted, the American Beauty is likely way more than the cost of a pencil solder iron, but over time I could use one for other work as well.

_________________
"Life is about learning"

Sambear,

The American Beauties are expensive, but then I've found that cheap tools just don't cut it. My grand-dad (a Kansas farmer, mechanic, WW1 Naval pilot, etc.) used to tell me, "Don't buy cheap tools! You'll buy 'em twice and hate 'em while you're using 'em." Took me a while to figure out that the old guy knew what he was talking about. Thought I knew just about everything when I was a teenager!

Look at it this way: a 100 Watt AmBeauty rig cost about as much as a single nice sound equipped loco (say a BLI). How many times will you solder in the process of building and maintaining a railroad? I think Fasttrack jigs and resistance soldering are a perfect combination.

While on the subject of expensive tools, Ed turned me on to Vallorbe (Swiss) files. Yes - way more expensive that a Nicholson but what a joy to use.

Robert

The PBL HotTip resistance unit is superior to the American Beauty device. If you graduate to doing larger brass components - buildings, locomotive kits, jigs etc., you'll want a bit more 'beef' in power and good degrees of control.

200w is $479.00
300w is $509.00

Check out: http://www.p-b-l.com/

_________________
-ed mccamey-
COSLAR RR - http://www.coslar.us/
NMRA Standards and Conformance Department
PROTO & FINE Scale Coordinator
I estimate I have about 5 pounds of coupler springs somewhere in the vicinity of my workbench.

So which is better for most of the railway work, 200W or 300W? Can this be used outside of the railway (connecting wires in my auto restoration projects) and would I need a higher wattage?

_________________
"Life is about learning"

If you built etched brass components (I build some steam locomotives from etched kits), or you do assembly of larger plate parts (metal structures and the like), the 300watt unit will be useful.

Beyond 300 watts, you are now doing electro welding and not soldering. This is a different level of techniques and materials.

The PBL Hotip units are excellent soldering rigs and have a good control for adjustments to the job at hand. Soldering of wires in an auto restoration will be no problem down to even AWG #6 wiring. Larger than that, I'd use a propane torch for pre-tinning and soldering battery cables and the like. Remember, the resistance soldering is a very small spot heating point rather than a broad heat distribution - just what's needed for delicate modeling.

_________________
-ed mccamey-
COSLAR RR - http://www.coslar.us/
NMRA Standards and Conformance Department
PROTO & FINE Scale Coordinator
I estimate I have about 5 pounds of coupler springs somewhere in the vicinity of my workbench.