Jump to content
 

Correcting mess up of soldered power connections to track


Recommended Posts

Having initially used the Hornby power connector track sections for applying power to my initial trial layout I decided to move to soldering the power leads to the track in order to get power available to the sidings. 

However with it being the first time in some 35 years of using a soldering iron the solder connection to one of the oval running tracks has resulted in rolling stock being derailed. Have tried remelting the solder and moving the solder down from the top edge of the rail with some limited success in that rolling stock does not derail every time.

Clearly I need to improve my soldering technique going forward but my initial issue is whether it is feasible to further remedy the solder joints I have or if it is more realistic to replace that section of track and start afresh.

 

Alun

Link to post
Share on other sites

The metal must be clean and use a minimal quantity of cored solder. Steel rail requires a special flux* (another reason for using nickel silver). Soldering the wire to a rail joiner may be easier and neater.

 

*Usually phosphoric acid - nasty stuff - which requires cleaning off afterwards.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I find it harder to solder to a rail joiner. The wheels do not contact the rail joiner either, so you are still relying on the joiner/rail connection to carry current instead of a nice, solid connection directly to the rail (& like some others, I solder a connection to every rail).

 

Soldering is definitely a skill which is improved with practice. The best advice I was ever given was to not remove the iron when you think it has just about melted. Wait until it has flowed properly into/around the joint you want to make.

  • Agree 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

And use the most powerful iron you have, that way you don't keep

the iron there too long. Otherwise you might start to melt chairs

and sleepers, the trick is to be quick in and out.

I use either an 80w iron or a 100w solder gun

Link to post
Share on other sites

On the display part of the layout I don't directly solder the wire to the track, but use some 0.7 copper wire that is bent to a certain shape and the wire is soldered to that and the copper wire is soldered to the track, I also pre solder the track very sparsely before attempting to solder anything. Before soldering I clean area up with a fibreglass brush.

  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

59 minutes ago, Judge Dread said:

Have you tried using a file?

 

Cleaning solder off the running surfaces with a file will leave surface scratches that will attract dirt and you'll be forever trying to clean that bit of track. 

 

I'd do what John Pendle suggested earlier and mop it up with some solder braid. I've been building points the last few weeks and it's useful stuff for cleaning up after soldering together the crossings. 

Edited by sharris
Link to post
Share on other sites

Thank you all for the various suggestions.  I was soldering to the side of the rail on the outside edges and i suspect that I am using thicker wire than is necessary which meant that the solder went slightly higher than the top of the rail. Whilst the possible techniques for removing the excess solder are appreciated I suspect that this time round I will replace the one piece of rail and start afresh using thinner wire for the final connection to the track.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
6 hours ago, awj.sompting said:

Thank you all for the various suggestions.  I was soldering to the side of the rail on the outside edges and i suspect that I am using thicker wire than is necessary which meant that the solder went slightly higher than the top of the rail. Whilst the possible techniques for removing the excess solder are appreciated I suspect that this time round I will replace the one piece of rail and start afresh using thinner wire for the final connection to the track.

Attaching thinner wire is part of the solution. Key points asr to make sure the area you want to solder it to are scraped clean & that the soldering iron is big enough for the job. Too small and the heat will run away along the rail, before reaching temperature.

Link to post
Share on other sites

On 18/05/2019 at 21:21, rob D2 said:

I use a fresh scalpel to slice any cock up solder off 

 

Take care! A scalpel is prone to sticking and then suddenly cutting through. Keep fingers well away!

  • Like 1
  • Agree 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Il Grifone said:

 

Take care! A scalpel is prone to sticking and then suddenly cutting through. Keep fingers well away!

Well, the “ rob d2” username , actually means “ rob digits 2”...

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Soldering droppers to track  such as code 75 or N gauge is much  easier than to code 100, and soldering to N/S much easier than to steel.  I am not at all sure that droppers to every single section of rail have any value except outside where fish plates degrade rapidly and cease conducting before falling apart.  Obvious part solution is to use as few pieces of rail as possible, cut down long lengths not build up lots of short ones.   

The problem on most layouts is what order to do the droppers.  Probably the best way is solder the droppers first. Cut the webs under flexi track, and mark the point they are cut on the rail  (Tipex?) push the sleepers aside and solder the droppers to the underside of the rail then ease the sleepers back.  If you are doing a lot of flexi track do them all the same and make one piece the master solder very short leads and use it to mark the hole positions for the rails with long leads. I would route the leads through a single hole between the rails and sleepers. That way you can adjust the track after laying if necessary and hide the droppers in the ballast.  Surface mounting uninsulated wires and covering with ballast or even carving grooves for them in Sundela Board also works.     I use single core insulated wire (Ex telephone) for the final connection as I don't like exposed conductors, too much chance of something shorting . As I said the I believe the ease of soldering droppers and the benefits go with rail section, Fine scale track needs them and they are dead easy to solder, code 100 doesn't benefit anything like as much and they are sods to attach.   I use a 40 Watt iron with a pointy tip.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...