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Materials question: back to basics


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Not sure if this is the correct forum for my questions... Apologies if not.

 

I’m looking for advice on the most basic elements of the hobby.


1. What are the best types of wood for baseboards?

2. what sort of wire do people use for track feeds?
3. What electrical connectors are good for  frequent connection/ disconnection (chocolate blocks get old really fast!)?

4. What sort of solder works best for nickel track?
5. What sort of soldering iron / iron tips do the best detail work?
6. How to prep track to be soldered? Is there a “best way” to do it? Which products work

7. What sort of flux? If any...?

8. Do people Tack or glue track? Which products are recommended?

 

 

In the past I’ve just used what I had lying around, but in Covid-land I find myself stranded with almost nothing available so want to order the right stuff and do it right.... Thanks in advance!

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1. Plywood.  I use various types.  If the layout is to be moved you need to consider stability at board interfaces and weight.  Don't be cheap, the  board is the layout foundation.

 

2.  22 gauge stranded.  Something heavier, maybe 18 gauge (like speaker wire) for DCC busses.

 

3. My method is controversial, so I'll let others expound on that.

 

4.  Regular old 60/40 lead/tin.  Don't use unleaded.  I've tried it and can't get it to flow.

 

5.  A 40W iron will work well.  Every stand alone iron I've ever had has blackened it's tip very quickly.  I don't why, probably non regulated very high temp.  I have a soldering station with controllable temp.  The tip on that has remained shiny.

 

6.  I tin the rail and tin the wire.  Then apply the iron to join.  Track must be very clean.  In and out as quick as you like before the plastic sleepers even know you're there.

 

7.  If using uncored solder (which I prefer), a non acid flux is needed.  You can use Rosin (which is what is in cored solder) but I find it messy and sticky.

 

8.  I'm using Tacky Glue to fix my foam underlay to the board and to fix the track to the underlay.  It looks like PVA but dries clear and rubbery.  It is also easy to undo any mistakes.

 

Layout building is very subjective and there will be many opinions.

 

John

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1 hour ago, Realistic_build_Speed said:

1. What are the best types of wood for baseboards?

 

 

As noted, you will get a variety of contradictory answers.  However a lot of people for baseboards have moved to using plywood, and having it cut/ripped to act like dimensional lumber - it tends to be more stable and remain true from many people's perspective.

 

Depending on size some people also swear by laser cut baseboards.

 

Unlike your other questions this is an area where you may need to see what you can actually get where you are at the moment (and it will depend on what you have in the way of tools).

 

Example - if you chose to go plywood, and can't rip it yourself, you may have a problem if stores are currently unwilling to rip it in store.

 

So my only advice is before spending money on everything else make sure you can get whatever baseboard supplies you decide on, whether it be a first choice or a backup choice.

 

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Find a lumber yard that will rip boards.  The DIY places here will do it for wood purchased there.  I get mine ripped to 4" widths.  Russian ply is not as widely available but I found a place that stocks and rips it.

 

John

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Thanks all. I need to spend some more time on the baseboard design then. It’s an area I have a concept but little else.

 

Does anyone have further thoughts on the rest of the questions..? I’m particular keen on the solder and electrical connections as I need to do those soon for my son’s layout.

 

Thanks again for all the input!

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I found these Wago connectors very useful for connecting droppers to the bus, and other similar. They come in various sizes from 2 to 5 wire, use no solder, work with pretty much all gauges of wire and are re-usable. I think they may now have a double one, so that both + & - can run parallel through them. Screwfix sell them, as do numerous online outlets.image.jpeg.b9b13403fc419e34ad4a0365282e2da6.jpeg

image.jpeg

Edited by ITG
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I'm puzzled as to why track connections need to be disconnected frequently.  When I do mine the wire is soldered under the rail and secured to choc blocks beneath the board.  Choc blocks are great because if you make a mistake, the wires can be removed easily.  Also, troubleshooting is a breeze.

 

If you are building an exhibition layout with several boards, you do need a QR connector system to electrically connect the boards.

 

John

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1. What are the best types of wood for baseboards?

I've used plywood, be careful if you choose something like MDF to take appropriate precautions when drilling, cutting and sanding.

 

2. what sort of wire do people use for track feeds?

There are loads of varieties, when I got some I checked the current capacity to make sure I wasn't going to have it overheating. Also you might want to consider buying a large reel as when you are going round a baseboard you soon get through it. RS Online (and post COVID-19 their trade counters) stock a decent range now that Maplin has gone. You might want to consider colour coding to aid fault finding, I went hardcore and used the same colour for everything (actually, was being too tight to shell out for two reels at the same time) and it can make fault finding more challenging.
 

3. What electrical connectors are good for  frequent connection/ disconnection (chocolate blocks get old really fast!)?

For a bridge section that I need to remove for a doorway, I used ATX connectors - the sort that used to be used in PCs to connect the power supply. Mine came from Maplin and were's that expensive compared to what I could find after a quick glance on ebay (maybe that was why they went under). Advantage of this connector is the two halves have orientation so no mix ups when you connect them, and they lock together.

 

4. What sort of solder works best for nickel track?

I use standard resin cored solder that you'd use for electronics

 

5. What sort of soldering iron / iron tips do the best detail work?
My 18w Antex soldering iron does the trick, using what I think is a 2mm flat bit.

 

6. How to prep track to be soldered? Is there a “best way” to do it? Which products work

I use a fibre glass pencil to clean the area to be soldered, then tin it. If the track is not perfectly clean, you run the risk of the solder not adhering properly - if you're lucky, apparent immediately, if not, when you pull on the wire just after the track is fitted, ballasted, weathered etc.

 

7. What sort of flux? If any...?

None over what is in the cored solder

 

8. Do people Tack or glue track? Which products are recommended?

Drawing pins to get it into the right place initially, then PVA. The advantage of PVA is that should you wish to lift and reuse the track, you can do so by soaking it in water to loosen the glue then easing it up with something like a steel rule.

 

That's how I've done things, hope it helps!

Martyn

 

Edited by MartynJPearson
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I always use stranded wire for all track feeds, for portable layouts it is less likely to break at the connectors. According to figures I have, (some sources give lower figures).

10/0.1 is rated at 0.5A

7/0.2 - 2A

16/0.2 - 4A

24/0.2 - 4.5A

32/0.2 - 10A

(the first figure is the number of strands, the second the individual strand diameter)

for DC the smallest I use is 7/0.2, I don't do DCC so cannot advise, though the current rating should exceed the DCC system maximum output current.

Nowadays I always fit Bootlace ferrules on the wire where it connects into terminal blocks especially if they are the cheaper type where the screw bears directly onto the wire. They can be expensive, but I bought mine from ebay where I paid about £15 for 15,000.  For inter baseboard plugs computer 'D' connectors are generally quite satisfactory.  

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Just to add to the mix.

Stripped out mains cable (1.5 mm or 2.5 mm depending upon track size) for the main bus and stripped out flex twin core 0.75mm for the droppers (the latter is Screwfix SKU 747FK which is more economical on 50m reels than 2 x single colour layout wire).

I use an Antex 15W iron with a 2mm chisel tip for general work including droppers to track, and swap to a 0.5mm tip for SMD components and decoders, etc. Resin cored 60/40 solder, no additional flux except for SMD work which uses special solder loaded flux paste.

Birch ply is my track board choice, both for frames (18mm) and tops (9mm).

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One thing about plywood,  I would advise against the use of interior plywood.  The glue and often inner layers do not cope well with any moisture or low temperatures  (sheds, garages etc.).

 

One of our layouts in the club had problems with mdf distorting slightly as well.  Baseboards had risen 2-5mm in places and fallen in others.  WE found this out at an exhibition.  Try using the delayed uncoupling feature of Kadees on other than  level track.  Previously well behaved locomotives jerked at slower speeds for no apparent reason.  The cars would uncouple completely on the slight dips and then couple up while being propelled.  It took a while to realise what had occured.

 

 

Clive

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all I would say is do not use MDF , horizontal sections unless massiely supported will bow over time 

 

good quality Scandinavian or russian birch ply with Moisture resistant glue , ( no need for external grade glue ) dont use far eastern ply 

 

with  irons , use a good 60-70 watt iron , temp controlled 

 

Dave 

Edited by Junctionmad
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