Simon Moore Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 I wonder if anyone can help me out. I'm using Gibson wheels on my locos & because they are steel the slightest hint of green flux whilst jigging the pick ups results in rust. Is there any flux I can buy which will not effect the steel when I'm doing my pick ups?? I've had my loco set up like a person in surgery with paper towels everywhere to prevent the flux fizzing on to the wheels but it makes life hard work. Can anyone help?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jub45565 Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Or, could anyone suggest whether or not putting an assembled chassis (with wheels and gearbox, but not motor) would enjoy a trip through an ultrasonic bath? (not that I have one yet...) and whether that would solve the problem? This would leave everything wet, with its own issues, but that could be dried with a hair dryer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
66C Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 I wonder if anyone can help me out. I'm using Gibson wheels on my locos & because they are steel the slightest hint of green flux whilst jigging the pick ups results in rust. Is there any flux I can buy which will not effect the steel when I'm doing my pick ups?? I've had my loco set up like a person in surgery with paper towels everywhere to prevent the flux fizzing on to the wheels but it makes life hard work. Can anyone help?? If it is electrical works you are soldering then a flux-cored solder should not have this effect. For other soldering have a look at the flux available from: http://www.7mmlocomotives.co.uk//index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=1&Itemid=52 No nasty fumes and works well on brass and nickel silver. Having said that, prevention is better than cure - many 7mm scale modellers have experienced this when using wheels from a well-known supplier. As soon as they are out of the packaging my method is to clean with very fine wet and dry and then then treat with a blackening agent. It also helps to then apply a small amount of light lubricating oil wiped around the steel tyre with a bit of kitchen towel. Regards. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davefrk Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Hi, Bill's right, Hi Bill. Use a good quality electrical solder which has a core of non corrosive flux, try Maplins, though avoid the lead free stuff (IMHO) if you have to use acid flux on the pick-up scraper wire then tin it away from the chassis and clean that then you can use the electrical solder to fix it to your copperclad pad or whatever your using. I've just wired up some trackwork and the cored solder worked on the underside of the n/s rail perfectly without any cleaning before or after. The stuff I'm using is 'Stannol' 60/40 with a resin flux core, made in Germany and was available from IIRC, 'EXPO Drills and Tools' on the web. I also blacken steel wheels and apply a coating of 'Carrs' Electrofix. No rusty Gibson wheels here. Also showing the 0.5mm gold wire added to the tip of the Bachmann pick-ups, much better against the steel wheels than P/bronze Hope that helps, Dave Franks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium t-b-g Posted June 9, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 9, 2015 I use a flux called Templers Telux made by and orderable online from a firm called Geo. W Neale. It is a plumbers paste flux, soluble in water and I have been getting excellent results with it for several years. It is also very kind to soldering iron tips. My Antex iron has had the same tip for several years and I do lots of soldering. It has never caused any corrosion or rusting problems and it is also very good when it comes to soldering steel. Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Michael Edge Posted June 9, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 9, 2015 I wonder if anyone can help me out. I'm using Gibson wheels on my locos & because they are steel the slightest hint of green flux whilst jigging the pick ups results in rust. Is there any flux I can buy which will not effect the steel when I'm doing my pick ups?? I've had my loco set up like a person in surgery with paper towels everywhere to prevent the flux fizzing on to the wheels but it makes life hard work. Can anyone help?? Phosphoric acid, it fluxes almost everything and since it is the basis of rustproofing on steel it causes no corrosion. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Huw Griffiths Posted June 9, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 9, 2015 Phosphoric acid, it fluxes almost everything and since it is the basis of rustproofing on steel it causes no corrosion. When I fitted strain gauges in a previous job, I used to use a weak solution of that stuff - effectively to etch the surface of a number of metals (though mainly different types of steel). This was then followed with a wash of a weak ammonia solution, to neutralize the acid. I'm not sure whether something along these lines might work here - never had the chance to try it - never likely to. Regards, Huw. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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