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10 Responses to Soldering EZ Track
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I am getting solder from Micro Mark that is for train tracks. Item #17110,Tix Solder. It is low temp melting solder.
https://www.micromark.com/Tix-Solder-Pkg-of-20-Three-Inch-Sticks
Make sure the places where you want to apply the solder are clean & “bright” and flux them before you apply the solder. There is solder available as a paste, with a flux carrying the solder “dust”. It is available as a low temp solder. Check you soldering iron is clean, freshly tinned, and apply briefly to cause the solder to flow.
Most important is for the joint surfaces to be clean and flux applied right after cleaning, so you do not get oxidation of the surfaces. The same applies to the soldering iron, clean bit, freshly tinned with a little solder on the tip. A “dry” iron will not conduct the heat to the joint and you will spend too much time trying to heat the parts & likely melt the plastic.
I did get some solder paste called Silver Solder SOLDER-IT with flux built in and just touch it with a soldering tool I asked the people at Micro Mark and it will work but recommended the TIx Solder with lower melting temp.
https://www.micromark.com/Tix-Solder-Pkg-of-20-Three-Inch-Sticks
https://www.micromark.com/Silver-Bearing-Solder-7-1-Grams
To avoid melting the plastic, you want to be quick, so make sure the iron is completely hot, and then put something metal such as a pair of heavy pliers or similar across the track as close to where you are soldering as is convenient, to absorb the excess heat.
Caleb,
You want to be quick. A hot iron will heat up the joint quickly and some form of heat sink should be in place on the rail adjacent to the joint. Pliers, large tweezers or even wet cotton balls on both sides of the solder joint will draw the heat away from the plastic. Not maintaining contact between the iron and rail for too long is the most important part of not melting the plastic.
I have notice that most soldering irons have a steel tip on them. I do not know came up with the idea of a steel tip, you cannot get the solder to flow properly. You can buy replacement copper soldering tips for many irons thus getting the solder flow properly which leads to less time and heat on the item you are working with. I agree with a good flux.
Most tips ARE copper, especially with tips larger than a finger! What you see as ‘steel’ may actually be solder! Some soldering irons have a pre-‘tinned’ (solder-covered) tip. Heated steel oxidizes rapidly (rusts), and isn’t normally suitable tip for delicate work. Note: There are IRON tips, which have a specially treated tip. Generally these are more expensive than simple copper-tip soldering irons.
The best advice I have for soldering is remembering”CLEAN”!
1. Clean work… use flux (keeps surfaces clean/oxide-free)when applying heat.
2. Clean freshly-tinned tip… allows the fastest heating of the surfaces to soldering temperature, and REMOVING the iron quickly!
3. If you can find some, get what’s called “eutetic solder”. This has the lowest melting temperature of all solder combinations, I believe it’s 361 degreesF IIRC! This allows you quickly solder and remove your iron. I hope this helps!
I have notice that most soldering irons have a steel tip on them. I do not know came up with the idea of a steel tip, you cannot get the solder to flow properly. You can buy replacement copper soldering tips for many irons thus getting the solder flow properly which leads to less time and heat on the item you are working with. I agree with a good flux.
There are soldering iron tips which are iron-coated copper.
The idea was that the iron resists the flux better than the copper. You were not supposed to file them clean, or to change their shape, because you would remove the iron coating.
The plain copper tips can “pit” with use and the tradition was to file them back to shape.
The iron-coated copper ones were supposed to be able to be wiped clean, when hot with a damp cloth, and fluxed then re-tinned.
Another “trick” to make a copper one more resistant to pitting was to file it perfectly clean, so no solder remaining, then coat it with braze which is more resistant to the acid flux.
The braze makes an excellent bond with the copper, but will not stick to solder, but once coated with braze, the tip can be tinned as usual.
That operation will need a gas “torch” because of the melting point of the braze.
Cheers,
Bernard.
Then what is the recommended way of attaching to the bus?