Hi,
I have seen posting on bus and feeder wiring. Instead of soldering wire directly to the track, can you also use Atlas terminal rail joiners as feeders, and then use a heavier wire for the bus line? Thanks…
-Wolv33
Hi Guys,
Vic is right about the flux. It helps enormously. HOWEVER, be sure your joint is absolutely CLEAN and free of any dirt or grime. A small amount of dirt, grime, paint, etc. is sure to ruin your join very fast.
The website wiringfordcc.com has an entire section on soldering track. Even if you are not a DCC user, that site has many helpful tips for soldering track.
I’m on my way… if I can get these darned two left thumbs of mine to coordinate with the keyboard and mouse…
Wolv, You’re getting some good advice here. By making sure to have a clean site to solder and using the flux you should get a very good joint. If you are concerned about melting plastic ties, I’ve found that if I use two common alligator clips, one on each side of the joint, they will act as very passable heat sinks and dissapate excess heat. Try to put the connection spot in between ties and melting a tie is very rare. One other thing to take into account is the type of solder you are using. I know this will upset the ECO crowd out there but if you use a solder with a high lead content it will flow quicker and give you a better joint. Just don’t breathe the fumes or lick the joint when you’re finished.
John
Now who would LICK A SOLDER JOINT? That’s like pluging your soldering iron or soldering gun & sticking it in your mouth!
Thanks everyone! I appreciate all the input.
Soldering seems the way to go. But I am telling ya, if I cannot get it right, then I am going back to resuming to the rail joiner idea. Thanks again.
-Wolv33
PS ALL you guys are just great!! 
Now…
My next question would be how far down the line do I have to solder each track? I took all of your advice and went out and ordered the Easy Wiring Book by Andy Sperdano (sp?) at my library. I am NOT touching wiring till I get that book. LOL!
-Wolv33
You can. The only drawback is that the Atlas terminal joiners are fairly expensive compared to snipping a short piece of wire and soldering it to the rail; on a large layout the terminal joiners could add up to a hefty expense.
On the other side of the coin, though, you have the issue of two left thumbs, cranky soldering irons, and solder that never wants to melt (It’s always a poor craftsman who blames his tools!) It’s my side of the coin. If your soldering skills are as poor as mine, you are fully justified in considering the terminal rail joiners. I have umpteen gazillion melted plastic ties as evidence.
Thanks Mike. That was what I was referring to. I am a braindeader when it comes to wiring electronics, even though I am a PC repair tech. I can solder, but I PREFER not to. Yeah, I will go with the Atlas terminal joiners then. Thanks again!
-Wolv33
Wolv, I think those terminal joiners are kinda “flimsy”…Here’s a trick to solder to the rails…Get a can of Kester’s Rosin Paste Flux. About a $1.00 and one can will last a life time.
Using a tooth pick apply a small amount of the paste to the rail where you want the wire to attach and solder away with a hot 25 watt iron. Bingo!! an almost instant bright shiney solder joint!! No melted ties. This works great on rail joiners too…Vic
PS: DO NOT GET THE ACID FLUX…IT WILL EAT THE RAIL AND WIRE UP!!!
IMHO, rail joiners should not be relied upon to provide electrical continuity, but just to provide mechanical alignment. They can do both for years, but eventually due to corrosion, loosening of the fit, or whatever, one of them will cause an open circuit, or even worse, a high resistance, between the rails being joined. This can be a real bear to debug.
Solder every section of track! And just to add my two cents worth - resistance soldering is the way to go - never melt a tie again! They’re expensive to buy but only about $50 to build and they work great. It takes all of 10 seconds to solder a feeder to the track.
ANYBODY WANT TO TAKE BETS THAT SOMEBODY WILL TRY IT…OR HAS ALREADY DONE IT…HA HA…VIC
Hey Wolv, Look around at yardsales or flea markets and see if you can find some old sectional track and practice on it. You’ll be a “pro” in no time…Vic
LOL!!! Actually Vic, I got a lot of 15 and 18 radius track I will never be able to use now. I can start on those. LOL!
-Wolv33
Whoah! Solder “every section” ???
That is a lot of track!!! Remember, my layout spans 13 x 68 feet… Even with 24 radius curves and flextrack, that is still a lot of track.
-Wolv33
Joe,
I bought a new Lawn Mower and it had a label that decried not to use it as a bu***rimmer. How old is your newest ‘Iron’? If it was built in Cal. I bet it has a label Stating “This Unit has been found to cause cancer in California”. I think, since “snowey” is not part of the Cal. lexicon you are far from Ca. Am I right , or , Am I wrong? Ever buy a new faucet? LOL
John
Vic,
With all the litigators out there what makes you think otherwise? HA HA LOL
John
Hi John, To paraphrase Shakespear…“First we kill all the lawyers…then we lick the solder joints” LOL Have Fun…Vic