I am trying to avoid buying a heat sink if I can find some item that will serve the purpose that I may have lying around. I am soldering N scale track, if that matters, and would like to avoid melting the ties. Any ideas? Please share.
Ron
1.metal clothspins.
2. anything metal that acts as a heatsink.
How about paper clips?
Soldering is a skill. A heat-sink is valuable for reducing the chances of melting ties, but isn’t always necessary if you solder according to optimum heat transfer. A heat sink can draw heat from your jointing area, which can result in a slower heat-transfer rate, or a cold solder.
First of all what you are soldering needs to be as clean as possible. Wire and rail alike. Both need to be pre-soldered (or tinned) before the actual joint takes place.
Secondly, the hotter your iron before jointing takes place, the quicker the solder can fuse, and the less time for heat to build up, resulting in melted or deformed ties.
I prefer to use a 30 watt pencil type iron with a 15 watt tiip. (this will greatly reduce the life of the tip). The tip will reach highest operating temperature in about 3-4 minutes. Be sure your tip is tinned before first use. Let it heat up, then run a bead of solder around it, then bru***he excess off with a damp sponge.
The basic rule of soldering is to apply solder to the heat, and not heat up the solder. So… apply heat to the wire, then add the solder, apply heat to the rail, then apply solder. Then apply heat to the tinned wire, and then to the tinned rail. You can achieve a “perfect” soldered joint in just one second without creating enough heat to melt or deform a tie.
I might add, that if you are soldering rail joiners to connecting rails, again, all three areas need to be clean, free of oil and finger prints. (Both connecting rails and rail joiner itself).
In this case, tiinning is not feasable, so join the rails with the rail joiner, apply heat to one rail while also applying heat to the rail joiner, and introduce solder until it melts in, then move the tip to the other rail, and apply solder to it, which should melt instantaneaously. The instance that solder melts, pull away your iron and your set!
Hope this information helps.
Jeremy
I don’t use a heat sink when soldering track…it’s not necessary…I use them when soldering electronic parts together and i use large alligator clips…chuck
If you need a heat sink when soldering track, you’re doing it wrong.
You need a good, hot chisel-tip iron (at least 25 watts), cheal work surfaces, and liquid flux. Get the iron hot, place the feeder on the track, add flux, add the iron, and add the solder. Once the solder flows, remove the iron. In, out, done. Soldering a feeder should only take you 5-10 seconds.
[#ditto] Just make certain the feeder is solidly touching the track, you want it to be the thing carrying the electricity not the solder. The solder just holds its good contact in place.
My method: clean (emory board and flux) then tin the rail. Tin the end of the wire. Clamp wire to rail, reflow the solder. The iron must be clean, and lightly tinned.
Heat sink; Bounty paper towel saturated with water. Not usually needed.
Wet tissue paper works for me,also. Since I discovered that trick,
I’ve never had any distorted track. My solder joints are fine.
I agree with eliminating the need for heatsink with better soldering skills. But I use them anyway.
Aluminum conducts heat better than many other metals. MicroMark sells aluminum heat sink clamps (#60928, set of 5 for $7.75 +S&H) which are small enough to not get in the way of soldering.
Some years ago, someone suggested using tooth paste spread across the rails! A bit messy. But as everyone has said, if you do it right, you won’t need a heatsink.
Bob Hayes
Thanks everyone for the tips. A great help.
Ron
I use wet paper towels placed on the track. But, my favorite method, is to clamp a pair of Vise Grip pliers near the joint.
I put a metal track gauge each side of the joint. This helps if you do linger and soften the ties, they will harden again with the rails in gauge.