Developing Good Soldering TechniquesBy Tim Warris (This newsletter was originally published on February 18, 2003)Developing and using good soldering techniques will make all the difference when using your Fast Tracks Assembly Fixture or soldering rail in general. Take a little time to practice. It will pay off in spades!
What You Need- A standard 35 Watt pencil style soldering iron with a pencil shaped tip.
- A small dampened cleaning sponge.
- Solder paste or flux.
- Solder. (If you are building trackwork with a Fast Tracks Assembly Fixture then, .010 - .015 dia solder is highly recommended.)
Using The Right Solder ? The Key To SuccessMost modelers usually have a roll of large diameter solder on their workbench and will be tempted to just use what they have when they are building turnouts. However I have found that large diameter solder will produce very poor results and will make it a LOT harder to make good joints.
The best solder for building trackwork in Fast Tracks assembly fixtures is very small diameter (.010?-.015?) solder. This is so important, that I include a few feet of small diameter solder with each fixture order to get you started.
This kind of solder can be hard to locate in small rolls, so I offer this solder for sale on my website at
Small Diameter Solder.
Creating That Perfect Joint- Thoroughly clean the parts you will be soldering being sure that they are free of all dirt and grease. Sand PCB ties with fine sandpaper or emery cloth to remove any oxidization.
- Liberally flux all the parts to be soldered with solder paste. Flux aids in soldering in two ways, first it cleans the surfaces, and second it helps in the transfer of heat. Use a small brush to "paint" the flux onto the parts. Be sure that all of the surfaces are completely covered. Where the flux goes, the solder flows.
- Allow the soldering iron to heat up completely. To tell if the iron is hot enough put a little solder on the tip and touch the tip to your work. If the solder "freezes" then it is not hot enough to solder with.
- Before and after every solder joint clean the tip of the hot soldering iron on a damp sponge.
- Heat all parts of the joint with the iron for under a second or so.
- Apply the solder directly to the tip of the iron and let it flow in between the pieces you are soldering together. When the temperature is just right you will find that the solder will literally flow into the pieces. The flux may sizzle and smoke a bit, don't let that worry you.
- It should only take two or three seconds at most, to create a good solder joint.
- The solder of a properly soldered joint will have a clean shiny look to it.
While soldering you may find that the flux will tend to blacken and 'gum up' the tip a bit. Clean the hot tip by wiping it on a dampened sponge. - After you are finished soldering, clean the trackwork in warm soapy water to remove all excess flux.
Troubleshooting Guide- The solder just won't "take". There is grease or dirt present or the parts have not been properly fluxed. Desolder the joint, clean up the parts and re-flux.
- The finished joint is crystalline or grainy-looking. The piece has been moved before being allowed to cool, or the joint was not heated adequately.
- The Solder joint forms a "spike". This is usually caused by overheating and burning away the flux.
It may take a while to get the hang of hand soldering, but after some practice you will be making joints that you will be proud of!
- Tim
----------------------------------------
Have a question or comment about this issue of the Fast Tracks newsletter? Then post a reply! I will be happy to respond to any posts. - Tim
Login
FAQ
Search
