anyone do this? would it work to fill in small gaps in the rails (1 - 5mm) using the solder as well?
Soldering track joints (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HFoER_5UBk#)
I solder some joins but you can't do many if you are using a wooden baseboard as you'll then get the track buckling in the heat.
And no you can't bridge a 5mm gap with solder. A 1mm one maybe - but a 1mm gap is fine anyway. If you've got a 5mm gap then do yourself a favour and fix it properly.
Alan
ok cheers
yeh expansion of track in cold / heat etc as well could be a problem if soldered all the joins
tim
Quote from: bluedepot on October 16, 2012, 08:49:41 PM
ok cheers
yeh expansion of track in cold / heat etc as well could be a problem if soldered all the joins
tim
Careful - the expansion on the track is very small on a typical N gauge layout in the UK (do the maths if you doubt it). The shrinkage and movement of the wood is the main cause in most cases.
The results are usually the same but there are situations where realising which is involved matters, and there are cases you can solder a lot of track depending upon whether wood is used or not.
A good solid dose of varnish also helps a lot.
If your using MDF or ply both are pretty stable and expansion very minimal
Dave
Quote from: bluedepot on October 16, 2012, 08:43:26 PM
anyone do this? would it work to fill in small gaps in the rails (1 - 5mm) using the solder as well?
I have soldered odd joints but as Alan said if the gap is 5mm do yourself a favour & remove the track & find out why youv'e such a gap & fix it, the odd gap of a 1mm or less does give the ''clackity clack'' of wagons as they go over it ;) & wont do any harm if your bothered about the evenness of the joints always have a test loco handy as your laying track.
5mm was an exageration, at most 2mm! (this is in the fiddle yard i should add, round the front the track is a bit better)
so is there much advantage to be had in soldering rail joins????
cheers
tim
Quote from: bluedepot on October 17, 2012, 08:58:14 PM
5mm was an exageration, at most 2mm! (this is in the fiddle yard i should add, round the front the track is a bit better)
so is there much advantage to be had in soldering rail joins????
It conducts better than fishplates and doesn't work loose over time.
Quote from: bluedepot on October 17, 2012, 08:58:14 PM
so is there much advantage to be had in soldering rail joins????
cheers
tim
To be honest Tim unless you have to solder joints using joiners where needed for alignment & a good fit of track with plenty of dropper wires regardless of DC or DCC not solely relying on joiners for contact i was told is always a good insurance when doing a layout & it's never failed me yet.
As i said a MM or so gap isnt goint to hurt fix the track down with a latex glue not pins & it will have the ability to allow the rails to move still in cases of temperature changes.
Also bear im mind when adding solder to a gap there is a chance of the solder going to the inside of the rail creating more of a problems than you originally had :doh: :hmmm: