Wire for feeders


I decided to order the JP Heater Iron linked to above, what the heck, certainly not the most expensive tool I have ever bought for my hobbies.
 
I have mine set at 525, which is pretty close to splitting the difference. Again, when the new station arrives, I'd recommend practicing on a scrap. Start fairly hot: 650 to 700 and once you get used to how the station works for you, begin to reduce the temp in 50 degree steps. Realize the temperature is also dependent on the solder you use, both the composition (63/37, 60/40, or 50/50) and gauge. I highly recommend getting a spool of 63/37 rosin core 0.8mm (0.031") solder (lots of technical reasons I won't go into here). You can get a small spool on Amazon for about $7.
 
Red Oak & Western said:
NEVER, ever, ever use a soldering gun (pistol) for any model railroad work.
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Really? That's exactly what I use. I have a Weller 140/100 watt gun, and use a fairly small chisel tip. I get everything fluxed and lined up, then put the soldering tip on the rail above the joint to be soldered and place the solder on the joint. I pull the trigger to the first detente, that gives me 140 watts. In just a few seconds the joint is soldered and the gun is removed. It's been quite some time since I melted any ties.
 
I went to Lowes today and got some 18/2 Bell wire. Outta be perfect. Now, as soon as my soldering station gets here, hopefully tomorrow, I can get back to work.
 
Red Oak & Western said:
NEVER, ever, ever use a soldering gun (pistol) for any model railroad work. It produces way too much uncontrollable heat. Your pencil will work okay, but you should really invest in a good soldering station if you have more than just a few feeders to install.
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Sorry, Kevin .... That's all I have used as well. Had a little 30 watt - took too long for me. With the gun "hot" - just a quick touch was all that was needed. Just recently purchased a cheapo station - want to give it a try.
 
Kevin,

I also run my Hakko at 750 degrees without an issue. As for using a pistol type iron, I tried one of them and found it to be too clumsy for any precision soldering. While I wouldn't say never use one, I think a pencil type is easier to use and allows for more control.
 
I also like the pencil type for comfort of use. The gun is just to heavy, and awkward for me, especially for small things.
 
The use of an iron or gun depends on the job. For small precision soldering, such as installing a hardwired DCC decoder, an iron with a pin-point tip would be the tool of choice. For soldering feeders to the side of a rail, I prefer the gun for reasons mentioned earlier: you're on and off the rail in seconds. A high watt iron would probably work well also, but small wattage irons have to be left on the rail too long, resulting in an increased risk of melting ties. I recently installed a 2.4ghz module into a Futaba RC transmitter, and I had to order pin tips for my Weller soldering station to be able to get in there to do the job. The job dictates the tool.
 
Jerry,

I have heard the same and seen a home made one used at the local (not so friendly) club. One day I might buy one, though the Hakko works very well for me.
 
Red Oak & Western said:
Except doorbell and thermostat wire aren't stranded, not that in 99% of model railroad applications should that matter. Lowes, and probably Home Depot carry 18 ga stranded on spools.

Edit: And, thinking about it, solid is preferred for feeders, assuming "feeders" means the wire that transfers the power from the bus to the rail.
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The original poster, did not say if he is using DC, or DCC. If using DCC, stranded, would be the preferred choice, in order to alleviate the skin effect of the high frequencies of the DCC signal.
 
I guess that I should have stated that this a DCC setup. I had 14 gage stranded for the bus, and bought solid wire for the feeders.
 
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