RailPro > RailPro Specific Help & Discussion

Soldering techniques for hardwiring installs

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Prostreetamx:
I use a piece of PC board tie to solder my light commons on some of my hard wire installs.This gives me multiple locations to put all the + common light wires on without making a big lumpy all in one splice. I also use a stand like the one shown for normal but splices. You have to be really careful not to move the joint until it fully cools to avoid a joint that will fail. You want a nice shinny joint not a dull, rough looking one. If you pretin both wires, it works much better.

hirailer:
For my solder joints I use:

   .08 mm 60/40 Rosin core solder
    15 watt soldering iron
    small heat shrink tubing

I start by stripping the wire back about 1/4 in. and apply solder to each end, this is called "tinning".
Join the two parts to be soldered in a lap style of joint and apply heat. Hold the iron on the joint only long enough for the solder to melt and then remove the iron.
Soldering with too much heat can damage components such as modules, LED's etc.

I also use my"helping hands" to hold parts while soldering, depends what I'm soldering.

I have a small tip on my heat gun which works pretty good, there again, in and out quickly. The side of the soldering iron works in small places.

Practice, practice, practice. Soon you will be a pro  :D :D

Mel

   

hirailer:
This is my set up for soldering small parts in my "helping hands". I took two spring hair clips and put heat shrink tubing on the ends and placed them in the "helping hands". This works very well for holding small things like SMD's.



Mel

G8B4Life:
Thanks everyone.

I don't own one of those helping hands devices, many I've seen are not that great quality and I've used them with little success on other projects at work; however I do like Mel's idea of the hair clips with the heatshrink for grip, this would overcome the problem of not so great quality alligator clips not being able to hold the thin wire we use. Looks like I'll be hunting for a quality set of helping hands and a few other supplies.

- Tim

yvesmary:
The trouble with the helping hand is that it crushes the insulation on small wires. I tried filing the teeth on the alligator clips flat but then it doesn't hold very well.

So Mel's tip of using hair clips is nifty.

Yves
Ponoka, Alta

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