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TEMPLOT is Martin's hobby project. Everyone is welcome to use it and join in the ongoing developments. Thanks for visiting Templot Club.
Martin Wynne
Admin
- Location
- West of the Severn UK
- Info
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Enjoy using Templot?
Thanks.
Please do not send requests for help direct to me via email.
Post your questions on the forum where everyone can see them and add
helpful replies.
@Phil G
If the vee rails for plug track are prepared in a 3D filing jig exactly matching the crossing angle, they fit together very snugly in the chairs and hardly need any additional fixing. It's possible to use superglue or epoxy to fix them more securely, but I know many track builders would prefer them to be soldered.
So I obtained some of this:
https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/solder-pastes/1466202
Low-temperature Lead-free SMT Paste (solder cream).
With a cocktail stick apply a small amount into the rail web on the side of the point rail (well cleaned) after it is in position in the chairs. Push up the splice rail snugly against it through the chairs. Then touch the rail tops with a dry soldering iron for a couple of seconds, and the job is done.
This stuff melts at 138 degC so is very quickly flashed with a dry soldering iron at normal soldering temperatures. It works great -- the flux content is "no-clean" and doesn't need any further attention, and the joint is invisible after the wing rails are added. There is no visible effect on the resin chairs, or the FDM timbers.
However it has a high bismuth content, which has low electrical conductivity so you might want to add droppers to both rails (as you would if using glue). Having said that, I have measured the resistance of a typical vee at less than 0.05 ohms which is effectively zero in the context of a model railway.
It has a limited shelf-life, although that can be several years if kept in the fridge. So it's worth getting fresh stock from a recognised electronics distributor rather than old stock from a car boot trader on ebay, even if it is cheaper. It can be obtained in smaller quantities in a plastic syringe, but my experience of those is that they set solid very quickly. A tub can be stirred up if it has begun to set.
Given that little more than a smear is needed for each vee, 50gm of this stuff is going to last me several lifetimes. So I'm happy to send a small quantity in a little polygrip bag to any member of Templot Club who has contributed to the plug track discussions. Just let me know your postal address and quote the secret code found at:
https://85a.uk/templot/club/index.php?threads/soldering-plug-track-vees-part-2.757/
I'm martin at 85a dot uk
cheers,
Martin.
If the vee rails for plug track are prepared in a 3D filing jig exactly matching the crossing angle, they fit together very snugly in the chairs and hardly need any additional fixing. It's possible to use superglue or epoxy to fix them more securely, but I know many track builders would prefer them to be soldered.
So I obtained some of this:
https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/solder-pastes/1466202
Low-temperature Lead-free SMT Paste (solder cream).
With a cocktail stick apply a small amount into the rail web on the side of the point rail (well cleaned) after it is in position in the chairs. Push up the splice rail snugly against it through the chairs. Then touch the rail tops with a dry soldering iron for a couple of seconds, and the job is done.
This stuff melts at 138 degC so is very quickly flashed with a dry soldering iron at normal soldering temperatures. It works great -- the flux content is "no-clean" and doesn't need any further attention, and the joint is invisible after the wing rails are added. There is no visible effect on the resin chairs, or the FDM timbers.
However it has a high bismuth content, which has low electrical conductivity so you might want to add droppers to both rails (as you would if using glue). Having said that, I have measured the resistance of a typical vee at less than 0.05 ohms which is effectively zero in the context of a model railway.
It has a limited shelf-life, although that can be several years if kept in the fridge. So it's worth getting fresh stock from a recognised electronics distributor rather than old stock from a car boot trader on ebay, even if it is cheaper. It can be obtained in smaller quantities in a plastic syringe, but my experience of those is that they set solid very quickly. A tub can be stirred up if it has begun to set.
Given that little more than a smear is needed for each vee, 50gm of this stuff is going to last me several lifetimes. So I'm happy to send a small quantity in a little polygrip bag to any member of Templot Club who has contributed to the plug track discussions. Just let me know your postal address and quote the secret code found at:
https://85a.uk/templot/club/index.php?threads/soldering-plug-track-vees-part-2.757/
I'm martin at 85a dot uk
cheers,
Martin.
message ref: 8507
