Ever try soldering--with one hand?

It usually take me three or more hands--one for the iron or gun, one for the solder, and one or more to hold things in place. But there are two places on my layout, on the upper deck, where I have to stand on a stepladder and support myself with one hand against a wall. Which leaves one hand for soldering.

Of course, these spots turned out to be the only two places where the Atlas C55 rail joiners decided to let the track explode up through the channel. Working with one hand, I could get the defective rail joiner off the rails, and a new one installed. My language would not be parentally approved. As both spots were on a curve, I managed to get a spike in to nudge the outer rail into alignment.

Should I solder or let it go? Now I have a keystone cops scenario. I climb the ladder to brush on flux, much more copiously than normal. I climb down. I melt a lot of solder onto the gun. I climb back up, lean over, catch myself with my right hand, and apply the now-overheated gun to the outside of the furthest away rail. Oh man, it took!

Boink! The rail pops out of the joiner again. OK, I guess I must have damaged the bottom flange of the rail when laying it.

Now I have to unsolder, again with one hand.

Up and down that ladder many times, each time with a death-wish as I let myself fall toward the wall and tried to catch myself with one hand while holding a hot solder gun, or other tools, in the other.

I just loved spending an hour doing this. My back hated it.

Unitrack seems like a good option here. You can probably lay Unitrack with one hand, even.

 

Agreed...Unitrack or C55 sectional track may be a good alternative to unruly flex track in hard-to-reach places. Also, if that section has a power feed there is even less reason to solder the joint.

Have a good weekend!

Tim

 

Yes, Pete, I have tried it, but only once. My fingers got too hot. BUT, I will never do it again because I run the LLL.

 

Sounds like a GREAT idea for a Reality-based show! Of course, we'd need a few female railroaders dressed in cut-off coveralls!!!

 

Pete:

I sympathize with you as I was in the same situation several times with my HO layout 40 years ago. Only then I was alot younger and much more flexible than I am now.

That's why I use Unitrack.....

You could probably use Unitrack sections in that corner of your layout. It will connect easily to your track.


Stay cool and run steam...

 

I have soldered two or three pieces of flex together before I put it down in those hard to reach places. If it is hard to get at, then most likely nobody will get a close look at the trackwork anyhow.

 

pete....


did you ever consider leaving n scale for g scale ?


let me assure you. soldering rail joiners on g scale track is even worse. you need at least a 150watt soldering iron. need at least 24 hands... one for the soldering iron, one for the flux and the remaining 22 to keep the track in place.... don't ask how i know...

 

Pete,

I never tried it with one hand. Sounds like Unitrack is the way to go.

I read in MR once that you should never solder under the layout while wearing shorts. I took them off, but the dripping soldler hurt even more!

 

Thanks, Jeff--he-he!

Here are the secrets for soldering one-handed. Use a very small pencil iron, well tinned, gripped between the thumb and forefinger, perferably on the cool part. Wrap thin solder around the pinky of the same hand, with a fairly long strand extending out so it is somewhere near the iron . . .

Use iron to force pieces into place, then maneuver your pinky until more solder flows into the joint . . .

Release joint. Curse mightily when it pops out of alignment, then the solder crystalizes, a sure sign of a poor joint . . .

Try this about ten times, fully realizing that only an idiot expects a different result after the third try . . .

Climb up another step on the ladder . . .

Use top of your skull against the wall to "balance" yourself, thus freeing the other hand . . .

Realize you've forgotten your reading glasses or Optivisor . . .

Realize you've forgotten a tool to hold things in alignment with your "free" hand . . .

Curse mightily . . .

Extract yourself from this ridiculous position and try again . . .

If I use my right elbow against the wall, instead of my head, to brace myself, I can solder lefthanded (no problem, right?), while using a long stick to hold alignment . . .

Oh %$#*, the stick is too flexible. Try it anyway, as another ten seconds in this position and I'm going to crash through the layout . . .

It worked!

Note: This stunt was performed by an untrained amateur. Do not try it at home. No actual track work was harmed, and the pointy hole in the wall caused by the pinhead was repaired in an environmentally safe way.

I exaggerate only a little. I'm a converted lefty, so I usually use my left hand for tools. But it's not too far off what happened.