I am building the Walthers turn table and have run into some problems. I can't seem to get the feeder wires soldered to the copper slip rings that slide onto the drive shaft. Any help would be great here . Soldering is one of my weaker points and I never seem to get it just right. this is my first N scale soldering job and of course it is much finer than HO ever was. I must also say that I find the instructions for the model some the most poorly written things I have ever seen!! Happy Modeling!! John ------------------ The Santa Fe and Southwestern, Chief of the Southwest!!
John I put one of those together last year it was a bear, mostly running the wire up the shaft. Luckely I have had lots of experience with soldering. You need a fine point pencil iron of at least 40 watts. Make sure the tip is cleaned and tinned. I soldered the wires to the rings before I installed them on the shaft so as not to damage the shaft. It was a good trick to run the wire and slip the rings on at the same time. May somebody else has a better idea. There are a lot of people on train board with soldering experience. Dick
JCater, I told you to get the Diamond Scale Turntable, like mine!! Tsk, Tsk!! Be sure to gently clean the ring, and wire with fine (400/600) sand paper until bright. No paint, oil, finger prints, or corrode. Smear a little soldering flux on ring at place wire is to go. Dip end of wire in same flux. Hold ring in clothes pin with soldering area up. Lay wire end on ring and hold in place by some means so both your hands are free. Clean and "tin" soldering tip. Touch iron to ring and solder to flux on ring. Try to not move wire. When solder melts, it should capillary and flow up over wire. Imediately remove iron and hold your breath while biting your lip! If you performed flawlessly, you just might have soldered a wire onto your class ring! ROTS OF RUCK Charlie Brown!! There is always another way. ------------------ Watash #982
Thanks for the guidance guys...and Watash, I know better than to second guess you, but it was an impulse purchase and we all know how THOSE turn out !! Happy Modeling!! John ------------------ The Santa Fe and Southwestern, Chief of the Southwest!!
The main thing with very small part soldering, is to mount the pieces in location in a way that supports them. It is not wise to just lay a wire in place and hope it will stay there. I have used books, blocks of wood, clothes pins and 'C' clamps to position pieces. Micro-Mark has "Helping Hands" with little spring clips that work well too. They act as a heat sink, so that is why I suggest spring type clothes pins, and they are cheap, work well, and can be shaped for special jobs. Such as: soldering stantions to hand rails, wires to grain of wheat bulb leads, etc. Be patient, work carefully, and remember to have it clean, and wait for both pieces to come up to temperature. Hot is hot enough. Too hot destroys the flux and you get a discoloration. This prevents the solder from sticking. You might just as well stop and start all over. DO NOT USE ACID! You would have to boil it in heavy soda solution to remove it. Practise makes perfect, eventually. ------------------ Watash #982
Watash, I have solder that supposedly has flux at its center. Perhaps this is my problem (and maybe why I have never been any good at soldering??). I bought this stuff many years ago, following a modeling article I had read. If I need flux, what type do I use?? I have decided that my soldering iron is no good for this job either...it worked in HO, but is not fine enough to use in N. Happy modeling!! John ------------------ The Santa Fe and Southwestern, Chief of the Southwest!!
JCater, get a pencil type 40 watt with the coil wire holder, and while at the electronics supply, ask if they have a roll of the very fine (.032" dia.) 60/40 or better solder with or without flux core. While there get a can of paste solder flux, rosen based. (The can is smaller than a shoe polish can.) They may also have a small can of tinning flux. This will tinn a hard to solder surface like phosphor-bronze, cast brass, some irons and pewter/zink alloys. It takes practice, just keep your tip clean and bright. A small block of salamoniac is a good soldering "table" too. Remember, let the solder flow to "sweat" the joint, enough is enough and too much is terrible! ------------------ Watash #982
Good points, Watash. I seem to have spent my life soldering, and never have any problems, so it is probably a case of plenty of practice ------------------ Alan Curtis. Moderator. Member #12 The perfect combination - BNSF and N Scale! www.alancurtismodels.com Andersley Western Railroad Alan's American Gallery
Like Alan I have spent most of my life soldering and it is so automatic I have difficulty explaining how it is done Dick
Well...back to the drawing board for me!! Thanks for all the helpful tips...I'll let you know how it turns out!! Happy Modeling!! John ------------------ The Santa Fe and Southwestern, Chief of the Southwest!!
