My son gave me a birthday gift of a Weller WEP 70 soldering tool. What temperature should I set if for soldering 3 rail to a feeder? And is the temperature different for copper wire to copper wire?
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I always start hot and then back down once the solder starts to melt - but since yours has a specific temperature, From the web: 60/40 solder, which is 60% tin and 40% lead, melts over a range of temperatures, starting at around 361°F (183°C) and becoming a liquid at around 375.8°F (191°C)
I do PCB soldering at 500F (260C), but most of my wiring is done between 550F and 600F. For heavy wiring, etc. I may boost the heat to 650-700F. For track I use my Weller 100/140W gun. I use 63/37 rosin core solder exclusively, and I always buy the Kester brand.
John eluded to using a more powerful solder gun for direct track connections. The track acts like a huge heat sink so you have throw heat to it. And if you don't, you'll possibly run into other issues with heat transfer to the surrounding ties, connections, etc. Especially if they are plastic, such as Atlas or MTH track.
You may want to do a search of the forum on how to prep the track and the wire for soldering to track. There is a lot of good advice there. The key will be in the prep.
Personally, I'd use the larger wattage soldering gun.
It is all in the soldering skill level. I use older Weller solder guns, the tip profile allows a full contact, or use other angles to finesse the heat to a point. But, like mentioned, track draws a lot of the heat away quickly, metal track with metal ties no issue, but the modern plastic tie/roadbed stuff can be an issue. To use higher power, you can heat the connection quickly and solder, I have found to be better than waiting for an iron to raise the temp of everything. Be glad we have modern soldering gear. I remember the old timers talking about having to solder brass when building locos and cars, using those irons heated by those gasoline pump up torches and getting things hot enough to solder before the iron cooled and itself became part of the process. Search for 'vintage gasoline torch and solder iron', and be thankful for the modern equivalent.
@DaveGG posted:John eluded to using a more powerful solder gun for direct track connections. The track acts like a huge heat sink so you have throw heat to it. And if you don't, you'll possibly run into other issues with heat transfer to the surrounding ties, connections, etc. Especially if they are plastic, such as Atlas or MTH track.
Exactly. I've soldered a ton of Atlas track over the years, and I never had issues with melting the ties. The trick is getting the heat on and off quicker. If you sit there with a 50W iron for the time it takes to sufficiently heat the solid rail, that's when the ties start melting.
I hit the area I'm going to solder with a dremel wheel to scuff it up and expose fresh metal. Then I tin it with a nice little blob of solder. I also tin the wire to be connected. Finally, I heat the track solder again and join the wire to the track, it usually only takes a second or two.
