Solder, flux, cut-off wheels, for Ross & Gargraves track?

Dremel makes a adapter that allows you to replace disks with out that tiny screw in the mandrel. it uses much stronger composit discs 1/12 in dia. I bought the adapter and discs at home depot. Great for cutting and removing coating from rail sides. I use  60/40 rosin core .062 dia. Standard solder . Have had great success. After soldering I use a black sharpie to color the joint and have not had any rust .

Ditto here on what Tstark does

There is a right angle adaptor (575) that allows for better operation of the cutting disk.

Dremel reinforced cut off disk (456, 1 1.2"), (426, 1 1/4")  and (401) mandrel.

I like to use the bench disk sander to true track ends, after cutting with the dremel.

I'm using Kester Solder SN60PB40 .050" diameter  "44" Rosin Core.   1 lb roll. 

Track soldering is done with an older High Temp soldering gun  Weller D550    240/325watt. 

Note that removing the black requires care.  If you use the dremel tool to remove black you also remove the galvanized coat under the black, making soldering more difficult. IMO. 

Before I pulled out all the wiring  and went battery power I would simply drill a holed thru the rail and solder the wire in it.  Found I didn't have to do a lot of cleaning before hand.

I like all of the above and the quick change "TSTARK" mentioned  is a good way to go. Though with a little practice you can use a Dremel metal cut off wheel to remove the blacken coating on the center rail.

Remember when ever you solder something make it clean, hot and fast.

Clean the surface, get it hot before applying the wire to be soldered. When I say hot I'm talking about enough heat to make the solder flow without melting or burning the item you are attaching too. Now take your tinned wire and mount on the tinned track surface, apply heat, then get off as fast as possible.

A trick that I like to use is to hold the tinned wire to the solder already applied to the track with a small flat head screw driver against the edge where the wire coating meets the area to be solder then heat until the solder on both surfaces flow, then blow on the joint until cool and after the solder solidifies remove your screw driver.

Have fun!

I like the 3 inch cutting wheels from Ehobby tools.

http://www.ehobbytools.com/contents/en-us/d11.html

Scott Smith

Actually rosin flux is just that, rosin from a tree.  It usually comes from a certain kind of pine tree found in abundance in Georgia.  The rosin flux is usually a very low activity flux and so both surfaces need to be as clean as possible before soldering.  The rust comes from the fact that you have exposed the steel in the track by sanding/soldering or whatever.  Once the rust finds a pore that you did not coat with solder, it will work on the steel just it does on a car body and go up under the protected areas.  It is much more difficult to solder to steel than to the tin plated surface that the brand new track usually comes with.   When I solder I prefer to use relatively new track.   If you use plumbers solder, then that is acid core solder and it still won't be a problem if you have good heat to the area to fully activate the flux.  You will need to  clean the resulting solder joint and track area afterwards with good chemical cleaners most of which are strongly discouraged by the environmental crowd.  Strong, original rubbing alcohol will work in a bind (and I have never had a fire or even a hint of a fire).  In any case, leaving any steel pores exposed to the elements will promote the rust feature.  In the low humidity in central/west Texas, rust is rarely a problem.

My entire layout is Gargraves track with about 10% Ross sections. Both brands cut easily with the high end silver colored Dremel wheels that fit on the quick attach arbor. They work well and last longer than the red color wheels. As for soldering I use the Dremel with a small wire brush end and buff out a spot where I wish to solder a wire. Hasn't failed yet.  The only problem that I have run into, is soldering to the rails of Gargraves switches. They are impossible to solder to makes it a particularly annoying process when trying to run through power on them.

A useful reference for the OP's questions is Jim Barrett's Backshop article in Run 263.  He recommends Kester .062 60/40 rosin core solder, and states the "best tool" for track soldering is the Weller Model 8200 Dual Range 100/140 Watt solfering gun.  Lots of other useful information there as well.