Hello everyone. I just found this thread and had just put together a tutorial for another forum on how I make invisible feeder joints so I thought I¡¯d share it. If I am stepping on toes or being inappropriate I apologize in advance.
Again I must emphasize how great a resistance soldering machine is! It¡¯s not for everything as you¡¯ll see. I solder all my feeder wires to the bottom of the rail, not the side, even if the track is ballasted. This method is so easy.
Drill a hole next to the rail where you want the feeder on the inside not outside. Angle it slightly towards the out side. Cut,strip, bend and heavily tin a feeder wire about 4¡± long. This part does NOT work well with a resistance station so I use my trusty Hakko! See pic below:
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Now take a file shaped like the one in the picture below right by the hole in the roadbed to clean and scratch up the bottom of the rail for about 1/2¡±. This is the most IMPORTANT step in the whole process.
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Next apply flux to the cleaned area on the bottom of the rail with a toothpick. Bend the feeder into the shape below.
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Now push the feeder wire down the hole until it is sitting like this.
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Here is where your resistance soldering tweezers shine. As you pull the wire down from underneath the roadbed that bend in the wire will let the angled end shift to under the rail. Now push it up and hit with high heat for 2 seconds and the solder on the wire will combine with the flux underneath the rail and form a solid joint. See below:
You certainly can use a conventional iron but the instant on and off of heat using resistance helps you to not affect plastic ties so much.
I hope you will try this method as I¡¯ve been using it for years and has strongly reduced my angst at what I used to dread doing.
Have fun!
Peter
peterebherron