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Resistance soldering unit

 

Time to purchase a soldering unit but not sure which one.
Track is the new Atlas HO code 100 NS. Feeder wire is 22 guage solid.
American Beauty units being considered.
10502 with light tweezers.
10504 with standard tweezers.
105A12 with plier or tweezer system?? Light or standard capacity?
These are 250 watt units as Allan recommends 150 t0 170 watts for soldering.
Should I be considering any other units??
Thanks.
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Good questions!
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Get the tweezers. They have served me well over the past 40 years.? You can always add the pliers if you find a need for them.? That's what I thought I'd do, but I have never found a need for the pliers.
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I didn't realize they made a light vs. standard duty 250W units.? Mine looks like the light duty unit (apparently nothing has changed in 40 years) and I measured the probe tips.? I definitely have the light duty unit.? Since the light duty unit has served me well for the past 40 years, you don't need to spend the extra money for the standard duty unit. (I admit, these things are not cheap.)
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Should you be considering other brands?? There are certainly other brands.? The American Beauty (I know, strange name) units are industrial products and hence, why they are not cheap.? I've used a couple of others from time to time, but I don't know what brand they were or if they are still made.
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None of the others that I have used are continuously variable. I recall some with 2 and some with 4 power levels.? They worked fine.? As long as you can get a power level that allows you to make a quick connection, you will be okay.
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Note to G scalers: It takes a lot of heat for more than a few seconds to solder to G-scale track.? I built my G-scale railroad using my light duty unit (not knowing there was a standard duty unit).? My track was code 250 nickel-silver.? The standard duty unit wouldn't be a bad idea for code 322 brass.? For G-scale, I would definitely recommend an industrial unit like the American Beauty.? You might burn up a hobbyist unit trying to solder to G-scale track.
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Allan
Wiring for DCC
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I'm curious, why use a resistance soldering unit? I have always used regular
soldering iron to solder feeders to code 100 rail, soldered rail joiners to rail also.
I've never melted any ties either.
?I have used resistance soldering units from big water cooled units doing silver
soldering to 100watt units.
?I would not use an RS unit on track if there is any electronics attached to the rail,
this may just be an over abundance of caution.
?
Richard Webster
 

Hi Folks...

Like most things, soldering can be a matter of personal preference. I have used Resistance Soldering for a 20+ years, but very rarely on track. A soldering iron works (I use basic 40-60 watt units), and so does a res soldering unit. I have rarely melted a tie, but it's a matter of technique. If you can possibly try?out the res sol unit before buying it (try a friend's), you can make a more informed decision. But don't automatically assume it's better. Perhaps just get a little more practice with a soldering iron on a spare piece of flex track.?

...Tom


On Thu, Oct 31, 2024 at 7:00?AM fire5506 via <fire5506=[email protected]> wrote:
I'm curious, why use a resistance soldering unit? I have always used regular
soldering iron to solder feeders to code 100 rail, soldered rail joiners to rail also.
I've never melted any ties either.
?I have used resistance soldering units from big water cooled units doing silver
soldering to 100watt units.
?I would not use an RS unit on track if there is any electronics attached to the rail,
this may just be an over abundance of caution.
?
Richard Webster
 

Resistance soldering is the ultimate in get it hot and get it done quick.? As noted, soldering methods are a matter of preference.? But a lot of people that have tried it, are sold on it.
?
It does put out a couple of volts.? So do make sure you don't have any electronics connected before making your connection.??
?
Allan
Wiring for DCC
 

No electronics connected.

On 10/31/2024 1:46 PM CDT Allan AE2V <bigboy@...> wrote:
?
?
Resistance soldering is the ultimate in get it hot and get it done quick.? As noted, soldering methods are a matter of preference.? But a lot of people that have tried it, are sold on it.
?
It does put out a couple of volts.? So do make sure you don't have any electronics connected before making your connection.??
?
Allan
Wiring for DCC

 

I cannot solder!? Faced with hundreds of track feeders in my huge N scale layout, I started to research methods. I came up with a PBL Hotip resistance soldering unit.? Every piece of track has a feeder wire no matter how small and it has been amazing!? So simple to use. I bought it 25 years ago when I first started this project and am still finding uses for it now as I approach the completion stage.
These PBL units may now be difficult to acquire but if you can find one, jump on it ... you will not be disappointed!
Regards,? Stuart? from Down Under

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