Resistance soldering

I am one who made my own and it worked for awhile but in the end it broke down on me.

As for ready made micro mark sells two options a nice system with optional hand pieces/tips and the other is a basic transformer with a hand piece attached.

As for the uses of such a contraption it is for soldering metal parts such as brass, How ever it is NOT for any electronic soldering as it will damage some electronic components, or at least that is the way I understand it.

Hope that helps as I am sure there are others out there with more experience. 

Bruce, I would only be using

Bruce, I would only be using this for rail joints and feeders wires to the bus wire. Things like that.  No way would I attempt to do any electronic work like decoder wiring.

Tim

Electronic soldering

When I was in the Navy many years ago I was taught to use resistance soldering on electronics as part of the certification for MIL spec soldering,  I used it on mostly passive components like connectors, cables and other components not on a circuit board or point to point wiring. 

Soldering irons are much better for circuit boards and small components including decoders and related wiring.

I built a resistance soldering unit years ago, but haven't used it in almost as many years as I found a soldering iron handled all of soldering I did, including track, feeder and some minor modifications to brass locomotives.

Terry

Track feeders

I have a resistance soldering station from American Beauty and use it for installing track feeders.

It works very well, produces a clean solder with no melted track ties.

Allan Gartner has a demo of a track feeder install on his web site:

http://www.wiringfordcc.com/solder_demo.mpg

James

http://www.p-b-l.com

You may want to check out the folks at PBL. They have been building brass engines for a long time now.

Go to their website http://www.p-b-l.comand on the left side half way down is a link to Hotip / soldering.

That will take you to their resistance soldering page that will have all the supplies that you will need. They even have a video that will step you through the processes of resistance soldering.

Give Keren a call at PBL, she will help you out. 707-462-7680

Bill Beverly

James, do you have the 100W

James, do you have the 100W or the 250W model?  Do you also solder the track and rail joiners together, if so how does that work well too?  Yes, I have been on Allan Gartner website.

Tim

Bill, I've been looking at

Bill, I've been looking at both the Hotip and American Beauty, do you own a Hotip?

Tim

Tim, I have the 250W

Tim,

I have the 250W model.   I originally bought the 100W model and after using it with code 100 rail and it did take longer to to melt the solder, and the ties would start to soften and warp.  So I sold the 100W base unit on ebay and bought the 250W .   Works much better on code 100 rail with unit set on 60-70% power setting.

If your using code 83 rail ( as demonstrated in the video ) , I dont think you will need the 250W.

Yes the rails to joiner soldering works well too.

James

James, thank you for the

James, thank you for the information, that's what I'm looking for. Yes, I'll be using code 83 flex track.

I've been looking at both the AB 250W and the Hotip 200W systems.

   Tim

PBL Video

I have heard that the PBL resistnace soldering video is very good and I would love to buy it, but it has not been available for quite some time (more than a year) and PBL tells me they don't know when it will be available. Would you happen to know where I could get a copy of it?

Thanks for any hekp you might be able to give me.

Robin Graham

resistance soldering

The PBL video is outstanding and shows all aspects of soldering...just re-released on DVD for $25 which includes shipping  Direct from PBL

I model in Sn3 so i am very familiar with PBL, however, I don't use their HOT_TIP ..I use an Amer Beauty 250 watt #10502 I have a probe and tweezers. if you get this model you have to buy the probe and ground separately which is about $100.

Speaking of price Micro Mark sells the #10502 $438 and claims a list of $519. Amer Beauty website has $485 as the list.  #10502 is available from All-Spec for $397

Once you've used a resistance system you won't believe you didn't do it sooner...no matter what the price

Jim Pfister

PBL vs American Beauty

Further to my previous post I in no means meant to show a preference for one system over the other. I got my America Beauty many years ago from a friend. PBL sells their Hottip  200 watt for $615 and it comes with a probe ,tweezers and all kinds of neat solders and fluxes; plus you can talk to Bill Peter or Jimmy Booth (the best model solders I know of)

In the end it will be the individuals' skill not the tool that will make the difference.

Jim Pfister

resistance soldering and DCC

One note for preventing damage to DCC devices and your DCC power supplies, etc.

When soldering jumpers to rail with Resistance Soldering,  ALWAYS disconnect or remove all power supplies, Boosters, DCC Locomotives and DCC devices from the track. One path to ground through any device will kill the device or you DCC power supplies.

I remove all passenger cars with DCC lighting, among other things. Clear the Track to be safe. Don't learn the hard way.

RustySly

Foot Pedal!!

I got my American Beauty from micromark when they had a sale, which saved me a couple hundred dollars. Every year or so I see a similar deal in their catalog.

I also got the foot pedal, so I can hold the solder in one hand and the probe in the other, Step on the pedal for good on/off control.

Also I learned to stop using fat solder wire. I got a spool of very thin wire that heats quicker, and it is eutectic composition, which melts and solidifies more sharply than 50/50 or even 60/40.

I run wire drops to every section of rail, so I don't solder the rail connectors. Let the joints move if there is a temperature variation.

Good Advice on this thread

....and other postings

I had one of these American Beauty a number of years ago, but used it very little. So I sold it off.
 

Yesterday I was at a train show, and just about as I was to leave I spotted one on a fellows table,...a brand new 250 unit. Priced right, I bought it. Went on the forum this morning to learn a bit more about its usage. With a lot of track laying coming up shortly it sounds like it might have been a good investment.

I like this idea of not having to solder EVERY rail joiner/connector, perhaps every other one, and alternate sides.

Not so Pretty Feeder Installation

Came back to this discussion to have another look. Wonder what code track that was in this video?
 

Yes, no melted ties, but pretty ugly solder job??

Resistance if futile!  Sorry,

Resistance if futile!  Sorry, I couldn't resist being a Star Trek : TNG fan.

@ Brian

I've seen many video's of soldering. I came across this one. It's one of the best soldering videos I've seen in my personal opinion.

Bernd

Other Good Videos/Instruction?

Are there some other good videos on resistance soldering that anyone would recommend,....and that are free?

And is there any different recommendations for solder types with resistance units verses irons??

Plan on using my new unit extensively with feeder wire installations, and some track joiners. I also have several different 'applicators',...tweezers and probe.

Just found LOTs of videos...

https://www.youtube.com/user/SolderingGuru

" is there any different

     Hi Brian,  I use the same solders with my resistance unit  and my other soldering equipment. One thing to watch for is make sure the tweezers are clean where they touch the rail, they can get oxidized and give a weak contact which won't heat up as it should. My biggest problem using a resistance unit for track work is finding a position for the power unit and the foot pedal where I can hold the tweezers on the rail and still push the foot pedal. I often end up with the foot pedal on the step of a step stool and trying to stand up there and push the pedal.  Resistance units heat fast but are not ideal for track work, they are much better when sitting at a workbench with the foot pedal on the floor.......DaveB

Never Having Used a Unit...

Considering "hold the tweezers on the rail and still push the foot pedal", can the foot unit be placed on work surface and pressed with a forearm or elbow?

"can the foot unit be placed

   Hi Bud,   Yes one can try to place it where it can  be pushed with the elbow but when holding tweezers in one hand and solder roll in the other hand it's hard to push the pedal with your elbow without moving your hands too much . Ideally some kind of power on switch on the tweezer handle or maybe a voice operated switch ( Siri turn on the hotip) would be handy ......DaveB

Tape or velcro it to the stool

You can always temporarily tape or velcro (long velcro strap around cord and stool step) the foot pedal to the stool to keep it from wandering around between presses.  It is a little more hassle than using it at the bench, but not too hard.  Still beats a regular soldering iron in my book.

Using an elbow may work out if you’re an accomplished bagpipe player already used to keeping your elbow motion independent of what your hands are doing, but for the rest of us something simpler is called for.

the Velcro idea brings another option