As anyone who works with model railroads knows, cordless soldering iron kits are a valuable tool. You can connect wires by twisting them together or using a terminal block, but soldering them together is by far the superior method of joining wires together. Soldering provides a stronger and longer lasting connection, as well as allowing a better flow of electricity. You want strong connections as the vibrations caused by the trains can cause weak connections to come loose over time. Check out some pictures that were provided to us below!
There are three different types of soldering you will do when working on a model railroad:
- rail to rail
- rail to wire
- wire to wire
For more information about each of these soldering methods, continue reading below.
For more information about our cordless soldering iron kits, click here to view our catalog.
One useful tool for soldering model railroads is our Model 8000 Power Pro Advanced Cordless Soldering Iron Kit. This kit includes:
- Cordless, Rechargeable Power Pro Advanced Soldering Iron
- Charging station with removable cord
- LiFePO4 Battery
- High Efficiency Fine Tip
- High Efficiency Chisel Tip
Click here to purchase our 8000 soldering iron!
Rail to Rail Soldering
When soldering rail to rail, you’ll want to first clean the rail. Any small pieces of debris can interfere with the connection and cause issues. Hold your soldering iron on one side of the joint, and the solder on the other side. Solder naturally moves towards heat (one of its many useful features), so the heat of the iron will pull the solder through the joint. Remember, you need very little solder when connecting joints that small. If you solder joint is a bit messy, use sandpaper (the finer the better) to smooth the joint.
Wire to Rail Soldering
When soldering wire to rail, heat the wire and apply solder at the joint.
Wire to Wire Soldering
When soldering wire to wire, I would recommend using some of our solder paste. It’s easy to use and provides superior electrical conductivity. Once you have soldered the wires together, make sure to put electrical tape over the connection to reduce the risk of electric shock (plus it looks nicer).
We want to give a special thanks to Dennis for providing us with some pictures of his model railroad. Dennis recently starting using a 7700 because he was tired of the wire on his corded soldering iron getting in his way. In his words, “The 7700 is great! It is especially useful to me when I have to get under the train layout to solder wires.” Whether you’re looking to get into building model railroads or have been doing it for years, you’ll want a reliable soldering iron. If that describes you, then be sure to check out our Model 7700. Click here to get yours!
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