Horrible difficulty finding 0.015 solder

P

prodigy2k7

Member
Dec 17, 2006
377
0
16
35
I am having a really ahrd time trying to find 0.015" solder...
I am going to use this thin stuff to solder my flex track together at the joiners..

Anyone have an idea where to buy it like department stores or online stores (US, west coast perferrable; california maybe?)

I found a canadian online store with it but it costs way too long to ship and too much...

Any ideas?
 
ezdays

ezdays

Out AZ way
Feb 3, 2003
6,339
0
36
Arizona
bigbluetrains.com
That's good. .015 solder is very thin, but that's what we used when we did electronic assembly. I still use it since I had some left over from the business. For soldering rails, .020 to .030 would be just as good, but the .015 makes it easier to control the amount of solder you put on the joint. More is not always better.

Now I know you've been told that if you use rosin core solder that you do not have to use flux. This is true to a point. If your joint is even the slightest bit corroded, and most brass rail will be, the amount of flux you have in the solder isn't going to be enough to make soldering easy. I use a liquid water-based flux and paint the joint with it using a small brush, right before I apply the heat and solder. You will see the difference. Your solder will flow down the joint and the flux will burn off. Since it's water-based, any residue can be easily cleaned up.

When you use flux, it not only cleans the joint, but it makes the solder flow. Keep the iron on the joint until it's hot enough to melt the solder, then hold the solder away from the iron. The solder will then flow towards the iron. Once that happens, remove the solder, then the iron and don't move the joint until the solder cools.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom