Doesn’t seem to have what it takes to solder 1/4 inch brass tube… Maybe time for yet a bigger tool.
Soldering guns are a problem. They don’t have enough heat storage. What you need is a LARGE soldering iron. I have an iron that is about 100W and it really solders anything.
260W soldering gun will conquer the problem. 
So will a blow torch.
Sure will, but … perhaps Tom doesn’t like to play with fire.
hehehe Tom the Brat plays with fire! Dad had this monster iron I could solder ANYTHING with, like model airplane landing gear of 1/8 inch spring steel. Never had one come apart. In spite of the huge cork handle, I had to wear gloves to use it. Now, I can SOLDER!
(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/fire.jpg)
About had my little gadget all soldered up, when I accidentaly heated too much and it all unsoldered. I got it back together now.
Better to braze (sp) brass rod, tubes, bars, flats than try to solder it.
j
Well, I know how to solder. I was tempted to glue it.
Tom Ruby said:Bubble gum works, too. :D
Well, I know how to solder. I was tempted to glue it.
Steve Featherkile said:
Tom Ruby said:
Well, I know how to solder. I was tempted to glue it.Bubble gum works, too.
What about bailing wire?
(http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/teufel/devil-smiley-023.gif)
"What about bailing wire? "
That’s what Tom did to keep things going all weekend.
Bailing wire is as scarce as white crows in these parts.
Our hay has been tied with nylon twine for about the last 20 years or so. Maybe longer.
j
I built a solid drawbar for my mallet of styrene some time ago, and it worked great, easily backing long trains through turnouts and curves. It failed rather spectacularly and repetedly at Ric’s last weekend, so I made one of brass. This has 2 new features: It dips under the low hanging detail at the back of the loco to handle tight curves and it has a swivel under the tender to allow the loco and tender to twist without straining anything. Either of these may have cracked the plastic one. One of my pieces of square tubing from the K&S rack is completely solder-repellant. No mater how I clean and flux it, the solder just beads up and drops off. So I used JB Weld.
(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/brassdrawbar.jpg)
The spring latch is very easy to work, even nicer than the other. I’m not pleased with the small connection between the two square tubes where they dip under the rear of the loco. I see the bottom tube could be much longer. I’ll either replace it with a longer one, put in a screw, or add cheek plates to reinforce that joint. It clears for tight curves. I also thought I planned it to couple closer than that.
Took it to the doins in Kenosha yesterday, and it kept comming uncoupled till I wapped some electrical tape around the latch. Need to put stronger springs. Maybe preload them a little.