Hi all,
Could someone send me a couple of small pieces (3-4 inches long) of stainless steel rail, Aristo-Craft I assume, to try some soldering on??
I will pay postage and for the pieces as required.
Thanks
Rick
Rick, You got it if you report the results here… Send me your Address…
Dave
Thanks Dave, I will send you an email
Good luck soldering it. Let us know…
BTW, I guess you’re contemplating making switches to match SS rail? You can get NS rail, too…
Rick
Soldering Stainless rail is easy, do it all the time.
While you can use a torch (and I do for frogs), the best approach is to use a resistance soldering unit. The reason is to much heat burns the flux and you can control the heat better using resistance soldering.
It is also esential to use the right flux. It took me a lot of trial and error to do this. The best I found is Stay Bright from PBL. OBL can also provide you some sugestions if you call them.
Be happy to send you a few short pieces of rail but it will take a few week before I can get to it.
Stan
Hi Stan,
Thanks but I think that Dave is going to send me a couple of pieces.
I know that stainless can be soldered, I have soldered literally miles of joints in
stainless, tin, galv, black iron, copper, lead, brass, terne plate, and several other alloys
through 30+ years in a sheet metal shop.
I have however, never tried soldering stainless rail and not knowing what alloy it is
made from I wanted a couple of pieces to work with before I made any comment about
what can be done with it.
Garden railroad “Urban Legends” abound but soldering seems to be right at the
top of the list. There is so much misinformation about it passed around and around again
that it is no wonder that so many that want to try it are wary of doing so.
Anyway just wanted to see for myself.
Thanks again for the offer.
Rick
Stan, if you could share your experiences with resistance soldering, specifically units you have had good luck with, and almost more importantly, any that you would say don’t buy or use, I think it would be valuable to all on this thread.
Thanks, Greg
Oh, and I believe you have Aristo SS, but if not, please identify the brand, as alloys tend to vary… Aristo advertises as 304 I believe.
Greg
Stan Ames said:
RickSoldering Stainless rail is easy, do it all the time.
While you can use a torch (and I do for frogs), the best approach is to use a resistance soldering unit. The reason is to much heat burns the flux and you can control the heat better using resistance soldering.
It is also esential to use the right flux. It took me a lot of trial and error to do this. The best I found is Stay Bright from PBL. OBL can also provide you some sugestions if you call them.
Be happy to send you a few short pieces of rail but it will take a few week before I can get to it.
Stan
Now you’ve gone and done it. I gave up on trying to make my own switch frogs because I run all stainless and didn’t think I had the ability to solder it (I have no problem with brass frogs). Now I need to find the flux you recommend and give it another try. I’d love to make some stub end switches.
I am going to be real busy the next week but I will do a You Tube video on soldering SS rail in a few weeks.
For frogs I cut Aristo sectional track and then use the screws to attach a brass plate to the bottom of the rails. Once aligned, I solder the entire frog at one time.I use a torch for this because of the large area being soldered.
Soldering is easy, grinding the rail for the points and frog is a real pain. Use a bench grinder. Just takes some time.
Stan
Stan
@Rick et all: Here is what I sent you… It is Aristo SS. These are the cut off ends from curved 8’ lengths of flex track. I dropped them off in the Mail tonight after work… to Cal from NM should be a couple of days + the weekend?
(http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff403/dave2-8-0/AristoSS332rail.jpg)
@Jon et all, I too gave up on trying to make stub switches… Not for the frogs but for the pivot or bending of the rail. I really didn’t want to cut the rail to create the pivot point, but to bend it like the prototype. I even went so far to grind off the base and notch the outside of the railhead to try and get it to bend. It’s really stiff stuff. I’d like to know how others have handeled this. STUB SWITCHES: The Durango Hist. Soc. this summer had a stub switch installed on the lead track to the Silverton Northern Engine house in Silverton CO. I know that these things are a rarity. On my recent trip to Red Mtn. I took a couple of shots… Looking down on the rail ends on the side opposite the Harp stand.
(http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff403/dave2-8-0/Stubswitch-01.jpg)
Looking down on the rail ends on the harp stand side.
(http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff403/dave2-8-0/StubSwitch-02.jpg)
Hope that these help someone… I have more photos of the whole switch that I will have to look up and find if anyone wants to see them.
@ Dave: I built a stub switch in brass and had no trouble with bending it. I never even considered that that might be a problem in stainless. It only needs to move around 1/4". As long as the bending part of the rail is long enough it should work. The big problem I had was gauge bars that would be insulated. Now that I’m pretty much committed to battery that is no longer an issue.
P.S. My experimental stub switch was built directly on a board - it never made it to ties nor did it ever receive a throw mechanism.
I like stubs because the represent earlier narrow gauge trackwork, but mostly because they are easier to build.
Oh - And I need another project like a hole in the head. I still have last winter’s Shay re-build to finish. That will keep me busy for a good part of the winter if I can find all the parts.
Jon, I’m at the same chapter as you - I had read that stainless was very difficult to solder, and tho I’ve had years and years of making brass switches and locos as well, in smaller scales, I just took that difficulty for granted and so never tried it… These guys are telling us it’s not going to be much of a problem… interesting. That changes things for me, because I run track power and much prefer prefer live frogs.
And, like you I also have a loco - or three - that I intended to reassemble last winter, hope to get to them this year.
Did you guys notice that there are at least two sizes of rail in that prototype switch? 
Just a thought guys… Could one use a MIG with Stainless wire on this rail? Anyone tried this approach before? does anyone know for sure that its 304 stainless?
Dave,
I picked up the rail pieces today (been out of town for the last few days), thanks again for sending them.
I will drop the cost of postage in the mail to you.
Rick
Don’t worry about the postage. Play it foreword… Post photos, and share the learning experience.
John Le Forestier said:
Did you guys notice that there are at least two sizes of rail in that prototype switch?
Is that prototypical?
LOL !!!
Hi Dave, I had a minute to run out to the shop this afternoon and try a little soldering on that SS rail. here are the rail pieces that you sent. The one has a piece of 24 gauge stranded wire soldered to it in a place and way that would be used for jumper wiring. This was done with the rail piece clamped in the vise and pre-tinned with an 80 watt iron. The wire was also pre tinned then they were connected.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/rick_marty/soldering/solder1.jpg)
Here I filed the solder away on each side of the connection so that the solid connection could be easily seen.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/rick_marty/soldering/solder2.jpg)
Here I soldered the other end of the wire to the rail using a 25 Watt iron, you can see that it is a “colder” joint but a solid connection. Notice that the solder at the first connection is not melted at all.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/rick_marty/soldering/solder3.jpg)
My conclusion. Stainless Steel rail from Aristo-Craft can be jumper wire soldered very easily. I will try rail joiners next. Later Rick
Now you’ve got me interested; I want to solder up some frogs… I might try silver soldering them… You’ve inspired me, Rick. I had been under the impression that you had to braize stainless steel, and under gas control as well because of the chromium content. A bunch of old wives’ tales, I guess. Very interesting…