Caboose Projects

[Rufus T. Firefly]

A good example of what we were talking of earlier about the range of tools.

I think you may have left out of that listing of options a small pencil torch. This has become my primary soldering tool along with use of very small diameter solder, 0.015" being 1st choice.

[sarge]

I have several, and I admit I haven't used them in years. I find they run out of gas at the wrong time and are miserable to fill with commercial butane cans. You're welcome to 'em if you'd like them.

My jeweller's torch is just as small, but being hosed to a regular plumbers' bottle makes it very reliable.

Something else I didn't mention are soldering guns. I don't use them for model building per se but have a couple stonking big ones I use for trackwork soldering to nickel-silver. If I see a 440 Weller at a yard sale (They boot out over 200 watts), I buy it and put it in stock since they apparently don't make 'em anymore. I'm lucky to have found a couple Weller 550 325-watters. The trick with guns is to become comfortable using them inverted. Then you can really wallop heat in the web of the rail very quickly and get off the joint before ties start smoking or melting. It's counter-intuitive but bigger is better with soldering guns used for trackwork.

Everyone has their preferences and techniques, not just tools but solders and fluxes. Lots of guys like pastes; I'm not a fan and swear by TIX liquid myself. I still use good ol' 60/40 solder in a roll, metered by how much I can hold on the tip of the iron.

Then there is soldering white-metal, which is a whole different array of tools and materials. GRIN!

[sarge]

That'll be the assembly done.






Just when I think of patting myself on the back on a job well done, I remember some Chinese kid solders twenty of these dam things together in a day for some American importer.

[riogrande491]

Beautiful craftsmanship, Sarge. Way above my pay grade!

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I have several, and I admit I haven't used them in years. I find they run out of gas at the wrong time and are miserable to fill with commercial butane cans. You're welcome to 'em if you'd like them.

I used to use irons for everything and then shifted over to the little torch. Yes, they run out of gas, but I'm not doing all that much soldering that that's an issue but rare. Filling them, well, I grab the little fill canisters at estate sales....

Something else I didn't mention are soldering guns. I don't use them for model building per se but have a couple stonking big ones I use for trackwork soldering to nickel-silver. If I see a 440 Weller at a yard sale (They boot out over 200 watts), I buy it and put it in stock since they apparently don't make 'em anymore. I'm lucky to have found a couple Weller 550 325-watters. The trick with guns is to become comfortable using them inverted. Then you can really wallop heat in the web of the rail very quickly and get off the joint before ties start smoking or melting. It's counter-intuitive but bigger is better with soldering guns used for trackwork.

I've got a soldering gun, but it's got a good layer of dust on it. I've not done any track work in well over a decade and don;t expect to ever do any again....somewhere I have some code 125 rail, some ties, and a jar of spikes. Probably should take that all to Strasburg in Oct.

Everyone has their preferences and techniques, not just tools but solders and fluxes. Lots of guys like pastes; I'm not a fan and swear by TIX liquid myself. I still use good ol' 60/40 solder in a roll, metered by how much I can hold on the tip of the iron.

Exactly. Try stuff and find what suits you and go with it; never cared for paste flux. Machinist gave me a bottle of Ruby flux. It's all I use.

[Norton]

Everyone has their preferences and techniques, not just tools but solders and fluxes. Lots of guys like pastes; I'm not a fan and swear by TIX liquid myself. I still use good ol' 60/40 solder in a roll, metered by how much I can hold on the tip of the iron.

Then there is soldering white-metal, which is a whole different array of tools and materials. GRIN!

I have used Tix Flux and solder and then discovered Stay Clean is also a Zinc Chloride flux and considerably less expressive. Seems to work as well.

Pete

[up148]

Decades ago I bought several different solder tools. I already had the big Weller gun, but it burned out. So, I replace it with a Weller soldering station that's okay......might be great I'm just learning.

About the same time I picked up an AB resistance soldering when they were reasonably priced and a Smitty's mini-torch that takes replaceable bottles that can be bought at any of the big box stores.

All purchased in anticipation of the day I could take the time to work with them. I really like the resistance set the most, but they all seem to have there areas of best use. I haven't done any disassembly work or soldering heavy parts and expect the torch might shine with that.

[E7]

Back when I worked in the telephone industry (before cell phones......yes, I'm old) the standard iron in our tool kit was a 50 watt American Beauty. I soldered more crap with that than Carter had pills. The most important tip I can give (and yes I've soldered domestic copper pipe with a torch) is that solder will flow toward the heat source. Second most important tip is never grab ahold of the barrel of the iron. Saw one of my coworkers do that once. It was a 250 watt' He didn't have a hold of it very long!

Rich

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Another variant on caboose....right out of Beebe's Mixed Train Daily:









Starting point was a Huff 'n' Puff boxcar.....useful box of supplies.

[bob turner]

It has just the right amount of charm! Very nice.

[up148]

Yep, that is unique and just plain cool.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

1 more fresh off the bench -- completed to reclaim bench space....

[sarge]

The transfer caboose we built earlier in the thread, painted, decalled, weathered:

[sarge]

This New Haven NE-6 just off the bench as I'm now pretty well caught up with our caboose roster:





An Atlas "2-rail hirail" product, lowered down (by near as makes no difference a scale foot!) to proper height with draught-gear in-line with the frame, retrucked, then weathered a bit.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Next caboose project on the bench:





Looks like everything is in the box other than the instructions; what could possibly go wrong?