Up the Creek Column - 9
11
11. This simple tool from MLR Mfg. costs only a few
bucks and makes shaping ME flex track into curves easy.
flex track, I figure out where I want the feeders and mark that
location. I solder feeder wires to the bottom of the rail join-
ers or rails to hide them – these lines show me where to drill
feeder wire holes [12].
Next, I set the flex track to the side and drill holes for the
feeder wires. I use 22 gauge solid wire for feeders, color-coded
red and black. I strip the wire ends, make a 90
o
bend about
3/8” from the upper end and thread the wires into the holes,
being careful to match the color-coding to rail polarities [12].
I keep the holes small, but big enough to have the wires slide
through them. Having a little slack here will help prevent the
solder joint from failing if track expansion doesn’t match the
roadbed. I leave the wires poking out well above the roadbed
at this time. When I apply the caulk, this helps keep the stuff
off the stripped wire ends.
MRH-Sep 2014
