First of all your site is great!! Full of info I and other needs.. Thanks.. My question is: I'm about to solder my track together in my garden. I'm using brass track from LGB. What type of wire do I use and where can I get it? YOur site tells me that I should solder the track with 18 awg solid wire. Should it be solid copper wire and where can I get some... RadioShack and homedepot do not carry this and I'm having a hard time finding a place with this type of wire that is un-insulated.. Thanks Mr Loco ( Mike)

-- Mike Flanagan (mflanagan@roundhouse-solutions.com), February 24, 2005

Answers

Mike,

I don't know of any source like Radio Shack or Home Depot that sells bare 18 AWG wire. You will probably need to strip the insulation off of some wire.

As for a source of 18 AWG solid wire, I am pretty sure Frye's stocks it. Also, I believe the wire for sprinkler systems is 18 AWG which you can get at Home Depot.

You can probably get 18 AWG solid and possibly unsheathed from an industrial wire distributor. You will have to look in the yellow pages for one.

As long as you don't melt ties, you can use a bigger wire. I used 14 AWG for its mechanical strength. It definitely helps hold the track together.

-- Allan Gartner (wire4dcc_admin@comcast.net), February 24, 2005.

Go to any hardware or home depot type store. Get 18 awg 'bell wire' which is solid copper wire made for low voltage door bell installations. Usually 2 red & white twisted wires. Sold in 'hanks' of 25-50 ft. It is about the cheapest you will ever find. [Be sure you get 18 ga and not the thinner stuff.] Strip off the insulation in 6-12 inch lengths as you need it. DonV

-- Don Vollrath (dvollrath@magnetek.com), February 25, 2005.