No matter how long you have been doing something there is always the time you see something done differently and have an a-ha moment.
A long while ago while very busy I had an 0 scale sub contractor wire a client's layout for me. He was using a typical Bernzomatic torch with the safety defeated so he would get a flame with just a click. Well, he was zipping along, solder in his mouth, wire stripper on one hand, torch in the other and wrapped up a medium sized layout connections in less than an afternoon.
He was working like a sewing machine!
So I tricked up a couple of torches, bit the bullet (aka solder), then went and have been soldering drops for years now.
I preload a the buss wires with heat shrink tubing so as to have clean protected drop tie ins.
-----------
Different item;
Awhile ago I had a client contract me to wire his large layout. Well, he went and pre purchased 12 500' rolls of different color solid 14ga wire!! Never having ever use solid wire on a layout I balked, but he challenged me.
The job was a DCS star wire with home run routing. Solid wire is actually a joy to run long runs. My runs were manly between 25' and 60' in length w/ no drops. I could pull the runs straight off a reel in pairs, clamp one end, place the other end in a drill motor and spin a twist. That way I had nice straight non curled lengths which were soldered at each end and never had a problem in 145 pair of runs.
When I twist up stranded wire there is usually the need to tape the run every 8' or so before I unclamp the ends to cancel out a rat's nest.
Your mileage may vary.
