Soldering power leads

I bought a Weller with a knob on it a couple years ago. It wasn't useful for so much as soldering 1.5v bulb leads unless it was turned up all the way. Tip would never tin. The finer the point, the less heat. I am not sure if it still works or not, still trying to find some replacement tips - the old ones corroded to pieces. I don't even remember where I got the variable Weller. I wouldn't call it high end, but then again, I've never see a high end soldering iron. Even the "serious" electronics stores -- you know, the ones staffed by people to arrogant to answer questions -- don't have anything but the same trash you can find at Radio Shack and Home Depot.

Andy

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- Pre-Interstate Urban Archaeology

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... and I may not get there with you, but I want you to know I'll be with you all the way!

David. (who said that? Was it from a "Hot Shots" movie?)

I picked one up about a month ago at Halted Electronics in Mt. View, CA. There were 3 left on the shelf then. They probably aren't quite exactly the same model as Bob and Ernie are talking about but, they are Weller Temp Control and loo the same as a club membes 15 year old one.

I don't know how I managed to get along with out one. I need to stop by and pick up an assortment of tips. Cost was under $100. They had a second model that was more like $180. It probably had the extra tips.

Paul

You are correct, Ernie...

NEVER file a soldering iron tip/bit as this removes the protective Iron plating around the Copper bulk of the tip. Solder will dissolve the Copper very quickly, and it will end up as a hollow tube of Iron and collapse at the slightest pressure when in use!!!!!

I have been using Soldering Irons for 35 years now. I think the Weller W-range is the best I've come across.

David French.

Not too sure about what you have, Andy, but it sounds like you may have one of the lightweight ones that is used for microsoldering work. There is one that I used at work that was more just for doing soldering on things like VCR head wires and was barely powerful enough for doing surface mount ICs. You would indeed have a troublesome time with that iron. The TCP iron is the first one from Weller and is good for about 40W of power and you change the tip to get different temp settings. I'll note that Weller has also done a larger 100W iron that has a much larger handle and runs on 120V rather than the 24V of the TCP iron. Weller actually no longer makes that iron, I think as I no longer find it available in the tool catalogs but there is a replacement that has about the same power capabilities and does have a knob for adjusting the temp. I don't like them as much as the tips can easily corrode into the heater as the dimensions are a lot tighter on them. I'll also note that if you let the solder dry off of the tip, the tips do tend to go fast. And you don't want to abuse the tip by doing things like scraping the tip on the work as this tends to wear off the iron coating on the tips and then the copper underneath quickly etches out and you have a bad tip.

-- Bob May Losing weight is easy! If you ever want to lose weight, eat and drink less. Works evevery time it is tried!

The older irons are rated at about 40W but Weller did a bigger version that is rated at 100W. The element is powered right off the line and the handle is about twice as big as the TCP handle is along with a bigger diameter (its also stepped in addition) heater element and bigger diameter tips.

-- Bob May Losing weight is easy! If you ever want to lose weight, eat and drink less. Works evevery time it is tried!

Andy, try

for a new one. It looks like they have upgraded the power to 50W and provided a seperate stand for holding the iron. The older versions had the base with the sponge holder and iron holder attached to the top. The wet sponge is the correct way to clean a tip and you promptly tin the tip with solder to insure that the iron doesn't get a chance to start corroding, a problem that will quickly kill the tip off.

-- Bob May Losing weight is easy! If you ever want to lose weight, eat and drink less. Works evevery time it is tried!

I've successfully used the HAK Andy, try

for a new one.

Where is Halted Electronics? I lived in Mountain View for ten years without stumbling into them.

Thanks

- ken

Put "halted electonics" into google with the quote marks and hit the lucky button!

-- Bob May Losing weight is easy! If you ever want to lose weight, eat and drink less. Works evevery time it is tried!

Ah. They're HSC that you can see from the Central Expressway. I knew I should've checked them out.

You're safe. I'm in San Diego now.

- ken