Soldering iron

I think I want one with a straight conical tip and the soldering iron that I already own has a tip which looks like a cylinder cut off at an angle (does that make sense? If not, see

formatting link
Any recommendations?

Reply to
Peter Percival
Loading thread data ...

That's a chisel tip. Just get a new tip (if they are available) such as:

formatting link

--
Regards - Rodney Pont 
The from address exists but is mostly dumped, 
 Click to see the full signature
Reply to
rp

The TS100 is the one to go for these days, microprocessor controlled to keep pumping heat to the tip if the tip is in contact with a large area.

Reply to
Gareth's Downstairs Computer

The best electronic soldering irons I've used have been 45 watt Wellers with conical 0.8mm tips - but they weren't cheap, but that was a while back. The current range are even more expensive and 90 or 120 watt irons. The best feature of the Weller range is that the temperature control is nearly failproof, being a magnetic microswitch just behind the tip. There is a magnet at the rear of the tip. Like all magnets, it loses its magnetism when heated to its Curie point: this turns the microswitch off. It turns back on again as the tip drops below the Curie point and regains its magnetism. IOW you specify a tip by the shape, diameter *and* the temperature you require.

--
Martin    | martin at 
Gregorie  | gregorie dot org
Reply to
Martin Gregorie

On Mon, 25 Jun 2018 15:42:14 +0100, Peter Percival declaimed the following:

Presuming you linked to the tip that fits your (unnamed) soldering iron, there seem to be many available...

formatting link

--
	Wulfraed                 Dennis Lee Bieber         AF6VN 
	wlfraed@ix.netcom.com    HTTP://wlfraed.home.netcom.com/
Reply to
Dennis Lee Bieber

On a sunny day (Mon, 25 Jun 2018 15:42:14 +0100) it happened Peter Percival wrote in :

I have been using this for more than 10 years, almost every day:

formatting link
unfortunately it is no longer made.

Some years ago I did see the same for sale as a no-name thing, mine is labelled 'Voltcraft LS50'

One thing, NEVER use a wet sponge to clean plated tips, it kills those, always wipe it clean with some paper napkin. That way, at least for me, the tips last forever. The wet sponge thing is a trick to sell tips.

And you need temperature control.

Reply to
Jan Panteltje

On a sunny day (Mon, 25 Jun 2018 15:12:16 +0000 (UTC)) it happened Martin Gregorie wrote in :

I have used wellers at work and had one myself. The mechanical switch that is controlled by that magnet causes RF interference you do not want when working with sensitive RF equipment. I do not like the build quailty of wellers much, mine fell apart in the end, and WAY too expensive compared to what you can get with real adjustable (need that!!) temperature control. See my other posting for what I use .

Reply to
Jan Panteltje

Not on your jeans? :-)

I thought it was just appropriate for unplated copper tips.

Reply to
Rob Morley

On a sunny day (Mon, 25 Jun 2018 21:12:22 +0100) it happened Rob Morley wrote in :

Removing solder from your jeans is easy, Cotton is OK, it is harder from nylon or polyester based stuff :-)

formatting link
The short ones are Weller, the long ones are from the LS50. on the Weller tips you can see the metal piece that loses its magnetic properties connected to it at the right side.

The top one is Weller, used a lot with a wet sponge, tip will erode away just above the plating. Then an other bigger Weller, not much used, and one up from bottom a Weller cleaned with paper towel.

The bottom one is the size I normally use (SMDs etc), and now 13 years later even looks better:

formatting link
From left to right: Weller number 7, Weller number 7, Weller number 7, LS50 tips. Those numbers, engraved on the tips, indicate the temperature, number 7 is 370 C.

I usually, with the LS50, work at much lower temperatures, with 60/40 solder at 270 or 320C, 375C burns the insulation of magnet wire.

In a very big US company I worked someone in the production department cleaned the tips by rubbing on: a big blob of solder! That is where I came up with the idea of a using paper towel for cleaning. Fold it a couple of times, no worry, it does not even catch fire at 370C, neither does it burn your fingers, just leaves some black stripes on the paper from the accumulated crap on the tips.

Soldering irons is a bit like religions, everybody has their own and is always right. So for what it is worth :-)

When soldering on the Pi (If you MUST, you should not have to) beware of static discharge, do not use one of those directly mains powered irons etc. And do not use a soldering gun, somebody enthusiastically told me, hey I bough a soldering gun, now I can do... No you cannot. :-)

Reply to
Jan Panteltje

:-)

Good tip to use paper to clean Weller tips, though. Mine went exactly the same way, but as I said, it was a older 45 watt type, which I ran off a simple transformer and diode block, probably with a smoothing electrolytic as well.

These days I'm using a Maplins (RIP) DC iron with a settable temp (but no actual temp display), but at least the iron hasn't done any static- related damage (yet). Disposable. When it breaks I'll get something a bit better.

:-)

I had a solder gun when I was young and stupid, but quickly found it was useless for both electrical and mechanical soldering.

I do all light mechanical soldering with a 56g copper iron with a wooden handle heated over a gas ring. I use Baker's Fluid as the flux and clean the iron with Bakers fluid and a small file. Simple. Traditional. Works every time.

If you need to do this type of soldering, the gory details are here:

formatting link

--
Martin    | martin at 
Gregorie  | gregorie dot org
Reply to
Martin Gregorie

I miss my old Weller. I bought it 2nd hand and I had it for 35 years and used it very regularly and one day it just stopped. I think the transformer decided to give up after all those years. Used a wet sponge on it all the time without any issues.

formatting link

In desperation, I bought a cheapish temp controlled one (from Maplin) with a view to replacing it with a Metcal one day - but that was 3 years ago and I'm still waiting for it to stop working or need a new tip, despite near daily use with a wet sponge.

Gordon

Reply to
Gordon Henderson

Aldi had a temp-controlled soldering iron with conical tip for under twenty quid, a couple of weeks ago, if you're in the UK. Still some in stock last time I looked.

Owain

Reply to
spuorgelgoog

I was given what looks like an identical Weller to yours, but its stand was just that so, as I said elsewhere, I put a suitably sized transformer in a box and screwed the stand on top of that. It was a good iron for many years but eventually the wet sponge (or something) ate a hole in one side of the bit and that was that.

Same here, though my original Maplins died after several years. Its slightly more expensive replacement is still going strong, though admittedly it doesn't get the amount of use as its predecessor.

--
Martin    | martin at 
Gregorie  | gregorie dot org
Reply to
Martin Gregorie

Just don't get used to wiping on your jeans and one day forget you're wearing shorts. :-o

You do if you bought one without GPIO header pins.

The main thing I use my soldering gun for is cutting thermoplastics.

Reply to
Rob Morley

On a sunny day (Tue, 26 Jun 2018 16:10:37 +0100) it happened Rob Morley wrote in :

That is now what I use the eroded Weller tip for, it does fit into the LS50, temperature controlled hole making and cutting.

But really, dremel is better and does not smell so much.

Reply to
Jan Panteltje

i find my finger tips adequate (they soon build up immunity to the temp)

--
There is hopeful symbolism in the fact that flags do not wave in a vacuum. 
		-- Arthur C. Clarke
Reply to
Alister

This:

formatting link
?

Reply to
Peter Percival

That depends very much on the application: cutting textiles with heat can seal the edges to prevent fraying. Also thin rigid plastics cut with heat can have a thickened bead along the edge that reinforces it and avoids making a rough/sharp edge.

Reply to
Rob Morley

On a sunny day (Wed, 27 Jun 2018 14:35:08 +0100) it happened Rob Morley wrote in :

Yes, some applicatons, sure. I tried plastic welding with it, but modern glue is amazing. The rim along the edges is what I what to get rid of when making holes for say connectors... I found this the perfect tool to make holes in plastic for 3.5 mm phono jacks:

formatting link
:-)

Reply to
Jan Panteltje

Still use my Weller TCP (as you describe above) which I bought at university 38 years ago, and has had loads of use. Been through lots of bits (the iron plating wears off after a while, and then they don't wet nicely), but the iron is the original. I ordered the iron and PSU through the university physics department. The lab technician crossed the PSU off my order and gave me an old broken one instead, saying "I'm sure you can fix that", which I did (the socket was loose, has rotated and shorted out the 24V supply, and blown the internal fuse), so the PSU is even older.

I also have an Antex TCS 50W temperature controlled iron which I carry around to repair events because it's lightweight without a base unit, and good value for money, but you'll struggle to find for any other iron with bits as good quality and wide range of shapes as the Weller TCP curie effect bits - a product line that's over 50 years old and still has every spare part available.

--
Andrew Gabriel 
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]
Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.