Desoldering question (Miller XMT welder repair)

Ignoramus1782 · 2008-01-30T06:53:03+00:00

I just finished a mini project. I fixed a "broken" Miller XMT 300CC/CV welding machine, which had the switch for the displaybroken. That switch was switching the display between showing voltageor current on a mini LED screen.The broken switch had to be desoldered and a new one had to besoldered in. The issue that I ran into was desoldering. I have a "Pace SMD 2000desoldering station" from my younger military surplus days. Thisstation has a tool that is like a soldering iron, but has a axial holein the tip and an adapter for a vacuum, and the built in vacuum. WhenI push on a pedal, the vacuum starts sucking through the tip. So Iwould melt the solder with the hot tip, push the pedal and...My problem was that it barely sucked. Not enough to vacuum in the solderfrom the circuit board. As a stopgap measure, I used my 1/3 HP vacuum pump by connecting it tothe desoldering tool and turning on at the proper moment. In the end, it all worked, the old switch was removed, a new oneinstalled, and the welder has a working selector of V vs. A display.All this leads me to the conclusion that something is wrong with thevacuum pump on this station. Would you say that it should provide verystrong suction?Any experience here?i

Jan 30, 2008 61 Replies

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Arfa Daily 18 years ago

Sweet! What did you use to design / print the front panel ? Last few years, I've been using the drawing facilities embedded in MSWord (they actually work very well, and are very accurate, once you get to grips with them), and then printing out and laminating the result. This is then stuck to the front panel using a spray contact adhesive that my mate the carpet fitter gave me. It's very good, but it gives you no second chance ...

Arfa

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Dave Plowman (News) 18 years ago

Designed using Draw on my RISC OS computer and made with the anodised aluminium printing system from RS Components. Not cheap but good value for one offs. And gives a very robust finish.

*If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting? Dave Plowman dave@davenoise.co.uk London SW To e-mail, change noise into sound.

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