Soldering guns and irons

[goraman]

I have never had a tempeture controled solder station.
I mostly use my 25 watt Weller pencil iron from the 1960's with the old school screw in tips.

My other tool is a late 70's WEN solder gun that uses 3 tips from 25 watts to 450 watts.The light tip 25-100w the med 100w -200w the heavy 200-450w.
My Dad got it for me in 1979 as I was building a crystal radio set. http://books.google.com/books?id=CyoDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA126&lpg=PA126&dq=wen+450+soldering+gun&source=bl&ots=uDkTzIPzNy&sig=_G3hHevFgkVOI2hG11ncahKcdfk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=LftST9XUK7DYiAKw4eW0Bg&sqi=2&ved=0CIABEOgBMAg#v=onepage&q=wen%20450%20soldering%20gun&f=false
http://books.google.com/books?id=QeMDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA178&lpg=PA178&dq=wen+450+soldering+gun&source=bl&ots=pZMvJao8Rc&sig=pORt83ku49ewh6PWIe3mnpW_yxc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=LftST9XUK7DYiAKw4eW0Bg&sqi=2&ved=0CHoQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=wen%20450%20soldering%20gun&f=false

I seem to have misplaced the heavy tip and found a complete gun with tips on ebay.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/230746494057?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649#ht_500wt_1127
I found some extra light duty tips too, there the ones I use the most.
The med tip is good for binding posts ect. The heavy is good for soldering to a buss bar or ground rod.
What do you use?
I'm sure there is some cool well used solder gear on the forum!

[Disles1]

This item has now been discontinued and replaced but I like the convenience, power and control of a soldering station like the Hakko 936.

[audioquiz]

I have never had a tempeture controled solder station.
I mostly use my 25 watt Weller pencil iron from the 1960's with the old school screw in tips.

My other tool is a late 70's WEN solder gun that uses 3 tips from 25 watts to 450 watts.The light tip 25-100w the med 100w -200w the heavy 200-450w.
My Dad got it for me in 1979 as I was building a crystal radio set. http://books.google.com/books?id=CyoDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA126&lpg=PA126&dq=wen+450+soldering+gun&source=bl&ots=uDkTzIPzNy&sig=_G3hHevFgkVOI2hG11ncahKcdfk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=LftST9XUK7DYiAKw4eW0Bg&sqi=2&ved=0CIABEOgBMAg#v=onepage&q=wen%20450%20soldering%20gun&f=false
http://books.google.com/books?id=QeMDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA178&lpg=PA178&dq=wen+450+soldering+gun&source=bl&ots=pZMvJao8Rc&sig=pORt83ku49ewh6PWIe3mnpW_yxc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=LftST9XUK7DYiAKw4eW0Bg&sqi=2&ved=0CHoQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=wen%20450%20soldering%20gun&f=false

I seem to have misplaced the heavy tip and found a complete gun with tips on ebay.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/230746494057?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649#ht_500wt_1127
I found some extra light duty tips too, there the ones I use the most.
The med tip is good for binding posts ect. The heavy is good for soldering to a buss bar or ground rod.
What do you use?
I'm sure there is some cool well used solder gear on the forum!
50watt plus is best in my inpionion

[goraman]

50watt plus is best in my inpionion

Best for what application?,not soldering binding posts...
I think it's best to have variable heat ranges.
Oh, you mean in an adjustable solder station?

[goraman]

Some how I thought we would see loads of pictures of well loved and worn solder irons and guns with countless hours of service on them.
Guess not...

[Reid Malenfant]

I use a 50W Weller TCP, temperature controlled pencil I reckon. Powered from a 24V AC transformer as standard :) No problems soldering quite big cables of up to 6mm^2

If I need more juice I go to a solder gun.... Not quite so keen on these now I understand how they work though & in a way I can't say I'm surprised that i keep having problems with the tips coming loose :rolleyes:

Effectively they are a transformer with the tip as the one secondary turn, one turn & loadsa current... While the main part of that single secondary turn is thick metal, the tip is thinner so it gets as hot as hell...

Just like a wire passing too much current, which strangely is exactly what it is :eyebrows:

[goraman]

I use a 50W Weller TCP, temperature controlled pencil I reckon. Powered from a 24V AC transformer as standard :) No problems soldering quite big cables of up to 6mm^2

If I need more juice I go to a solder gun.... Not quite so keen on these now I understand how they work though & in a way I can't say I'm surprised that i keep having problems with the tips coming loose :rolleyes:

Effectively they are a transformer with the tip as the one secondary turn, one turn & loadsa current... While the main part of that single secondary turn is thick metal, the tip is thinner so it gets as hot as hell...

Just like a wire passing too much current, which strangely is exactly what it is :eyebrows:

Yup, Mine will hit 450 watts! That gets rockin hot fast,thats even to much for a big copper binding post.

[goraman]

OK, I need to get more braid and my metal can of Kester flux is all used up.
But here is my old Weller SP-23 pencil iron with a stylish white cord and old tip and a new tip next to it. And the old WEN 450 with a Med tip I got in 1978 and another WEN 450 with the light,med and Heavy 450 watt tip! and 12 new 25w to 100 watt tips that haven't been made for years.I have an old spool of lead Kester solder,some WBT,CardasQ-E and some Radio Shack stuff both lead and tin/silver. This is all my soldering stuff except a propane torch and my old Wagner heat gun.
I know it's a little getto, a solder station would be neater but my work bench is the kitchen table.

The small tip 25-100 watts
The med tip 100-200 watts
The heavy tip 200-450 watts!:eek:

Lets see some pictures guys!
Of work stations solder stations ect...
Where the magic happens.

[WOStantonCS100]

This item has now been discontinued and replaced but I like the convenience, power and control of a soldering station like the Hakko 936.

+1

I've had my Hakko 936 for 5 or 6 years, love the thing. Yes, indeed.

[Ammonite Audio]

Some years ago I bought a cheap temperature controlled soldering station from Maplin, and I was happy until I realised that it had blitzed some sensitive components in my Paul Hynes SR3 PSU when I changed the mains transformer (Paul very kindly fixed it for free). My mate Tony has a Weller digital soldering station and I now think that it's worth paying (quite a lot) for quality; also the Weller seems able to provide an enormous amount of heat very quickly and safely through a pencil tip. When I get back from my trip abroad, I shall be treating myself to a Weller.

[goraman]

I started this thread because my nearly 3 year old Conner watches me intently when I am soldering and I would like him to learn when he gets a little older all the basic stuff I have learned.(It shouldn't take long as I don't know a whole lot) but maybe enough to get him interested. A good solder station he can grow into and keep for years like the old solder gun my Dad got for me in 78. Something he will still be able to get tips for in twenty years.
I wanted to see if there was a common this is the work horse rig out there, much like the Vaughn framing hammer or the model 77 skill saw. Some tools are a standard by which all others are judged.
I also just wanted to see what other people use make and repair there gear with.

[pete_mac]

I use a nice little inexpensive 40W Micron T2443 temperature-adjustable soldering station with a tiny chisel tip and it does the job brilliantly. I've used it for all of my amplifier recapping work, speaker tweaking etc. Unfortunately the first one that I bought was replaced under warranty, but since then I have had no such problems. I also bought a cheap two speed fan to blow away the solder fumes/smoke from my face.

[Hypnotoad]

Hakko 936 is the best iron I have used, I have done thousands of joints with it and it's as good as the day I bought it. You won't be sorry.

The new replacement is supposed to be even better.

[pete_mac]

I'd love a Hakko. Dad has a Hakko desoldering station which is the bees knees - it makes short work of amplifier restoration vs a hand-held solder sucker!

[Reffc]

I'd love a Hakko. Dad has a Hakko desoldering station which is the bees knees - it makes short work of amplifier restoration vs a hand-held solder sucker!

I have several soldering irons (as you might imagine!) but my longest serving iron with great temperature control and interchangeable tips was a relatively inexpensive Maplins digital soldering station. About £50 as far as I can remember and does the job very nicely indeed.

[Effem]

I'm still using a Maplins temperature controlled station and for the money it has always performed as expected.

[YNWaN]

I've used temperature controlled stations but I only really ever use a 25w iron - I've never killed a component with heat directly, just take care.

[pete_mac]

I have several soldering irons (as you might imagine!) but my longest serving iron with great temperature control and interchangeable tips was a relatively inexpensive Maplins digital soldering station. About £50 as far as I can remember and does the job very nicely indeed.

Funnily enough, whilst Dad uses the Hakko desoldering station, he uses the same little Micron 40W soldering station that I do. It was around $AUD90 from memory, so priced similarly to the Maplins unit. Dad's has been bullet-proof so far and has had a LOT of use.

[northwest]

much like the Vaughn framing hammer or the model 77 skill saw. Some tools are a standard by which all others are judged.
I also just wanted to see what other people use make and repair there gear with.

with respect, though good it isn't a patch on the Estwing 24oz hammer and my backup was the 16oz True Temper framing hammer. Yes, I can swing (could) swing a 24oz hammer all day long. Not for the faint hearted though.

[goraman]

with respect, though good it isn't a patch on the Estwing 24oz hammer and my backup was the 16oz True Temper framing hammer. Yes, I can swing (could) swing a 24oz hammer all day long. Not for the faint hearted though.

I had a Big Estwing Framer , A little hard on the joints isn't it?
After a couple of days anything with a Hickory handle will due.
The shock just kills you,but for some reason I didn't have the same problem with my Estwing roofing hammer that still serves me after 30+ years.

[northwest]

I had a Big Estwing Framer , A little hard on the joints isn't it?
After a couple of days anything with a Hickory handle will due.
The shock just kills you,but for some reason I didn't have the same problem with my Estwing roofing hammer that still serves me after 30+ years.

My right hand is full of titanium holding it together. So yes, it fsks the joints. The arthritis is setting in now so I am going to pay the price. We were indestructible at the time though:)

[goraman]

Your the first person I ever talked to that could swing an Estwing for a full week.
The steel handle doesn't dampen the shock of impact so the shock is absorbed by every joint from your fingers to your shoulder.

In roofing you never need to do more than pop a 2 inch nail through a softer ceder shake or a thin piece of comp.
Driving a 16 penny nail through 4 inches of green pine with an Estwing makes a 8-10 hour day end in a painful sleepless night.
You never picked up another hammer and said Wow!
And no one ever told you to try hickory and save your self,some roofers won't even use them. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00938217000P?sid=IDx20070921x00003a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=00938217000

This handle became popular and holds up to nail pulling a little better if you don't always carry a cats paw.It uses a modified hatchet handle very comfortable grip point.
http://www.amazon.com/Vaughan-Bushnell-Professional-California-Hickory/dp/B00586ZSI0

[northwest]

Your the first person I ever talked to that could swing an Estwing for a full week.
The steel handle doesn't dampen the shock of impact so the shock is absorbed by every joint from your fingers to your shoulder.

In roofing you never need to do more than pop a 2 inch nail through a softer ceder shake or a thin piece of comp.
Driving a 16 penny nail through 4 inches of green pine with an Estwing makes a 8-10 hour day end in a painful sleepless night.
You never picked up another hammer and said Wow!
And no one ever told you to try hickory and save your self,some roofers won't even use them. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00938217000P?sid=IDx20070921x00003a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=00938217000

This handle became popular and holds up to nail pulling a little better if you don't always carry a cats paw.It uses a modified hatchet handle very comfortable grip point.
http://www.amazon.com/Vaughan-Bushnell-Professional-California-Hickory/dp/B00586ZSI0

My problem is, I swung the hammer for far too many years, like I said above - we were indestructable!
16 penny nails, like five quarter timber - a language I enjoyed learning immensely. We are being unkind to the Brits now though:lol: