[Boatanchors] Weller Soldering tips

Fri Apr 15 17:05:32 EDT 2011

I recently "stumbled upon" a care technique for the plated tips on the 
soldering stations
Periodically dip the tip into a tin of soldering paste. It comes out bright 
and shiny and those plated tips last a lot longer. Around here the irons run 
8 hours a day and at least 5 days a week so they do see a lot of use. Still 
using the Weller WTCP's after about 25 years.
Paul K0UYA
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bob W5UQ" <W5UQ at att.NET>
To: "Ken Kaplan" <krkaplan at cox.net>
Cc: <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, April 15, 2011 3:46 PM
Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] Weller Soldering tips


>I have been using Weller since 1952 and you are 100% right Ken.  Just
> like anything else, take care of it.  Learn what care it needs.
>
> I just traded my Jeep Grand Cherokee, that I dearly loved, for a new
> model.  Went from 2000 to 2011.
> My 2000 Jeep looked new inside.  The engine looked fairly new even
> though it had 136,000 plus miles on it.
> I changed the liquids, etc. on time and it gave me faithful service.  We
> drove it all over the USA, even to Canada and Mexico.
>
> Our tools need to be taken care of too.  However, I have to admit that
> some of my tools aren't taken care of like I should.  And, I have to
> admit that I really don't clean my soldering tips as often as I should.
> I have three soldering stations, an expensive Hako, a Weller and an Edsyn.
> Thank you for bringing this subject up.  I will be more diligent in
> their care in the future.
> I had slipped into bad habits without realizing it.
>
> Bob Hardie
> W5UQ
> PS... I use my big Weller gun periodically and it "does the job".
> Distributing the heat "IS the secret" and knowing how to do so.
>
> and the beat goes onnnnnn!
>
> Good will and happiness is contagious.
> So don't stop spreading it.
>
> SEE my website: W5UQ.com
> aka: A25UQ, V31UQ&  VP2EEU.
> QRZ.com is accurate for all calls.
> I Will be adding ZF2UQ in July.
>
>
>
> On 4/15/2011 3:32 PM, Ken Kaplan wrote:
>> Interesting how everyone has a favorite soldering tool. I have used a
>> Weller TCP-1 since the 1970's. I've changed the tip about 3 times. I
>> also have a Wen 250 watt gun that I got around 1960. Keeping tips
>> working on the gun was a challenge until I learned how to better care
>> for them. I've actually used the gun to assemble a Heathkit OM-3 scope.
>> Trick is to manage the heat. About a year ago, I worked for a company
>> that repaired large UPS systems. The systems used thick circuit boards
>> with lots of foil. I had to pre-heat the board with a very hot air
>> blower and use the Wen gun to remove some IGBTs. As long as the Wen tip
>> is clean at its connection points, cold to solder melt time is less than
>> 5 seconds. There have been times where I have needed to wear a glove
>> because the gun case got too hot to hold.
>>
>> Keep the tips clean with a wet sponge and/or stainless steel scrub pad
>> and things should be fine. Don't file or grind them or their plating
>> will be removed. Geesh, I just realized that I've been using the Wen for
>> 51 years and the Weller for 36 years. YMMV
>>
>> Ken kb7rgg
>>
>> On 4/15/2011 12:42 PM, David C. Hallam wrote:
>>> I don't think Wen makes soldering guns anymore.  I had several and got
>>> rid of them because I couldn't get replacement tips.  I got tired of
>>> waiting for the tip to get hot and replacing burned out tips.  Besides a
>>> soldering iron is much more practical for radio work.  I now use a nice
>>> Hako soldering station and a great big old iron if I have to do
>>> something like unsoldering a capacitor can from a chassis.  I could
>>> never get enough heat from a 200W Weller gun I have to do that job.
>>>
>>> David
>>> KW4DH
>>>
>>> On 4/15/2011 3:25 PM, Paul Kraemer wrote:
>>>> DoesWEN still have those plated iron tips? That is a big advantage of 
>>>> using
>>>> a Weller if you care about craftsmanship. Only thing I ever thought a 
>>>> WEN
>>>> was good for was starting the charcoal in the bbq and doing wood 
>>>> burning
>>>> projects.
>>>> I have three different Weller guns from 70w to 250w and all are great 
>>>> for
>>>> some purpose.
>>>> Precision soldering is always done with a temperature controlled iron 
>>>> either
>>>> a Weller or a Hako with an appropriate wattage tip.
>>>> Paul K0UYA
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "john fitzsimmons"<w3jn at yahoo.com>
>>>> To: "David Knepper"<collinsradio at comcast.net>
>>>> Cc:<boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>
>>>> Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2011 11:13 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] Weller Soldering tips
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Get an old Wen soldering gun and you'll have almost instant tip heating 
>>>> and
>>>> you'll never need to mess with tips again. I have my dad's old Wen from
>>>> about 1960, and have never replaced/tightened/otherwise messed with/ 
>>>> the
>>>> tip.
>>>>
>>>> Why Wellers are so popular is beyond me. They have a truly terrible 
>>>> design.
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