[Boatanchors] Weller Soldering tips

[Ken Kaplan]

Hmm - what model of Wen was that? The Wen model 250 that I've had since 
1960 uses a solid 0.165 inch diameter plated copper "wire" that slips 
into the secondary posts. They flattened the "wire" to make the tip. You 
can see a picture here:

http://members.cox.net/krkaplan/Wen-250.jpg

Could be wrong but I don't recall any ceramic material in it. I've had 
the tip wire become oxidized or otherwise dirty where it enters the 
holders. I have also had a tip burn and break apart. That was pretty 
much my fault. I was a young grasshopper and didn't know much about tip 
cleaning/tinning. Even worse, I filed the tip to get it clean. This 
resulted in a clean but thinner and unplated tip which eventually got 
too hot and burnt open.

Ken

On 4/15/2011 1:35 PM, David C. Hallam wrote:
> Wen used an entirely different type of tip.  Their tip was a tube with
> one contact running through the tube to the tip on the end.  That wire
> was insulated from the tube with a ceramic material.  Either the wire
> would burn out or eventually break off in the gun where the contact
> screw tightened on it.
>
> David
> KW4DH