[Elecraft] Re: Weller

[jfedison at alum.rpi.edu]

Leigh,
I found the advice from Jerry below very useful and the solution to my
WTCPT problem.

Jeff


<-----Original Message-----> 
>From: Jeremiah McCarthy
>Sent: 1/11/2006 11:33:11 AM
>To: jfedison at alum.rpi.edu
>Subject: Re: Weller
>
>Jeff:
> 
>I use the same 700 degree tips and they last for YEARS!!!...I am an
Elecraft 
>builder who has built more than 50 units plus all the side goodies...
> 
>It sounds like the tip is getting too hot...The magnetic plunger up
inside the 
>heater barrel might be frozen...It should move up and down freely...It
should 
>spring back if you insert a small screw driver up inside the barrel and
push 
>the plunger in after the tip has been removed...If it is frozen, the
handle can 
>be dis-assembled and the plunger can be freed up...It MUST move
freely...You 
>should be able to hear the plunger clicking back and forth after the
iron is up 
>to temperature...If you need parts, you might try contacting Gregory
Beat, the 
>Weller guru who posted to the reflector a couple of days ago...
> 
>I use rosin core Kester 44, .020 diameter, but any solder with an RMA
flux 
>rating will work...I had some minor problems with deposits when I used 
>multicore solder...I surmise that one of the fluxes burned and coated
the 
>tip...I do not use multicore anymore...If you are using the wrong
solder, that 
>might be a problem...
> 
>I personally do not like the pot scrubbers as tip cleaners...We tried
those at 
>Grumman years ago and the company felt that they shortened tip life
because of 
>the abrasive action that gradually shaves away the coating...Further,
the 
>Weller spec sheet that I have here warns against using abrasive tip 
>cleaners...I stick with the wet sponge...I find that, while the pot
scrubber 
>does clean the tip, it leaves tiny beads of molten solder all around
the tip 
>that tend to suddenly wick down into the joint and overload it...This
is a 
>problem if one is doing fine SM soldering...The wet sponge wipes the
tip clean 
>and does not leave beads of molten solder behind on the tip...If you
want, I 
>can try to attach the spec sheet to an e-mail...Depending on your
e-mail 
>provider, it does not always work...73
> 
>Jerry, wa2dkg