[Elecraft] Weller ... and other ... soldering-gun tips

[Ken Kopp]

For years I've only used solid copper wire for the tips.  There's
nothing "special" about Weller's tips, other than being made from 
sorta-square wire and with a molded tip.

Wire sizes of #14 through #10 are appropiate, depending on the
wattage of the gun.  If you don't have suitable sizes in your wire
bin, purchase a couple of feet of TW house wire at a hardware
or "big-box" store and remove the insulation.  A few minutes with
wire cutters and (sturdy) long-nose pliers and you'll have a stock
of tips.  I form mine in the shape of a "V".  There's no reason for
the offset shape, other than accomoite the pattern of the lamp.

Another tip;  If you have a two-heat gun, open one side of the
case and reverse the two wires on the switch.  This will, of course,
reverse the high and low heat positions of the switch and will make
the fully-pulled switch position your normal one.

Forget trying to keep the light working!  It's a notorious short-coming
of Weller guns. (;-(

73! Ken Kopp - K0PP