Choosing a Soldering Iron?

[doilum 1,109]

1 hour ago, melmerby said:

Warp factor 11?

http://No. Volume! ( Spinal Tap)

[Steamport Southport 11,237]

4 minutes ago, doilum said:

http://No. Volume! ( Spinal Tap)

 

Off topic, but have you noticed the BBC iPlayer/Sounds thing goes up to 11 as well!

[spamcan61 1,386]

1 hour ago, melmerby said:

My Adcola irons are claimed to be 400 degrees

If you're dealing with lead free solder you want to be up around 400-420

[melmerby 14,243]

3 minutes ago, spamcan61 said:

If you're dealing with lead free solder you want to be up around 400-420

My Adcola irons were made before the era of lead free solder!

[down the sdjr 404]

3 hours ago, doilum said:

If in doubt go for "11"!

Don't tempt me, I do have another hobby other than trains. The soldering iron may be 75w but these beauties are 300w each speaker cab.

 

[Torper 1,861]

Just to clarify, my "full blast" is 450 degrees.  If the iron is up to it, I don't see the point of using a lower temperature unless the specific nature of the work requires it.

 

DT

[Erixtar1992 1,097]

May be a bit late, but i use an 80W Atten iron which i purchased from dcc concepts.

 

its probably the best bit of money i have spent since i started going mad rewiring locos/decoders and building white metal kits.

 

comes with a fine and a blunt tip,  has temp control with digital display and gets up to temp in around 10-15 seconds.

also goes into sleep mode if not used for a while, eventually turning off.

 

its excellent.

[polybear 22,240]

On 26/11/2020 at 22:50, Phil Parker said:

I understand that you don't want to mix the solders on the tips, although I'm not convinced. Powerflow flux works for both after all.

 

I asked Tony Wright about separate tips for solder a while back (I believe I may have read it in an Iain Rice book once); Tony had never heard it and uses the same tip whatever the solder.

 

On 29/11/2020 at 08:53, Torper said:

I use full blast on most things unless there is some specific reason not to (which is fairly rare).

 

DT

 

Am I right in thinking that 145 may give off nasty fumes if too high a temp is used?

[Phil Parker 11,719]

5 minutes ago, polybear said:

I asked Tony Wright about separate tips for solder a while back (I believe I may have read it in an Iain Rice book once); Tony had never heard it and uses the same tip whatever the solder.

 

I read the same book and would agree that my experience is that the tips don't get eaten - but I might just be lucky, or doing it wrong! I'm sure there is some science to prove who is right.

[Torper 1,861]

8 hours ago, polybear said:

Am I right in thinking that 145 may give off nasty fumes if too high a temp is used?

 

Some 145 solders contain cadmium which can give off toxic fumes at 320 degrees and even with 145 solder many people will be using irons at temperatures above that.  Not all 145 solders contain cadmium, however - in fact I understand that cadmium has now been banned as a filler in solders, but check before you buy.  Many solders and fluxes give off fumes which is one reason I like to use a hot iron - quickly in, quickly out.

 

DT

Edited December 1, 2020 by Torper

[spamcan61 1,386]

16 hours ago, Phil Parker said:

 

I read the same book and would agree that my experience is that the tips don't get eaten - but I might just be lucky, or doing it wrong! I'm sure there is some science to prove who is right.

In terms of mixing solders that's always a big no-no at work as you end up with a joint of unknown metal composition and potential long term reliability problems; in the the context of toy trains then fine no issue: the only time I've seen tips eaten away is with persistent use of strong acid fluxes as may be used for loco construction.

[hayfield 8,299]

Its worse going from low melt to high melt as the joint yo need to be strong ends up semi low melt. Clean the tip on a bit of scrap brass first