Weller magnastat soldering iron problem

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Wed, 1 Aug 2018 15:29:59 -0500, Fox's Mercantile <jdangus@att.net>
wrote:

What is the fascination everyone has with insisting on NOT
using original parts on anything?

I'll stop insisting when the prices on genuine OEM parts drop
sufficiently:
<https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?SearchText=soldering+sponges&productId=32411300965>
$0.65/ea is a long way from $5.00/ea.

Over the years I have built up a stock pile of original
parts and accessories for everything I own.

You must be a Prepper. I spent the first half century of my life
collecting all that. My next half century will be dedicated to
selling or recycling most of that junk.

Your purpose in life is to consume, pollute, and overpopulate.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

 

[Fox's Mercantile]

On 8/1/18 5:36 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
> You must be a Prepper.

Now that's funny. Preppers are a special type of stupid
because they think THEY are the ones that will survive
the (hoped for) apocalypse.
Wait until your neighbors figure out you're the only one
with food. Good luck with that.
Or you "bug out" like you planned, get to your secret
hidey hole stocked with survival stuff. Then you find out
how much of your survival stuff requires gasoline, or
electricity or manufactured stuff (like ammunition) to
work.

No, I grew up in Los Angeles, all of my stock pile of
OEM spare parts was acquired at surplus stores, swapmeets,
garage and estate sales And the occasion "Score!" on eBay
the Free Cycle mailing lists or Craig's list.



--
"I am a river to my people."
Jeff-1.0
WA6FWi
http:foxsmercantile.com

 

[pfjw@aol.com]

On Wednesday, August 1, 2018 at 5:49:59 PM UTC-4, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

If I can find some melamine sponge, it should work without water:
https://patents.google.com/patent/US8109430
Same with a brass or stainless scrubber.

Melamine, when exposed to heat, breaks down into its original components. They are: cyanamide & formaldehyde. The one is a respiratory irritant and suspected carcinogen, the other highly toxic and a definite carcinogen. Magic Erasers are largely made of Melamine, you might consider slicing one of those for the purposes. But, DO remember what happens to them when heated.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

 

[John-Del]

One day a few years ago when I was waiting for parts for my last working Weller station and using my road kit soldering iron, I ordered two of these on ebay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/60W-Pencil-Type-Adjustable-Electric-Temperature-Welding-Soldering-Iron-Tool-110V/323356776835?hash=item4b4990d983:g:2jMAAOSwcVZbUAzf

These have been pretty much all I've been using since. Except for a needle point iron (EC4000) for very fine work or for anti-static considerations, I've retired the Wellers. These cheap irons are 60W heads and adjustable, although turning them all the way up is way too hot.

These never break. Never. Not the heaters nor the wire. I don't have to worry about changing the expensive heaters or therm sensors in the Wellers anymore, or have them go cold/hot during a job because the of another intermittent wire break. There are two cons to these. The first is that the tips are not the greatest, but they're good enough and you get 5 included. The second is that the iron is not regulated. This has never been a problem as the unit's ceramic heater gets the heat to the tip quite quickly. I also use a tiny schmear of neverseize at the tip collar where it contacts the barrel.

I bought these to keep strictly for emergency backup to the Wellers, but now I use them every day and bought another for my road kit.

 

[Fox's Mercantile]

On 8/2/18 9:15 AM, John-Del wrote:

One day a few years ago when I was waiting for parts for my
last working Weller station

I don't understand John. Is there some special ordering code
for defective Weller equipment?

My first Weller was the soldering gun in 1968. Still have it,
it still works. Shortly after getting hired at TRW in 1973, I
was introduced to the TCP magnastat series. I've owned and
used them up until 2001 when I bought the WES51 style. I have
a pair of the DS600 desoldering stations.

In all this time, other than tips, I've had to replace the
cord on a TCP twice (two different units) and a heating element
once. I haven't had any problems with the desoldering stations,
nor have I had any problems with the WES stations that are now
17 years old.


--
"I am a river to my people."
Jeff-1.0
WA6FWi
http:foxsmercantile.com

 

[John-Del]

On Thursday, August 2, 2018 at 10:48:13 AM UTC-4, Fox's Mercantile wrote:

On 8/2/18 9:15 AM, John-Del wrote:
One day a few years ago when I was waiting for parts for my
last working Weller station

I don't understand John. Is there some special ordering code
for defective Weller equipment?

My first Weller was the soldering gun in 1968. Still have it,
it still works. Shortly after getting hired at TRW in 1973, I
was introduced to the TCP magnastat series. I've owned and
used them up until 2001 when I bought the WES51 style. I have
a pair of the DS600 desoldering stations.

In all this time, other than tips, I've had to replace the
cord on a TCP twice (two different units) and a heating element
once. I haven't had any problems with the desoldering stations,
nor have I had any problems with the WES stations that are now
17 years old.


--
"I am a river to my people."
Jeff-1.0
WA6FWi
http:foxsmercantile.com

I have no answers Jeff, only my personal experience. Maybe I'm just tough on soldering equipment.

I've had many Weller heaters and sensors fail over the years as well as breaks in the wires, and was spending more to keep these things running than I was my truck (okay, hyperbole but still..), and I don't think I ever visited a repair shop that didn't have a Weller pencil handle with tape folding the wire back over itself to keep it in contact.

The last straw was the handle for the EC4000 that quit after about a year with minimal bench usage. I forgot what I paid for that but it wasn't cheap..

I replaced it again because there are times when I need an exceptionally fine tip but I use it maybe two or three times a year at most to preserve it.

Otherwise, it's the cheap Chinese ebay 60W pencils that I've been using every day, most of the day. Not one has crapped out in almost three years, and even if one did, I have another $8 one brand new on the wall still in it's little baggie. I spent less for these than the shipping cost of getting Weller parts to my shop.

You know what else I've gone cheap on? Shaving razors. I now buy Trac II generic blades:

https://www.amazon.com/Personna-Twin-TWIN-Razor-blades/dp/B003MFXWUA/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1533224471&sr=8-1&keywords=tracii

If I replaced the blade once per week, I get two years for $15. Since I replace them once every two weeks, I get four years for $15 (that's just $4 per year), and I can't tell much difference between the generics and the Gillette.

 

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Thu, 2 Aug 2018 04:22:32 -0700 (PDT), "pfjw@aol.com"
<peterwieck33@gmail.com> wrote:

On Wednesday, August 1, 2018 at 5:49:59 PM UTC-4, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

If I can find some melamine sponge, it should work without water:
https://patents.google.com/patent/US8109430
Same with a brass or stainless scrubber.

Melamine, when exposed to heat, breaks down into its original
components. They are: cyanamide & formaldehyde. The one is a
respiratory irritant and suspected carcinogen, the other
highly toxic and a definite carcinogen. Magic Erasers are
largely made of Melamine, you might consider slicing one of
those for the purposes. But, DO remember what happens to
them when heated.

Good point. The patent mumbled something about it being safe because
the soldering iron is at a lower temperature than the breakdown
temperature for melamine (345 °C or 653 °F)[1].

Solder melts at various temperatures depending on composition.
Pb63/Sn37 melts at about 188 °C while the unleaded crap melts at about
220 °C. The soldering iron tip run somewhat hotter than this,
probably at 250 °C and 280 °C respectively. I'm not sure what my
Weller irons are running for a tip temperature, but I'll check. I
have a Hakko FG-100 buried somewhere.

Anyway, there seems to be a sufficient margin between the tip
temperature and where melamine breaks down.

[1] <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melamine>



--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

 

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Wed, 1 Aug 2018 22:19:15 -0500, Fox's Mercantile <jdangus@att.net>
wrote:

On 8/1/18 5:36 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
You must be a Prepper.

Now that's funny.

It was meant to be a compliment. The alternative is that you are a
junk collector, pack rat, or hoarder.

Preppers are a special type of stupid
because they think THEY are the ones that will survive
the (hoped for) apocalypse.

It's really a philosophical issue that distinguishes preppers from
survivalists. A prepper believe that the way to survive the Trump
administration is to run away to the hills when the SHTF. A
survivalists stocks up, fortifies his house, and prepares to fight off
everybody. I don't think spare parts for your electronic devices will
help in either case.

Wait until your neighbors figure out you're the only one
with food. Good luck with that.
Or you "bug out" like you planned, get to your secret
hidey hole stocked with survival stuff. Then you find out
how much of your survival stuff requires gasoline, or
electricity or manufactured stuff (like ammunition) to
work.

Yep. It's kinda like Y2K on steroids. I sold quite a few computahs
to those panicked by threat of a Y2K computer meltdown which didn't
happen. I'm sure various entrepreneurs notices and decided to
perpetuate the fears to generate some business.

No, I grew up in Los Angeles, all of my stock pile of
OEM spare parts was acquired at surplus stores, swapmeets,
garage and estate sales And the occasion "Score!" on eBay
the Free Cycle mailing lists or Craig's list.

Ditto, and in the same city (as you well know). At one time, I was
dragging home car loads of junk from the TRW flea market or JJ Glass.
Most of that has been recycles as I lacked the time to fix the stuff,
and the space to store it as its value depreciated. I also found it
less fashionable to be surrounded by electronic boat anchors. My lab
is still very much 1970-1980 vintage test equipment, which is well
worth keeping. But, if I buy any replacements, it will be something
much newer.

Incidentally, when I buy something on eBay, if I want to work, I buy
three. One to use, and two for spare parts:
<http://www.learnbydestroying.com/jeffl/pics/home/slides/BL-shop5.html>

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

 

[The Real Bev]

On 08/02/2018 12:55 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

On Wed, 1 Aug 2018 22:19:15 -0500, Fox's Mercantile <jdangus@att.net
wrote:

On 8/1/18 5:36 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
You must be a Prepper.

Now that's funny.

It was meant to be a compliment. The alternative is that you are a
junk collector, pack rat, or hoarder.

Preppers are a special type of stupid
because they think THEY are the ones that will survive
the (hoped for) apocalypse.

It's really a philosophical issue that distinguishes preppers from
survivalists. A prepper believe that the way to survive the Trump
administration is to run away to the hills when the SHTF. A
survivalists stocks up, fortifies his house, and prepares to fight off
everybody. I don't think spare parts for your electronic devices will
help in either case.

Civilization started when man made fire. I've got five gross of Bic
lighters packed in cosmoline in my basement. I'm good.

No, I grew up in Los Angeles, all of my stock pile of
OEM spare parts was acquired at surplus stores, swapmeets,
garage and estate sales And the occasion "Score!" on eBay
the Free Cycle mailing lists or Craig's list.

Ever hit C&H, L&R or Everett's in Pasadena?

Ditto, and in the same city (as you well know). At one time, I was
dragging home car loads of junk from the TRW flea market or JJ Glass.

Remember Durk Pearson in the skimpy leather shorts?

Olden tymes...

--
Cheers, Bev
"Johnston [Island] was the home of a U.S. chemical weapons disposal
facility for 10 years before operations ended in November 2000.
The island was turned into a wildlife preserve."
Š 2002 The Associated Press

 

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Thu, 2 Aug 2018 13:20:24 -0700, The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com>
wrote:

>Civilization started when man made fire.

Civilization started when man made fire and then offered to rent the
use of his camp fire to anyone who could pay the price. Commerce was
invented when the fire man started selling camp fire use licenses and
charging royalties for the resale of the fire he had invented.

I've got five gross of Bic
lighters packed in cosmoline in my basement. I'm good.

Good idea. It might be useful for self immolation if things go awry.
Cosmoline is petroleum based and quite flammable at high temperatures.
It just melts, drips, and runs at temperatures below the ignition
point, and then the whole thing erupts in flames once above the
ignition point. I found out the hard way when trying to "melt" the
stuff off a military surplus Jeep engine.

>Ever hit C&H, L&R or Everett's in Pasadena?

C&H yes. I don't recall L&R or Everett's. Pasadena was not on my
beaten path. Also, I escaped from Smog Angeles in about 1973.

Ditto, and in the same city (as you well know). At one time, I was
dragging home car loads of junk from the TRW flea market or JJ Glass.

Remember Durk Pearson in the skimpy leather shorts?
Olden tymes...

Nope.
<https://www.google.com/search?q=Durk+Pearson&tbm=isch>
In my spare time, I hung around Santa Monica where skimp leather
shorts were just one of the many de rigueur uniforms.
--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

 

[Fox's Mercantile]

On 8/2/18 3:20 PM, The Real Bev wrote:

Ever hit C&H, L&R or Everett's in Pasadena?

Ah yes, Cutthroat and Highprice.
And of course JJ Glass, and previously Palley's.

> Remember Durk Pearson in the skimpy leather shorts?

Those weren't shorts, it was more like a thong.

Personally, I liked the dwarf running around more.


--
"I am a river to my people."
Jeff-1.0
WA6FWi
http:foxsmercantile.com

 

[The Real Bev]

On 08/02/2018 04:11 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

On Thu, 2 Aug 2018 13:20:24 -0700, The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com
wrote:

Civilization started when man made fire.

Civilization started when man made fire and then offered to rent the
use of his camp fire to anyone who could pay the price. Commerce was
invented when the fire man started selling camp fire use licenses and
charging royalties for the resale of the fire he had invented.

And Law was invented when the lincensee attacked the licenser with his
spiky club when the licensee's fire ceased operation after the first
rainstorm.

I've got five gross of Bic
lighters packed in cosmoline in my basement. I'm good.

Good idea. It might be useful for self immolation if things go awry.
Cosmoline is petroleum based and quite flammable at high temperatures.
It just melts, drips, and runs at temperatures below the ignition
point, and then the whole thing erupts in flames once above the
ignition point. I found out the hard way when trying to "melt" the
stuff off a military surplus Jeep engine.

The BOX is covered with cosmoline!

Ever hit C&H, L&R or Everett's in Pasadena?

C&H yes. I don't recall L&R or Everett's. Pasadena was not on my
beaten path. Also, I escaped from Smog Angeles in about 1973.

L&R was further to the east, and was owned by Pappy Dow of Dow Radio
fame. Dow went belly up maybe 10 years ago, but it had a good run. We
did our heavy shopping in 1962-4.

C&H closed maybe 10 years ago. The sign is still there, but it was some
sort of fitness club last time I looked.

Ditto, and in the same city (as you well know). At one time, I was
dragging home car loads of junk from the TRW flea market or JJ Glass.

Remember Durk Pearson in the skimpy leather shorts?
Olden tymes...

Nope.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Durk+Pearson&tbm=isch
In my spare time, I hung around Santa Monica where skimp leather
shorts were just one of the many de rigueur uniforms.

He went to all the TRW swap meets and was quite a striking figure. I
don't think we bought much there, but it was fun to look at.

--
Cheers, Bev
"Arguing on the internet is like running a race in the Special
Olympics: even if you win, you're still retarded."

 

[The Real Bev]

On 08/02/2018 09:30 PM, Fox's Mercantile wrote:

On 8/2/18 3:20 PM, The Real Bev wrote:

Ever hit C&H, L&R or Everett's in Pasadena?

Ah yes, Cutthroat and Highprice.

Depends on what you wanted, I guess. We were building a tape recorder
at the time and needed weird stuff.

> And of course JJ Glass, and previously Palley's.

Never heard of Glass, but we went to Palley's quite a bit.

Remember Durk Pearson in the skimpy leather shorts?

Those weren't shorts, it was more like a thong.

Personally, I liked the dwarf running around more.

I don't remember a dwarf...

--
Cheers, Bev
"Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority."
-- U.S. Supreme Court, McIntyre v Ohio Elections,1995

 

[Chuck]

On Thu, 2 Aug 2018 08:45:57 -0700 (PDT), John-Del <ohger1s@gmail.com>
wrote:

On Thursday, August 2, 2018 at 10:48:13 AM UTC-4, Fox's Mercantile wrote:
On 8/2/18 9:15 AM, John-Del wrote:
One day a few years ago when I was waiting for parts for my
last working Weller station

I don't understand John. Is there some special ordering code
for defective Weller equipment?

My first Weller was the soldering gun in 1968. Still have it,
it still works. Shortly after getting hired at TRW in 1973, I
was introduced to the TCP magnastat series. I've owned and
used them up until 2001 when I bought the WES51 style. I have
a pair of the DS600 desoldering stations.

In all this time, other than tips, I've had to replace the
cord on a TCP twice (two different units) and a heating element
once. I haven't had any problems with the desoldering stations,
nor have I had any problems with the WES stations that are now
17 years old.


--
"I am a river to my people."
Jeff-1.0
WA6FWi
http:foxsmercantile.com

I have no answers Jeff, only my personal experience. Maybe I'm just tough on soldering equipment.

I've had many Weller heaters and sensors fail over the years as well as breaks in the wires, and was spending more to keep these things running than I was my truck (okay, hyperbole but still..), and I don't think I ever visited a repair shop that didn't have a Weller pencil handle with tape folding the wire back over itself to keep it in contact.

The last straw was the handle for the EC4000 that quit after about a year with minimal bench usage. I forgot what I paid for that but it wasn't cheap.

I replaced it again because there are times when I need an exceptionally fine tip but I use it maybe two or three times a year at most to preserve it.

Otherwise, it's the cheap Chinese ebay 60W pencils that I've been using every day, most of the day. Not one has crapped out in almost three years, and even if one did, I have another $8 one brand new on the wall still in it's little baggie. I spent less for these than the shipping cost of getting Weller parts to my shop.

You know what else I've gone cheap on? Shaving razors. I now buy Trac II generic blades:

https://www.amazon.com/Personna-Twin-TWIN-Razor-blades/dp/B003MFXWUA/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1533224471&sr=8-1&keywords=tracii

If I replaced the blade once per week, I get two years for $15. Since I replace them once every two weeks, I get four years for $15 (that's just $4 per year), and I can't tell much difference between the generics and the Gillette.

I have experienced all the failures mentioned with Weller pencils and
soldering stations. Except for points, I've had zero failures with
Tenma soldering stations.

 

[whit3rd]

On Tuesday, July 31, 2018 at 10:31:50 AM UTC-7, N_Cook wrote:

Do you happen to know what the oily or slimy stuff is, that coats old
very flexible cables such as telephone movable extension cables, a
bio-film or plasticiser like chemical ?

Some old vinyl cables ooze as they get stiff, so that's a plasticizer.
With any luck, it's an obsolete plasticizer. Unless the cord is special,
destroy it. Occasionally, though, the outer sheath is bad, but the inner
wires are rubber-insulated (I try to keep those, they're limp and make good
test lead material). Real rubber-insulated wire is just barely still available.