Posted by Debbie on February 23, 2003 at 02:18:27:
Dear Gary,
I ran across your board while searching for information on Weller 100 irons and was hoping you or someone on the board could help. I have a Gallery/Studio and have been using Weller 100's for students for the last 10 years with great success. This last year, however, we have been having problems with the irons overheating and the tips not staying tinned. I asked Joey at NW Art Glass if they have been having similar problems and he said that sometimes the nuts are tightened for shipping and they need to be loosened before using. This evidently allows the magnetics inside the barrel to work with the tip? He also said that most iron holders hold the iron too vertical and to bend the holder down to allow the heat to escape rather that go up the barrel. I got into Cooper Tools websight to see if I could find any further information but it wasn't very helpful. There was an Adobe file to download which talked about better soldering and it said a reason for unwettability is flux that is too corrosive (e.g. a water soluble flux) because mild fluxes do not clean the oxide off of the tips. This blew me away because I've always thought it would be the exact opposite. It further states that to clean the tip use synthetic sponges from Weller, no rags or cloths, which is in direct opposition to what I've read on the board. We seem to be using our sal bars way too often to keep the tips clean and tinned (several times per soldering session). I'm going to try your sal ammoniac water dip and see how that works. How often do you dip? Sorry this is so long winded but I'm getting very frustrated. It's also costing me money because I've had to replace tips and a few irons. Have you had any similar problems with your irons? I have several Hakkos, different models, and a Glastar temp controller, and my tips are also corroding quickly. We've been using a variety of fluxes: Classique gel, Old Master liquid, Canfield, Laco, etc. and I noticed today that most of them are water soluble. What brand flux are you using and is it also water soluble? Thanks for any input. Debbie