Hey guys, I’ve always used a mastercraft solder station http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/mastercraft-solder-station-0586301p.html for years and other than for soldering the dcc main buss wire which is 14/2 I use a heavier Weller solder gun http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/weller-professional-260-200w-soldering-gun-kit-0586368p.html#srp .
Do you’s ever use a heavier Weller type gun for the liter projects like attaching feeders?
Those big Weller guns are too big for fine work.
I have a Weller temperature controlled soldering station I use for track feeders. Put a good sized chisel tip on it, dial it up to about 700F, add a dab of rosin and the task is done in no time.
The secret is an iron where you can change tips and control temperature. Then you can use the right tip for the job. I had a similar iron from Princess Auto which I threw away as it wasn’t very good, and the tip eroded in no time. If you do a lot of soldering you invest in a better tool. It pays off.
I agree with Batamax! A good adjustable temperature soldering station with changeable tips is the only way to go. I had a Weller for many years that worked great, it finally gave it up and I bought a no name replacement. It also has been very good but that model is no longer manufactured and replacement parts such as tips and cords are very hard to find. Go with a big name adjustable soldering station and you’ll never look back!
Mel
Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951
My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
Bakersfield
If your feeders come off a 12 or 14 gauge bus, the big gun is handy.
Hi Lynn:
I’m apparently the odd man out because I use my big Weller gun for all kinds of smaller stuff. The reason is that is is fast. All I have to do is touch it to a joint and the solder flows immediately.
I do not use it for things like soldering wires to a decoder, but I do file down the tips a bit so they will fit in smaller places.
I also keep the tip absolutely clean. One thing I learned long ago was to not dip the tip into the flux tin to clean it. That eats the tips very quickly. I use a small wire brush.
Dave
I have a 30 Watt pencil soldering iron from Weller and an adjustable soldering station. Earlier this year I soldered all of the tabs on toggle switches for my control panel (~150 soldering points!). I learned to use both of these tools for the job. The two key things about doing large jobs like this are: 1. keep the tip clean, shiny clean. Use either a damp sponge or a damp cloth to keep it clean, and 2. turn off the heat when you have prolonged periods between soldering points, such as prepping for the next soldering point. The heat tends to build up carbon on the tip, making it not only harder to keep clean, but also harder to get the solder to flow into the joint. These two measures will probably also prolong the life of the tip.
Excellent input guys. Dave you have a true gift to be able to use the big gun for everything, me thinks you don’t need reading specs yet.
Lynn:
I don’t have reading specs yet, but my Optivisor is on my head whenever I’m doing something like that. I guess all the Optivisor really is is a glorified set of strong reading glasses.
Dave
Haha , sometimes I need my reading specs and optivisors. Freedom 55 today and sliding.[:)]
I have a Hakko FX888 (the discontinued analog model) and it’s great. Heats up very fast. The cord doesn’t tangle up like the cheap, stiff ones. It’s a great tool.
When I bought it, I was looking at Weller stations, but I heard bad things about the newer ones. The Hakko is also made in China, but the quality is top notch.
I also highly recommend Klein wire strippers. The 11047 strippers go down to 30 AWG, perfect for decoder wire.
Same experience. When I was a field and bench tech, we all used Weller soldering stations. A few years ago, I needed to purchase a soldering station and automatically started looking at Weller’s current offerings. I found a few reviews in the process and quickly decided against buying anything with the Weller brand.
Recently, I have been having a hard time buying quality tools of any kind. A little research reveals there has been much consolidation in the tool business. The Apex Tool Group now seems to control a large swath of the industry, including the Weller brand. The Apex Tool Group is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bain Capital, which was famously co-founded by Mitt Romney.
Please let that sink in. Investment bankers are in charge of manufacturing your tools, which means profits come first, not product quality, which seems to be in decline for many name brands.
CG
[:-^]
Milepost, I’m right with you. I have a Hakko as well although I can’t tell you the model as I am at work right now. But, I have had it for about 5 years and it is great, certainly beats everything else I had tried. Always does the job. Variable and easy to adjust and ceetainly love the flexibility od the cord.
Johnboy out…