I've been through many soldering irons in the past 50 or more years but they keep changing like anything else in this world. There are many types out there but I'd like to know your opinions on what you think is best for the Model Railroad's electronics.
Personally I'd like to maybe have a small 15/30 watt pencil/gun type trigger activated. At present time I've two irons now ( 15/30 watt old Radio Shack pencil iron. [ plug in type ] and a Weller 140/100 watt gun type. These are both pretty well wore out.
Yes I could google and find all sorts of soldering irons but the adds do not tell it like you people do and that's what I want to read.
Thanks.
Wadda ya mean I'm old ? Just because I remember gasoline at 9 cents a gallon and those big coal burning steamers.
Rock,
I personally like and highly recommend Weller. They make a terrific product and you can easily change out tips (when worn out) and tip types, as needed.
I bought a Weller WESD51 50W soldering station off eBay a couple of years ago for ~$110 and have been very happy with it:
It's powerful enough to solder track and delicate enough to do electronics. All you need is a fine tip and screwdriver tip.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
I have a Xytronics soldering station that cost me about $50 from an outfit called Howard Electronics. I used to have a multitude of soldering orns, from a 15 watt one for PC boards and fine decoder wiring to a 60 watt for solderign track, plus a heavy soldering gun for soldering heavy feeder wires. Now I have only the soldering station and the big gun, the adjustable heat of the station allows me to solder even delicate electronics and fine decoder wire but is also powerful enough to solder track. Turned down I can shrink heat shrink without melting it, no specialized heat gun needed.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
It really depends on what you intend to solder.
For electronic and small-diameter wire soldering, I prefer a 20-30 watt needle-tip iron with temperature control.
For soldering drops to a large-diameter bus, raw rail into hand-laid specialwork, or for erecting brass kits, where lots of heat is needed right now, I use the biggest gun I can find.
For both, it's hard to go wrong with anything branded `Weller.'
Happy Soldering.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with LOTS of solder joints)
I and some in our club use the Weller WLC100 which comes with the standard tip. We order the conical tip with it to solder DCC stuff.
The solder I use is for high end audio electronics and cost about $45.00 for a one lb roll but has excellent soldering characteristics. I have been soldering since 1956 and have never found better solder. I rarely mention this solder as it usually causes an argument.
Many use Radio Shack solder or at least get an Electronic solder. Be careful when you buy solder from a hardware store.
I just did a Google search for Weller WLC100 and found many sources around $40.00, including Amazon.com. They have free shiiping and order the conical tip also. I buy all kinds of stuff from Amazon and most of the time, free shipping over $25.00. Just remember to select, Free Shipping.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
If you are concerned about fumes from using lead based solder, look around for lead free solder. I have no experience with this solder though. Others will comment.
Some people might have kids in the house and sometimes a piece of solder will drop on the floor if not careful.
With all the cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink today, most of us have well equipped chemical labs in the house and lead products add to this.
Randy are you referring to this one?
If so it looks pretty good. Also I noticed they have a few more in different ranges.
Don't know yet as I kind of like that Weller tstage has but the price is also doubled or maybe more since he got it off the famous/infamous bid site.
I've never thought about these kinds of dial up temps soldering irons before, geez I've got to keep up with the times.
I'm thinking, I'm thinking.
tomikawaTT and rich1998, very good irons.
I'm still thinkin'.
Thanks a lot guys.
rockislandnut Don't know yet as I kind of like that Weller tstage has but the price is also doubled or maybe more since he got it off the famous/infamous bid site.
That was for a brand new one, too. Used Wellers can be had for less but you have to trust the description and the previous owner.
I would trust Randy's judgement on the Xytronics station. I'm glad I got rid of my Radio Shack 20/40W station. A waste of money and they didn't even make replacement tips for it.
Rock, that's the current version of it, mine is older and doesn't have a digital readout, just a knob. Since I'm not doing superprecision man-rated (like for a spacecraft or airplane) soldering, I'm not too concerned with having the exact temperature down to the degree. In some ways the knob is more convenient - if it's goign to be a while betwene joints I turn it all the way down to help keep the tip from oxidizing.
I can;t say enough for those copper wool cleaners built in to the stand, SO much better than a wet sponge. Mine's getting a bit tired, I should pick up a new one - you can usually find them in the grocery store. NOT steel wool, it's COPPER. For cleanign copper pots.
Weller used to be THE brand. Heck they even INVENTED the solderign gun - right in my hometown. Used to make the things less than a mile from my house, before they got bought out by Cooper Industries. Carl Weller donated a lot of money to various causes around the area, there are many palces named for him. Since Cooper slaps the Weller name on just about anything, you need to watch out with what you buy. The new soldering gun I have is a Weller, but it's cheap and flimsy and light weight compared to the old one. So far it's held up but I haven't dropped it, either - in my carpeted train room it will probably be ok, but that old one was dropped on the concrete basement floor several times and shows only a small crack, nothing exposing the internal connections, and it still works like new.
richg1998 If you are concerned about fumes from using lead based solder, look around for lead free solder. I have no experience with this solder though. Others will comment. Some people might have kids in the house and sometimes a piece of solder will drop on the floor if not careful. With all the cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink today, most of us have well equipped chemical labs in the house and lead products add to this. Rich
In my experience, the fumes thar rise during soldering are from the rosin flux, not the metal. In any event, wearing a particle-filter mask will protect both your eyes and your lungs.
As far as those EPA-mandated lead-free solders, they make excellent recycling box fillers. For electrical work, use fine-wire 63/37 (if you can find it) or 60/40 lead/tin solder, with or without rosin core. 50/50 is okay for plumbing, but not worth beans for electrical work. Avoid acid flux like the plague (and I don't care what the FastTracks videos say!) If in doubt, or using solid solder, add a little paste or liquid rosin flux.
If you're soldering correctly, there won't be any drips. If there are, clean them up NOW!
As far as dangerous items likely to be encountered by children, don't forget that rolling incendiary bomb you use to drive them to school and soccer practice. If there had been a CPSC a century ago the general public would never have been allowed any contact with gasoline.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Randy ( and anyone else who knows these tips ) scroll down this page http://www.engineeringlab.com/lf-369d-soldering-station.html untill you come to the soldering tips.
# 44-510601 is the tip that comes with Xytronic LF-369D soldering station but I probably could use another tip or two.
Any ideas on a special size in mm as the one that comes with the station is 0.8mm.
Yep I think this is the soldering station I'll buy.
Now you see what I mean ( In my OP ) that the ads sometimes just don't make it, but you guys do.
Chuck I've got about 6 oz or more of 60/40 .032 diameter rosin-core solder and some heaver solid solder that I need rosin flux for.......Radio Shack maybe?
No kids to worry about any fumes. Just a girlfriend and she won't come near me when I'm soldering something. Smart Lady.
The Soldering station Xytronic LF-369D I plan to buy is made for no lead solder but if I can get away with it I'd just as soon use 60/40 and rosin.
Thank you Chuck and the rest of you guys too.
I'd have to go look but I think I purchased a B05 plus a second B01 when I bought mine - 4 years ago, and I still havent used anything other than the B01 it came with, and it's still in top condition. This is another advantage of a soldering station, they only heat to a set temperature and then cycle on and off to maintain it. A simple solderign iron heats as long as it's plugged in, and can get to some really high temps, far more than is needed to solder, and this just speed sup the oxidation of the tip. Soldering iron tips are generally plated, and need to stay shiny for best results. Some tip tinner really helps, plus the copper wool cleanign pad. Always tin the tip by applying a light coat of solder, and it's not a bad idea to put a blob of solder on the end as it cools when you are finished for the day. Don't use abrasives on the tip, the plating is thin and if you wear through that, the exposed copper will oxidize very quickly and this lowers the heat transfer, which is when you end up holding the iron ont he joint so long that somethign melts or burns up, Soldering a connection should take only a second, if you have to hold the heat on and keep pressing harder and harder, clean the tip or perhaps you need a bigger tool - these soldering stations like this will take all day to heat up a pair of #12 bus wires to solder them together, by the time the joint is hot enough to melt solder you'll have heated 20 feet of wire and melted the insulation off it.
I have a Xytronic controlled temperature soldering station that is over 20 years old now and gets pretty heavy usage. I ordered a replacement tip when I bought it, but have never needed to change it yet.
rockislandguy: I have that same Xylotronic unit and love it. All my Radio Shack and other pencil irons don't cut it like this one. I paid about $45-50 for it plus shipping. If you are going to do a lot of soldering of decoders, and other small wiring jobs, this is what you want.
-Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
The first question should be: Can you get parts for it?
A soldering iron is only as good as the tips, and you need several to do various tasks. So buy one where you can get tips easily, and they have a variety available, so you can get tips for special tasks should you need to.
That is where you can't go wrong with a Weller. They are pretty entrenched in the service business, so getting parts and accessories isn't an issue. A cheap iron with difficult or non-existant replacement parts will become in short order, junk. Better to spend $100 on good tools (the correct word is "invest"), than waste $50 repeatedly on poor tools that don't last.
betamax A cheap iron with difficult or non-existant replacement parts will become in short order, junk.
A cheap iron with difficult or non-existant replacement parts will become in short order, junk.
That pretty much sums up my Radio Shack 20/40W soldering station. It's now, sadly, in some landfill somewhere.
That's why I like my Xytronics, priced like Radio Shack, performs like Weller.
Now the 15 watt grounded Radio Shack iron I had for use on electronic assembly always worked well, I must say. Probably because at 15 watts, even continuous power never made it get ridiculously hot. And that one they did stock repalcement tips for.
I picked up a pencil iron at my local electronics store for about $18. It's not big, but it does have a variable-heat knob. I think that's one thing that helps a lot for model railroading. I need more heat when soldering track, but much less when wiring circuit boards.
I have a heavy Weller soldering gun, too, but I really prefer the lightweight pencil iron. It's much easier to control, particularly when doing fine stuff.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.