I think that getting proper surface contact is the most important aspect of using a chisel tip. In fact, the whole idea behind using a chisel tip as opposed to a fine point is to increase the area of contact. By increasing the contact area you are increasing the rate at which heat will be transferred to the joint. If the heat is transferred slowly it will travel beyond the area where the solder is to be applied before the surfaces are hot enough to melt the solder. That's when ties start to melt. The chisel tip won't work any better if the blade is not positioned squarely on the surfaces to be soldered. If the tip is positioned so that only one corner of it is in contact you may as well be using a fine point tip. The contact area won't be any bigger and it will take too long to heat things up enough to melt the solder.
Getting the tip in the right position takes a bit of practice. You have to look at the tip to see what angle the tip is at before touching the joint, and then rotate the iron until the tip is in position to make the best contact. Then put it on the joint.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Thank you all for offering your opinions! I have watched some youtube videos on soldering that all recommended using a small chisel bit for soldering rail joiners and feeders. It was also suggested that the chisel bit is easier for the beginner to learn (which definitely describes me).
I just bought a Weller WESD-51 soldering station.
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I have not used it much, but for track feeders the conical tip that came with it is working just fine. I have the heat set at 550 degrees, and I can be "in and out" in less than 5 seconds with no tie deformation.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
My soldering station came with a 1/32" conical tip. I bought some others - never used them. Used the stock tip for everything from attempting to build Fast Tracks turnouts (the soldering wasn't the problem) to building electronic circuits. For feeder to bus soldering, I use a 100 watt soldering gun. Everything else - track joint soldering, feeders, decoder installs - I'm still using the original tip that came with my Xytronics. About the only thing this tip shape is not good for is the "drag and draw" method of soldering SMD ICs. But since I will not be using SMD coomponents unless there absolutely, positively is no other way to get something I need - the small chisel tip stays in the spare tip holder on the stand.
I use the big soldering gun for the feeder to bus joints because a 40-60 watt iron is rahter underpowered when dealing with #14 and #12 wire. The 100 watt iron makes sure work of such joints, and the little focused light built in that shines right where the tip is sure helps under the layout. I'll use it as long as it holds out, and get a better one when this dies - I got it at Walmart, and despite the Weller name on it, it's no better than the cheapest of cheap Chinesium tools you find at discount tool suppliers. Very light weight fos something that's supposed to be doing 100 watts. I wish my old one - a genuine Made in Easton, PA Weller from the 50's, was still safe to use. That thing is built like a tank (but after so many shell hits, err rather drops to cement floors, even the strongest tank gets breached, and there are chunks missing, dangerously exposing the wiring. Like an old Lionel transformer with deteriorated wiring, it really is time to put it out to pasture permanently so I'm not tempted), and does 100 watts at the first trigger stop and 150 all the way. Used to use that back in the days of my 4x8 and smaller layouts, on wire that wasy typically #22 - it was a bit overpowered. Also worked as a woodburning tool - I carved my initials in the underside of many layouts.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
For some years I have used a Weller WLC-100 soldering station.
A pointed tip at 50 percent heat for PC board soldering with #30 wire.
Feeders, a wedge tip and 75 percent heat.
Both tips plated
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.
When I got my Xtronic soldering station I also got about 10 various tips with it. The tip I started with was a sharp conical pointed one, as I was working with LEDs and 28 or 32 gauge computer ribbon wire. I felt that a broader tip might bring too much heat to bear, particularly as the soldering station has a dialable digital temperature readout and 415 degrees seemed about right for the work I was doing. Now I have shifted to soldering rail connections at the rail joiners and wire drops from the rails below the table. I changed soldering tips to a chisel type tip as I read that the greater surface area of the chisel tip would bring heat to bear on the joint more rapidly and I wouldn't be "lingering" on the joint as I might do with a pointed tip. My experience so far has been good- the solder heats and flows into the rail joint quickly and I have learned to be "in and out" with the chisel tip in less time than I spent before with the pointed one. I also have different shaped tips that are basically truncated cone shapes with more flat surface area but have not used them.
Cedarwoodron
My wife gave me a soldering station for Christmas, errr, actually permission to buy one... Been busy so have not yet purchased one. I see there are many different tips for soldering stations. For the pros out there, which tip do you use and recommend for:
a) soldering track feeders?
b) soldering rail joiners?
c) soldering feeders to buss?
Thanks!