soldering iron woes

[john11]

Hi and thanks for reading this post.

At the moment i am using a 12 watt weller soldering iron model number 2012. It is fine for most work but when it comes to soldering something like larger like power supply capacitors it has difficulty melting the solder.

As a quick fix i am thinking if wrapping some heat resistant tape around the barrel so that less heat radiates away through the barrel and instead is forced to conduct forward into the tip, thereby increasing tip temperature slightly.

Do you think this is a good idea and do you have any recommendations which tape (or anything else) i should use.

Many thanks in advance. John

[g8ina]

No, just go to Maplins and buy a 50 watt iron... only £15

[Ferral]

Problem is the components can get damaged if they heat up to much so the longer you have the iron on the board it is getting hotter.

Grab a 30 or 50 watt one, they are cheap enough. I use a 30 watt when repairing my 8 bit stuff like soldered micro switches on joysticks and its just right for what I need.

You may be able to get a thinner bit so it gets hotter as an alternative suggestion.

[peterb]

12 watts is a bit low. It will get up to the correct temperature, but as you are finding, 12 watts will not keep the bit up to temperature when soldering larger components. The danger then is that the user holds to hot (but not hot enough to melt the solder) iron on the component and damages it.

A25 watt would be fine for most general soldering jobs. Ideally, when soldering a capacitor onto a cct board, or a wires to a solder tag the iron should be in contact with the joint for no more than three to five seconds.

So - wet the bit with a tiny dab of solder, apply the iron to the joint, apply solder to the joint (not to the bit!) and when the solder melts and flows into the joint, remove the iron. Job done!

http://www.maplin.co.uk/18w-mains-po...pvc-cable-4056

Will do the job but may struggle if you are soldering larger copper wires.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/25w-solderin...pvc-cable-4063

Is a good general purpose iron - but you need to be careful if soldering fine work as it is easy to overheat the joint - and damage components

http://www.maplin.co.uk/50w-temperat...-220-240v-4085

If you can afford it - get this. It maintains the temperature of the bit so it only supplies the heat required, so with the right bit, you can do most things from delicate circuit board stuff up to quite large solder jobs. Very versatile and a good long term investment.

The first two irons listed are with PVC cable - which is OK until the cable gets into contact with the bit....

Both of them are available with silicone cables (heat resistant) for a little extra.

Maplin's full range of Antex irons and accessories is here:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/productsearch?criteria=antex

[g8ina]

errrrr, yeah, that's what I meant to say

[Agent]

I have the variable Antex one - it's a nice bit of kit. Easy to use and the bits are very cheap off Ebay.

Just make sure you have everything to do a proper job - sponge and stand for example.