Arfa Daily wrote in message
...
Just following on from the thread of a few weeks ago, where we were
discussing how Weller tips don't seem to last like they used, and then the
reference to lead-free solder 'leaching' iron from the tip plating, that I
found on the Cooper website.
A few weeks back - no more than 4 - I fitted a new 700 degree pointed tip
to
my TCP series Magnastat bench workhorse iron. It's on for about 12 hours a
day, and the Magnastat works correctly. About a week ago, I noticed that
the
tip was already 'waisting' about 2mm up from the point, and today, the
pointy bit just fell off, leaving a ragged eaten-away stump. During the
three weeks that it seemed to survive unscathed, the soldering done with
it
was predominantly normal 60/40 leaded, using the same solder that I always
have for more years than I care to remember. In amongst that work period,
I
guess I used it for lead-free soldering perhaps four or five times - maybe
20 - 30 joints total.
So what is going on here ? Have Weller changed the plating of their tips
in
some way ? Are we actually seeing this iron plating 'leaching' effect that
they mention on the website, in play ? Or is it that the fluxes in
lead-fee
solder are so aggressive to try to make the useless stuff stick to other
metals, that the iron plating doesn't stand a chance ? If it is the
leaching
effect, or even flux attack, then it's pretty drastic, if it can wreck a
tip
with that few joints ...
Whatever it is, three to four weeks for a tip, instead of the previous
three
to four months, at least, seems pretty poor performance for what has
always
been accepted as a good quality 'professional' general bench iron.
Arfa
It certainly makes a big difference only switching on the iron prior to use
and switching off again afterwards.
Perhaps a halfway house add-on would make sense for those that leave the
iron on all the time. A subcircuit, that a trembler in the handle sets/
resets, after dropping to half / 3/4 ? power (voltage) heating of the
element in idle mode. Whatever setting means the magnastat never cuts out so
temperature only reaches 400F or so.
--
Diverse Devices, Southampton, England
electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on
http://home.graffiti.net/diverse:graffiti.net/