DIYbanter - View Single Post

Arfa Daily

"hr(bob) " wrote in message
...
On Oct 23, 6:51 am, "Arfa Daily" wrote:
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

For someone on the west side of the Atlantic Ocean, can you convert
quid to Euros or USDollars??

"Quid" is the slang term for a GB pound - a bit like 'buck' is slang for a
US dollar. As to the value. Well, unfortunately for me and my family, who
jump on an iron bird headed for your neck of the woods on Monday, the pound
is now very weak against your dollar. My daughter bought some dollars
yesterday, and got just $1.49 for each pound. She watched it drop by 4 cents
from $1.53, as she stood in the line to make the deal. My other daughter
bought some when she visited at the end of July, and got $1.96 for every
pound. So around 20% has been wiped off the value in the last few weeks. So
at the moment, a seven quid tip is about 10 bucks or so in your wonga.

I haven't the faintest idea what that is in euros. We don't use them in the
UK, and most of us have no desire to, either.

Arfa