On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 22:36:44 +1000, Chris Jones
wrote:

On 17/09/2017 03:18, T i m wrote:

I've just fired my iron up with the new barrel and tinned the ends of
a couple of bits of stranded copper cable with my 6 tip and it seemed
to do so very easily. Maybe a 7 would be required if using unleaded
solder (which I'm not)?

Also check that the element switches off with no tip in it. The
mechanical switch that is operated by the magnet can get stuck/seized,
meaning that the iron gets much hotter than it should regardless of
which tip is in it. It's entirely possible that a properly working iron
with a number 6 tip is hot enough for what you are doing, but if you
find that it is too hot then perhaps the switch is stuck.

I'm ahead of you there. When I was still at BT (so 40 yeas ago now!) I
modded my PU-1D base with a front mounted red LED that goes on when
the element is on (and it's still working). ;-)

So, if it was stuck on (or off) I'd soon see it in the 'activity' LED
(and have in the past when a small tap on the element seems to cure
it, typically stuck off).

Your good point is noted though. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

p.s. JOOI ... I've just timed the iron heating from cold (20 DegC
ambient) to the 600 DegF (315 C) tipped iron heating till the LED goes
off and it was 55 seconds.