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

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/

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

I have to agree with you ! I've taken to turning mine off when I don't
need it for a little while. Another thing I did with a corroded tip
was to drill a 1mm hole and insert a half inch (15mm) of copper wire.
It doesn't last much longer than the original did but you can just snip
off the end and carry on

--
Best Regards:
Baron.

I will try a diode in the supply line to see whether a Weller 7 tip ever
gets to magnastat temp and thermocouple measure the temp it does reach.
Then just a small trembler, relay, timer etc. You could even kick the
workbench just prior to picking up the iron


--
Diverse Devices, Southampton, England
electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on
http://home.graffiti.net/diverse:graffiti.net/

N_Cook wrote:

I will try a diode in the supply line to see whether a Weller 7 tip
ever gets to magnastat temp and thermocouple measure the temp it does
reach. Then just a small trembler, relay, timer etc. You could even
kick the workbench just prior to picking up the iron


--
Diverse Devices, Southampton, England
electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on
http://home.graffiti.net/diverse:graffiti.net/

I recall seeing an article somewhere, where a diode with a microswitch
across it was used on the cradle. Lifting the iron allowed the
microswitch to short out the diode.

In a similar vein, I have a hot melt glue gun with a two heat switch on
it. Marked "Full & Half" heat. All that does is short out a diode in
series with the element. It certainly stops it dribbling when
on "Half" heat.

--
Best Regards:
Baron.

"Baron" wrote in message
...
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

I have to agree with you ! I've taken to turning mine off when I don't
need it for a little while. Another thing I did with a corroded tip
was to drill a 1mm hole and insert a half inch (15mm) of copper wire.
It doesn't last much longer than the original did but you can just snip
off the end and carry on

--
Best Regards:
Baron.


I think I might try doing something with a diode, because it's a right pain
having to turn off and on all the time in a busy workshop. I want to just be
able to reach for the iron and it to be there, in my hand, ready and willing
to melt solder for me. A while back, I replaced my Weller DS900 desoldering
station with a functionally similar Pace model. I used to leave the Weller
on pretty much all the time, and tips lasted several months. They could be
bought one at a time for about seven quid. The Pace tips, even though they
call them long life "Endura", don't last a third as long, if left running,
and although only about the same price as the Wellers, can only be bought
five at a time, and I really baulk at shelling out 35 quid, just to have one
to put in, and four sitting in the drawer ... It also bothers me that
turning an iron on and off all the time, is going to be more stressful for
the element, and at 90 quid a pop, you don't wanna be changing the Pace one
too often :-\

Arfa

On Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:51:45 +0100, "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
ointy 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
:


I have my suspicions that Cooper no longer control the manufacture of their tips
but use Vanier as their tip manufacturer.
http://www.vaniersoldertips.com/
I remember when Vanier first made Weller Magnastat tips back in the 80's (I
think it was) because I tried one. It wasn't a patch on the original Weller tip
and lasted only about 20% as long before it was eroded. Many complaints went
back to Weller and they apparently found some original tips because they seemed
to improve again - at least for a while.

I noted that the Vanier tips looked just "too bright" and shiny compared to the
original Weller which looked quite dull. I suspect because of the better
quality plating materials used by Weller.

Luckily, I still have a few of the old originals left in stock.

I measured 550F putting a diode in line with a 700F iron. I would put the
circuit in a box with a socket and small piece of plugged cord, in line,
near the transformer so can be removed easily. And a trembler sensitive
enough to sense the bench being kicked.
Not that I will be making such a unit as I switch off my iron and have
dozens of tips left over from a batch bought 20 years ago. Tap wood, both
switch and element have survived about 20 years together in this same iron,
repeatedly switched on and off. Had to replace the mains switch once though.


--
Diverse Devices, Southampton, England
electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on
http://home.graffiti.net/diverse:graffiti.net/

In article ,
Arfa Daily wrote:
The Pace tips, even though they call them long life "Endura", don't
last a third as long, if left running, and although only about the same
price as the Wellers, can only be bought five at a time, and I really
baulk at shelling out 35 quid, just to have one to put in, and four
sitting in the drawer ... It also bothers me that turning an iron on
and off all the time, is going to be more stressful for the element,
and at 90 quid a pop, you don't wanna be changing the Pace one too
often :-\

Pace seem to be pulling out of the UK market - non of the big electronics
companies seem to carry them anymore.

As regards spares they are a fraction of the UK price in the US - but
many US suppliers take the p**s with freight charges to the UK, so what I
do is get them sent to a pal in the US who posts them on to me.

--
*Pentium wise, pen and paper foolish *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 23 Oct, 12:51, "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

We used to use a *lot* of these in the mid 1980s, bulk computer repair
(VIC-20s and C64s!). Some tips seemed to last forever, some only a
matter of days, all of them Weller.
Phil.

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.

There used to be a superior 'second source' of Weller tips but I can no longer
remember the name or even know if they're still in business.

Sounds like not enough iron plating on the tip to me.

Graham

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??

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


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



One quid is a quid but many quid are squid or even a pony or a monkey.
But if you're boracic then they tend to become spondulics.

I hope thats cleared up any misunderstanding.


--
Diverse Devices, Southampton, England
electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on
http://home.graffiti.net/diverse:graffiti.net/

"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

On Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:36:48 -0700 (PDT), "hr(bob) "
wrote:

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


Currently a "quid" (ie. UK Pound) is worth about US$1.59 and a Euro is roughly
US$1.27.

This on-line currency converter is quite useful to have on your desktop...
http://www.xe.com/ucc/

On Sat, 25 Oct 2008 12:39:12 +0100, "Arfa Daily"
wrote:

:
:"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
ound. 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.


Despite the woes being experienced in the UK and the falling value of the UKP
against the US$, a 20% fall is not too bad by Aussie standards.

Only about 7 weeks ago our little Aussie dollar was almost on parity with the
US$ at US$0.97. Today it is about US$0.61, or a fall of around 27%. For a
country which is expected to ride out the devastation better than most other
Western nations, that is a pretty severe drop in value. It makes you wonder -
what with all the bailouts and failing companies, banks etc in the US,- just how
the US dollar remains so strong, and other currencies are falling against it.
After all, didn't the US start the decline of the economy by their scandalous
lending practices anyway?

"Ross Herbert" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:36:48 -0700 (PDT), "hr(bob) "
wrote:

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


Currently a "quid" (ie. UK Pound) is worth about US$1.59 and a Euro is
roughly
US$1.27.

This on-line currency converter is quite useful to have on your desktop...
http://www.xe.com/ucc/

I dunno where they're giving out that much on the USD for UKP, Ross -
nowhere here, that's for sure ! They have a neat little trick here where
they drop the value by an eye-watering amount on Friday evening until Monday
morning, whilst the money markets are basically closed for the weekend. That
was the point at which it dropped from $1.53 to $1.49 as my daughter stood
there, listening to the cashier talking to her son on her cell phone. When
she objected to this, after the cashier had cleared the call, she finally
managed to persuade some of the transaction out of her at a 'concessionary'
rate of $1.50.

Had it have been me, I think I would have been kicking up a much bigger
stink than that ...

See y'all when I get back :-)

Arfa