Modifying/repairing some fluorescent fixtures recently decided to use
soldered connections and heat shrink tubing to minimise the bulkiness
of the 'wire nuts' usually used.

Having not too long ago added some 230 volt outlets to the work bench
to accommodate some 230 volt items brought back from the Middle East,
dug out the 65 watt Weller soldering iron acquired back around the mid
1950s (probably in Liverpool?) and since its plug had already been
modified to the appropriate NEMA (North American Electrical
Manufacturers) 230 volt type, plugged it in.

It worked beautifully. Not only that but its 'rubber' wire/cord is
still fully flexible and pliable without nicks or cracks. Unlike much
more recent plastic wired devices (and extension cords) which have
insulation which has dried out, lost its plasticizers and cracked.
Also have a 25 watt soldering iron although had to replace the more
plasticky wire on that some time ago. At 230 volts 25 watts is only
about one tenth of an amp anyway!

In the intervening years have occasionally used these irons from a 115
to 230 volt step up transformer. Which also occasionally powered a
Wolf electric drill bought on Paradise Street, Liverpool, in 1953 and
has helped in the construction and wiring of two homes.

A testament to when quality meant something?

"terry" wrote in message
...
Modifying/repairing some fluorescent fixtures recently decided to use
soldered connections and heat shrink tubing to minimise the bulkiness
of the 'wire nuts' usually used.

Having not too long ago added some 230 volt outlets to the work bench
to accommodate some 230 volt items brought back from the Middle East,
dug out the 65 watt Weller soldering iron acquired back around the mid
1950s (probably in Liverpool?) and since its plug had already been
modified to the appropriate NEMA (North American Electrical
Manufacturers) 230 volt type, plugged it in.

It worked beautifully. Not only that but its 'rubber' wire/cord is
still fully flexible and pliable without nicks or cracks. Unlike much
more recent plastic wired devices (and extension cords) which have
insulation which has dried out, lost its plasticizers and cracked.
Also have a 25 watt soldering iron although had to replace the more
plasticky wire on that some time ago. At 230 volts 25 watts is only
about one tenth of an amp anyway!

In the intervening years have occasionally used these irons from a 115
to 230 volt step up transformer. Which also occasionally powered a
Wolf electric drill bought on Paradise Street, Liverpool, in 1953 and
has helped in the construction and wiring of two homes.

A testament to when quality meant something?

It would put your post in context if you told us
where you are now.
(Canada according to your email addy)

--
Graham.

%Profound_observation%

In article
s.com, terry writes

Which also occasionally powered a
Wolf electric drill bought on Paradise Street, Liverpool, in 1953 and
has helped in the construction and wiring of two homes.

Paradise Street looks very different now...

--
(\__/) Bunny says NO to Windows Vista!
(='.'=) http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut00...ista_cost.html
(")_(") http://www.cypherpunks.to/~peter/vista.pdf

The message

from terry contains these words:

Having not too long ago added some 230 volt outlets to the work bench
to accommodate some 230 volt items brought back from the Middle East,
dug out the 65 watt Weller soldering iron acquired back around the mid
1950s (probably in Liverpool?) and since its plug had already been
modified to the appropriate NEMA (North American Electrical
Manufacturers) 230 volt type, plugged it in.

I don't do much with an electrical soldering iron so I am still using
the same iron I have had since my father passed it on to me some time
after I left home in 1962. I don't know when it was purchased but it is
probably even earlier than the mid 50s. It too is a 65W iron,
manufactured by Henley, whoever they are. It still has a switched 13 amp
plug but I can't recall whether than was the original plug.

--
Roger Chapman

On Nov 3, 8:03*am, Roger wrote:
The message

from terry contains these words:

Having not too long ago added some 230 volt outlets to the work bench
to accommodate some 230 volt items brought back from the Middle East,
dug out the 65 watt Weller soldering iron acquired back around the mid
1950s (probably in Liverpool?) and since its plug had already been
modified to the appropriate NEMA (North American Electrical
Manufacturers) 230 volt type, plugged it in.

I don't do much with an electrical soldering iron so I am still using
the same iron I have had since my father passed it on to me some time
after I left home in 1962. I don't know when it was purchased but it is
probably even earlier than the mid 50s. It too is a 65W iron,
manufactured by Henley, whoever they are. It still has a switched 13 amp
plug but I can't recall whether than was the original plug.


There are still many old Henleys that see use, though not normally as
a person's number 1 iron. TBH I dont see any reason why modern plastic
ones shouldnt survive as well, there isnt too much to go wrong. The
elements are normally designed for very long life.


NT

In article
..com, writes

TBH I dont see any reason why modern plastic
ones shouldnt survive as well, there isnt too much to go wrong. The
elements are normally designed for very long life.

But the tips aren't. A good idea to get a couple of spare tips at the
same time as buying a new iron.

--
(\__/) Bunny says NO to Windows Vista!
(='.'=) http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut00...ista_cost.html
(")_(") http://www.cypherpunks.to/~peter/vista.pdf

In article
,
terry wrote:
In the intervening years have occasionally used these irons from a 115
to 230 volt step up transformer. Which also occasionally powered a
Wolf electric drill bought on Paradise Street, Liverpool, in 1953 and
has helped in the construction and wiring of two homes.

A testament to when quality meant something?

More to the fact they're rarely used.

I've got a 125 watt Henley Solon which dates from the '60s and still
works. Although I don't use it - a small butane blowlamp is far more
useful for that sort of thing and such things weren't available then.

I've also got a 25 watt one of the same make - which was meant for
electronics. But is far too clunky for today's stuff. And in truth was
then too.

My choice now is an Antex 24 volt 50 watt temperature controlled - small
light and powerful with easily changed bits. Not that I do - I have four
of them with the bits I commonly use and simply swap the entire unit.
Although my home built station can cope with two anyway. Two sizes of bits
covers the vast majority of my use.

--
*In "Casablanca", Humphrey Bogart never said "Play it again, Sam" *

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

On Mon, 3 Nov 2008 10:06:24 +0000, Mike Tomlinson
wrote:

In article
.com, writes

TBH I dont see any reason why modern plastic
ones shouldnt survive as well, there isnt too much to go wrong. The
elements are normally designed for very long life.

But the tips aren't. A good idea to get a couple of spare tips at the
same time as buying a new iron.

Many many years ago I had a Henley Solon 25W iron. Unless you
periodically removed and replaced the tip (held in by a split pin) it
would seize and you'd have to replace the aluminium holder into which
the element was fitted.

--
Frank Erskine

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember terry
saying something like:

A testament to when quality meant something?

Indeed. I was using a 1940's Black and Decker alloy-bodied drill a few
years ago. Complete with W^D markings on it, too, so it might originally
have been used in aircraft production or similar. Taking it apart for
some cleaning, I was amazed at the internal condition of it - no cheap
crap there.

In article ,
Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:
A testament to when quality meant something?

Indeed. I was using a 1940's Black and Decker alloy-bodied drill a few
years ago. Complete with W^D markings on it, too, so it might originally
have been used in aircraft production or similar. Taking it apart for
some cleaning, I was amazed at the internal condition of it - no cheap
crap there.

There's always been a big difference in these sort of things designed for
industrial use. Starting with the price...

--
*Modulation in all things *

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

In article ,
Frank Erskine writes:

Many many years ago I had a Henley Solon 25W iron. Unless you
periodically removed and replaced the tip (held in by a split pin) it
would seize and you'd have to replace the aluminium holder into which
the element was fitted.

My dad has one of those, and I used it through my teens.
It's got an incredibly pitted bit which shedded great gobs
of copper oxide whilst using it, but I still managed to
learn how to do good soldering with it. The bit is quite
loose in the holder -- it's probably not original, and
may not be the right bit at all.

It was always hooked onto the wire stand for the glass
funnel of a cona coffee machine, and the drip saucer was
excellent for flicking excess solder into. (Didn't have
wet sponges back then;-)

The other thing I remember about dad's was that it never
had a plug on it, because whenever we were short of a plug,
it got stolen from the iron. That meant it was always used
by pushing the wires in the socket holes and plugging in
some other plug on top to make the connections and hold it
in.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

"Mike Tomlinson" wrote in message
...
In article
s.com, terry writes

Which also occasionally powered a
Wolf electric drill bought on Paradise Street, Liverpool, in 1953 and
has helped in the construction and wiring of two homes.

Paradise Street looks very different now...

You do not buy drills next to Harvey Nichols.

"Grimly Curmudgeon" wrote in message
...
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember terry
saying something like:

A testament to when quality meant something?

Indeed. I was using a 1940's Black and Decker alloy-bodied drill a few
years ago. Complete with W^D markings on it, too, so it might originally
have been used in aircraft production or similar. Taking it apart for
some cleaning, I was amazed at the internal condition of it - no cheap
crap there.

And the average person could not afford one at all. Not even tradesmen
either.

On Nov 3, 10:06*am, Mike Tomlinson wrote:
In article
.com, writes

TBH I dont see any reason why modern plastic
ones shouldnt survive as well, there isnt too much to go wrong. The
elements are normally designed for very long life.

But the tips aren't. *A good idea to get a couple of spare tips at the
same time as buying a new iron.


I dont understand why most users today seem to think they cant file
the tip once it needs it. The iron plating is to make it take longer
to reach this point, but once it does need filing, doing so is not in
any way a problem. You then have a copper tip, as people have been
using perfectly successfully for the last century or so. Its a real
non issue. You can file that sucker once every few years and it'll
last decades.


NT

On Nov 3, 12:43*pm, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:
In article ,
* *Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:

A testament to when quality meant something?
Indeed. I was using a 1940's Black and Decker alloy-bodied drill a few
years ago. Complete with W^D markings on it, too, so it might originally
have been used in aircraft production or similar. Taking it apart for
some cleaning, I was amazed at the internal condition of it - no cheap
crap there.

There's always been a big difference in these sort of things designed for
industrial use. Starting with the price...

Yes, today is no different. Our perception is skewed by the fact that
old mil spec and industrial kit is affordable, whereas new stuff isnt
for most of us. Plus the fact that most of the 1940s kit that died has
been disposed of by now, leaving us with a high proportion of the
better quality stuff.


NT

On Mon, 3 Nov 2008 13:11:38 UTC, (Andrew
Gabriel) wrote:

In article ,
Frank Erskine writes:

Many many years ago I had a Henley Solon 25W iron. Unless you
periodically removed and replaced the tip (held in by a split pin) it
would seize and you'd have to replace the aluminium holder into which
the element was fitted.

My dad has one of those, and I used it through my teens.
It's got an incredibly pitted bit which shedded great gobs
of copper oxide whilst using it, but I still managed to
learn how to do good soldering with it. The bit is quite
loose in the holder -- it's probably not original, and
may not be the right bit at all.

My dad had one too, and I never got on with it. I was bought an Antex
for my 14th birthday, and only replaced it a few years ago, with another
Antex!

--
The information contained in this post is copyright the
poster, and specifically may not be published in, or used by
http://www.diybanter.com

In article ,
writes:
I dont understand why most users today seem to think they cant file
the tip once it needs it. The iron plating is to make it take longer
to reach this point, but once it does need filing, doing so is not in
any way a problem. You then have a copper tip, as people have been
using perfectly successfully for the last century or so. Its a real
non issue. You can file that sucker once every few years and it'll
last decades.

When a lump of copper oxide gets stuck to pin 4 of your octal
valve base, it didn't much matter. When it gets stuck to pin
4 of your microprocessor, it will be shorting out pins 1 to 20
as well ;-)

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Andrew Gabriel wrote:

It was always hooked onto the wire stand for the glass
funnel of a cona coffee machine, and the drip saucer was
excellent for flicking excess solder into. (Didn't have
wet sponges back then;-)

The other thing I remember about dad's was that it never
had a plug on it, because whenever we were short of a plug,
it got stolen from the iron. That meant it was always used
by pushing the wires in the socket holes and plugging in
some other plug on top to make the connections and hold it
in.

Then there was an electronics lab in which one of the less
practical design engineers was working. On enquiring if there
were any spare 13 A plugs for his soldering iron, he was pointed
towards the SafeBloc. Some time later it was noticed that the
SafeBloc was still on the bench, but it no longer had its plug!

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.

"Frank Erskine" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 3 Nov 2008 10:06:24 +0000, Mike Tomlinson

wrote:

In article

.com, writes

TBH I dont see any reason why modern plastic
ones shouldnt survive as well, there isnt too much to go wrong.
The
elements are normally designed for very long life.

But the tips aren't. A good idea to get a couple of spare tips at
the
same time as buying a new iron.

Many many years ago I had a Henley Solon 25W iron. Unless you
periodically removed and replaced the tip (held in by a split pin)
it
would seize and you'd have to replace the aluminium holder into
which
the element was fitted.

--
Frank Erskine

...hehe Frank yes been there and played that game. My Henley 25watt was
a major step up from the one I heated on the gas ring to make my first
crystal set (probably arround 1962!). Then Multicore 'savbit' solder
was introduced which had traces of copper in so the bit wasn't
dissolved into the solder. Now I use a Weller with the clicky bits.

AWEM

In article ,
Bob Eager wrote:
My dad had one too, and I never got on with it. I was bought an Antex
for my 14th birthday, and only replaced it a few years ago, with another
Antex!

Yup - after an Antex anything else seems clunky.

--
*Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

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

In article
s.com, writes

You can file that sucker once every few years and it'll
last decades.

You've clearly not soldered with modern-day solder. It rots the bit
away in no time.

--
(\__/) Bunny says NO to Windows Vista!
(='.'=) http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut00...ista_cost.html
(")_(") http://www.cypherpunks.to/~peter/vista.pdf

"Andrew Mawson" wrote in message
...

"Frank Erskine" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 3 Nov 2008 10:06:24 +0000, Mike Tomlinson

wrote:

In article

.com, writes

TBH I dont see any reason why modern plastic
ones shouldnt survive as well, there isnt too much to go wrong.
The
elements are normally designed for very long life.

But the tips aren't. A good idea to get a couple of spare tips at
the
same time as buying a new iron.

Many many years ago I had a Henley Solon 25W iron. Unless you
periodically removed and replaced the tip (held in by a split pin)
it
would seize and you'd have to replace the aluminium holder into
which
the element was fitted.

--
Frank Erskine

..hehe Frank yes been there and played that game. My Henley 25watt was
a major step up from the one I heated on the gas ring to make my first
crystal set (probably arround 1962!). Then Multicore 'savbit' solder
was introduced which had traces of copper in so the bit wasn't
dissolved into the solder. Now I use a Weller with the clicky bits.

AWEM

Years ago I was doing a field call in a betting shop but my iron
packed up.
So I took the faulty unit out to my car and used the cigarette
lighter as an iron.
--
Graham.

%Profound_observation%

On Nov 3, 3:17*pm, (Andrew Gabriel) wrote:
In article ,
* * * * writes:

I dont understand why most users today seem to think they cant file
the tip once it needs it. The iron plating is to make it take longer
to reach this point, but once it does need filing, doing so is not in
any way a problem. You then have a copper tip, as people have been
using perfectly successfully for the last century or so. Its a real
non issue. You can file that sucker once every few years and it'll
last decades.

When a lump of copper oxide gets stuck to pin 4 of your octal
valve base, it didn't much matter. When it gets stuck to pin
4 of your microprocessor, it will be shorting out pins 1 to 20
as well ;-)

Is it so hard to wipe the bit on a sponge?


NT