Cold soldering tip?

[Phil_S]

I am using a Weller WLC100, the red amateur station. It's been OK for years for the occasional use I give it. Last week it wasn't hot enough to melt solder. I replaced the heating element (cheapest apparent thing to do). I know the new element is much hotter. With it maxed and the iron in a vertical position I get so much heat rising it gets uncomfortable. Yet, the tip will barely melt the solder. I've tried a new tip -- actually the old used tip works better, but not that much better. It seems to me the barrel into which the tip goes is not tight enough. Could this be the problem? Honestly, I don't get it and it's frustrating. I'm trying to build an amp. Any advice besides get another iron?

Thanks.

[martin manning]

It seems to me the barrel into which the tip goes is not tight enough. Could this be the problem?

I think maybe yes. Something is keeping the heat from conducting into the tip. Could it be that the barrel has become deformed over time?

[Phil_S]

Martin,
This is what I'm having trouble understanding. I canibalized a new iron (Home Depot $17) that uses the same heating element. I would have just used the new one as-is but the handle on the old one is nicer. As far as I can tell, the transplant is a perfect success. The heating element is integrated with the barrel, so that's new, too. The new iron came with 3 tips. I had another new tip in a sealed bag. All tips fit the same way, a little loose. As best I can recall, last time I changed a tip, I had to extract it from the barrel with a pliers because it was so tight. Maybe they are making the tips too svelte for the barrel -- a manufacturing error that has gone unnoticed? Maybe it is time to contact Apex tool group, the company that now owns Weller. I have a bad feeling about this. Time to change brands?

I think I agree, the heat isn't transferring properly. I loathe the thought, but is there anything I can line the barrel with? Umm.....hate to suggest tin foil...that seems all wrong. Can I stuff some very thin solid copper wire along the length of the part of the tip that goes inside the barrel (fat cylinder) to take up some slack and force contact and heat transfer?

Phil

[Bob S]

Do you have any white build up inside the iron? - it's like a calcium build up & acts as an insulator. If the iron is hot but the tip isn't, something is preventing heat transfer.
Distance or insulation.

[cbass]

if the tip seems loose maybe you could put it in backwards and tin the otherside of the tip.I don' tknowp robalynot

[Firestorm]

Soldering irons are surprisingly finicky things. Once you're sure the new tip is actually getting hot enough, you might have to tin it 2,3 even 4 times. I used to take a file to my old ones to recreate a point and would have do the tinning thing repeatedly. Kind of why I got away from using high-end professional irons. Buy cheap ones and when they get fussy start over. But that's just me.

[Phil_S]

Yeah, I've got white stuff on the outside. I'm using tap water on the sponge. I live in a town where mineral content is not particularly problematic -- no hard water problem. I see that I need to change to distilled water anyway.

I got it working. I was thinking after posting that I should try again. I stuffed a few threads of silver plated wire inside, but that did nothing, as expected. Got them out.

Staring at the tip, it refuses to heat and it refuses to tin. This is a brand new tip. Overheated it and ruined it? I turned the temp down a notch (1-5 scale on the pot, made it 4) put in a new tip, the pointy cone shaped one. Volia! It tins, it works!

Thanks to everyone for their contributions.

[dobbhill]

Phil:

My WLC100 won't work on "5" either. I turn it down to 4.5 and "ta-da!"

D

[Phil_S]

My WLC100 won't work on "5" either. I turn it down to 4.5 and "ta-da!"

I've had it in the max position for years. What? All of a sudden it starts "working" right? Go figure. I'm just glad I figured it out! It's nice to know I'm not the only one and that I'm not nuts! Thanks for posting.

[boots]

I had that same problem with a new tip once and finally learned that I didn't have the new tip shoved all the way into the hole until it bottomed out. I had the setscrew really tight, but it still wasn't conducting heat. Once I shoved the new tip in as far as it would go, then it worked fine.