'Serious' soldering iron - recommendations please ?
 

HI Folks

My usual weapon of choice is a temperature-controlled Weller 100W iron -
which works very well for tiffany-style suncatchers, tealights and so on.

Recently, I've been getting more commissions for copper-foil-based
window / door panels - with correspondingly longer seams to be soldered.

The Weller iron doesn't seem to be quite 'meaty' enough for these larger
panels - I'm not after 'turbo-soldering' performance g - but it'd be
nice to know that there was sufficient heat there to be able to run a
seam without having to pause for the iron to catch up.

So - what's your favourite iron for those slightly bigger jobs ?
I've no plans to diversify into leaded windows - but I guess it'd be
good if the 'serious' iron was capable of doing that as well, if need be.

One recommendation was for the Esico 150w iron and a Glastar controller
- but I'm open to any other suggestions.

I'm in Ireland - but I do have 110v 'plumbed in' to the Studio

Thanks in advance
Adrian
www.inspired-glass.com

'Serious' soldering iron - recommendations please ?
 

On Dec 17, 4:13*am, Adrian wrote:
HI Folks

My usual weapon of choice is a temperature-controlled Weller 100W iron -
which works very well for tiffany-style suncatchers, tealights and so on.

Recently, I've been getting more commissions for copper-foil-based
window / door panels - with correspondingly longer seams to be soldered.

The Weller iron doesn't seem to be quite 'meaty' enough for these larger
panels - I'm not after 'turbo-soldering' performance g - but it'd be
nice to know that there was sufficient heat there to be able to run a
seam without having to pause for the iron to catch up.

So - what's your favourite iron for those slightly bigger jobs ?
I've no plans to diversify into leaded windows - but I guess it'd be
good if the 'serious' iron was capable of doing that as well, if need be.

One recommendation was for the Esico 150w iron and a Glastar controller
- but I'm open to any other suggestions.

I'm in Ireland - but I do have 110v 'plumbed in' to the Studio

Thanks in advance
Adrianwww.inspired-glass.com

Hexacon 175

'Serious' soldering iron - recommendations please ?
 

Chemo the Clown wrote:
On Dec 17, 4:13 am, Adrian wrote:
HI Folks

My usual weapon of choice is a temperature-controlled Weller 100W iron -
which works very well for tiffany-style suncatchers, tealights and so on.

Recently, I've been getting more commissions for copper-foil-based
window / door panels - with correspondingly longer seams to be soldered.

The Weller iron doesn't seem to be quite 'meaty' enough for these larger
panels - I'm not after 'turbo-soldering' performance g - but it'd be
nice to know that there was sufficient heat there to be able to run a
seam without having to pause for the iron to catch up.

So - what's your favourite iron for those slightly bigger jobs ?
I've no plans to diversify into leaded windows - but I guess it'd be
good if the 'serious' iron was capable of doing that as well, if need be.

One recommendation was for the Esico 150w iron and a Glastar controller
- but I'm open to any other suggestions.

I'm in Ireland - but I do have 110v 'plumbed in' to the Studio

Thanks in advance
Adrianwww.inspired-glass.com

Hexacon 175

Thanks for that - you use it with a controller, I guess ?

Adrian

'Serious' soldering iron - recommendations please ?
 

On Dec 17, 10:38*am, Adrian wrote:
Chemo the Clown wrote:
On Dec 17, 4:13 am, Adrian wrote:
HI Folks

My usual weapon of choice is a temperature-controlled Weller 100W iron -
which works very well for tiffany-style suncatchers, tealights and so on.

Recently, I've been getting more commissions for copper-foil-based
window / door panels - with correspondingly longer seams to be soldered.

The Weller iron doesn't seem to be quite 'meaty' enough for these larger
panels - I'm not after 'turbo-soldering' performance g - but it'd be
nice to know that there was sufficient heat there to be able to run a
seam without having to pause for the iron to catch up.

So - what's your favourite iron for those slightly bigger jobs ?
I've no plans to diversify into leaded windows - but I guess it'd be
good if the 'serious' iron was capable of doing that as well, if need be.

One recommendation was for the Esico 150w iron and a Glastar controller
- but I'm open to any other suggestions.

I'm in Ireland - but I do have 110v 'plumbed in' to the Studio

Thanks in advance
Adrianwww.inspired-glass.com

Hexacon 175

Thanks for that - you use it with a controller, I guess ?

Adrian- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

With copper foil work I run it full on. Don't let it sit around and
just idle. Not using it...turn it off.

'Serious' soldering iron - recommendations please ?
 

Hi

Chemo the Clown wrote:
On Dec 17, 10:38 am, Adrian wrote:
Chemo the Clown wrote:
On Dec 17, 4:13 am, Adrian wrote:
HI Folks
My usual weapon of choice is a temperature-controlled Weller 100W iron -
which works very well for tiffany-style suncatchers, tealights and so on.
Recently, I've been getting more commissions for copper-foil-based
window / door panels - with correspondingly longer seams to be soldered.
The Weller iron doesn't seem to be quite 'meaty' enough for these larger
panels - I'm not after 'turbo-soldering' performance g - but it'd be
nice to know that there was sufficient heat there to be able to run a
seam without having to pause for the iron to catch up.
So - what's your favourite iron for those slightly bigger jobs ?
I've no plans to diversify into leaded windows - but I guess it'd be
good if the 'serious' iron was capable of doing that as well, if need be.
One recommendation was for the Esico 150w iron and a Glastar controller
- but I'm open to any other suggestions.
I'm in Ireland - but I do have 110v 'plumbed in' to the Studio
Thanks in advance
Adrianwww.inspired-glass.com
Hexacon 175
Thanks for that - you use it with a controller, I guess ?

Adrian- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

With copper foil work I run it full on. Don't let it sit around and
just idle. Not using it...turn it off.

Sounds sensible. I'd got the impression (from reading the online shops)
that you have to run a controller with these high-powered, non
temp-controlled irons - but maybe they just want to sell me a controller
as well as an iron !

As well as the Esico - there was another recommendation for a Hakko 60W
'Super Pro' iron. Apparently this iron uses a more efficient ceramic
element - hence the lower wattage - but, since I'm using a 100W Weller
at the moment and need 'more power'.. I'm sceptical...

Thanks for the comments

Adrian

'Serious' soldering iron - recommendations please ?
 

Adrian wrote in news:6qsv9tFean3oU1
@mid.individual.net:

Just a thought - copper foil requires much more solder than lead came, so
Kris the Health Noodge just wants to remind you: "Safety First" - be sure you
have very good ventilation and/or some sort of fume trap, so that the lead
vapor is pulled *away* from you.

'Serious' soldering iron - recommendations please ?
 

On Feb 5, 8:54*am, Kris Krieger wrote:
Adrian wrote in news:6qsv9tFean3oU1
@mid.individual.net:

Just a thought - copper foil requires much more solder than lead came, so
Kris the Health Noodge just wants to remind you: "Safety First" - be sure you
have very good ventilation and/or some sort of fume trap, so that the lead
vapor is pulled *away* from you.

Solder doesn't vaporize till around 2000 degrees. The "vapor" you are
talking about is the flux fumes. Still, good advice overall. Good
ventilation is a must.

'Serious' soldering iron - recommendations please ?
 

HI

wrote:
On Feb 5, 8:54 am, Kris Krieger wrote:
Adrian wrote in news:6qsv9tFean3oU1
@mid.individual.net:

Just a thought - copper foil requires much more solder than lead came, so
Kris the Health Noodge just wants to remind you: "Safety First" - be sure you
have very good ventilation and/or some sort of fume trap, so that the lead
vapor is pulled *away* from you.

Solder doesn't vaporize till around 2000 degrees. The "vapor" you are
talking about is the flux fumes. Still, good advice overall. Good
ventilation is a must.

Ah yes - but when you're turbo-soldering with a plasma torch... g

Better ventilation is on the list for this year...

I tried fitting a couple of computer fans through the studio wall - but
it wasn't 100% successful, and was fairly noisy.

As a (surprisingly effective) temporary measure I've been using one of
the portable 'fume extract/filter' fans that are sold for electronics
work - which allows you to put the extraction very close to the work -
which seems good.

Plan 'C' is a couple of 'toilet' extract fans on timers mounted
_outside_ the studio and sucking through flexible ducting...
They will come on when the soldering iron is lifted off it's stand,
and then run on for a minute or so after the iron's replaced -
thus keeping the noise level down (I hope)

Complicated life, isn't it ?? g

Adrian

'Serious' soldering iron - recommendations please ?
 

On Feb 6, 9:17*am, Adrian wrote:
HI

wrote:
On Feb 5, 8:54 am, Kris Krieger wrote:
Adrian wrote in news:6qsv9tFean3oU1
@mid.individual.net:

Just a thought - copper foil requires much more solder than lead came, so
Kris the Health Noodge just wants to remind you: "Safety First" - be sure you
have very good ventilation and/or some sort of fume trap, so that the lead
vapor is pulled *away* from you.

Solder doesn't vaporize till around 2000 degrees. The "vapor" you are
talking about is the flux fumes. Still, good advice overall. Good
ventilation is a must.

Ah yes - but when you're turbo-soldering with a plasma torch... g

Better ventilation is on the list for this year...

I tried fitting a couple of computer fans through the studio wall - but
it wasn't 100% successful, and was fairly noisy.

As a (surprisingly effective) temporary measure I've been using one of
the portable 'fume extract/filter' fans that are sold for electronics
work - which allows you to put the extraction very close to the work -
which seems good.

Plan 'C' is a couple of 'toilet' extract fans on timers mounted
_outside_ the studio and sucking through flexible ducting...
They will come on when the soldering iron is lifted off it's stand,
and then run on for a minute or so after the iron's replaced -
thus keeping the noise level down (I hope)

Complicated life, isn't it ?? g

Adrian

Ah ha...I forgot about the turbo-torch. :-)

'Serious' soldering iron - recommendations please ?
 

HI

wrote:
On Feb 6, 9:17 am, Adrian wrote:
HI

wrote:
On Feb 5, 8:54 am, Kris Krieger wrote:
Adrian wrote in news:6qsv9tFean3oU1
@mid.individual.net:
Just a thought - copper foil requires much more solder than lead came, so
Kris the Health Noodge just wants to remind you: "Safety First" - be sure you
have very good ventilation and/or some sort of fume trap, so that the lead
vapor is pulled *away* from you.
Solder doesn't vaporize till around 2000 degrees. The "vapor" you are
talking about is the flux fumes. Still, good advice overall. Good
ventilation is a must.
Ah yes - but when you're turbo-soldering with a plasma torch... g

Better ventilation is on the list for this year...

I tried fitting a couple of computer fans through the studio wall - but
it wasn't 100% successful, and was fairly noisy.

As a (surprisingly effective) temporary measure I've been using one of
the portable 'fume extract/filter' fans that are sold for electronics
work - which allows you to put the extraction very close to the work -
which seems good.

Plan 'C' is a couple of 'toilet' extract fans on timers mounted
_outside_ the studio and sucking through flexible ducting...
They will come on when the soldering iron is lifted off it's stand,
and then run on for a minute or so after the iron's replaced -
thus keeping the noise level down (I hope)

Complicated life, isn't it ?? g

Adrian

Ah ha...I forgot about the turbo-torch. :-)

But on the up-side - you do end up with a great suntan g

Adrian