Dremel Versatip for Soldering Stained Glass

I was thinking of getting it for doing stained glass. The tool touts
1000+ deg (F i assume) temps, which should be plenty to solder, but
i'm a bit worried that it only has a 30W heating element.

I'm new to stained glass (all but cemented my first piece) and found
my pencil iron is not up to the task... needs more thermal mass.

I worry that the Versatip might be the same.

Has anyone used this tool to solder ca(l)me? What is your opinion?

--
be safe.
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Why not just get the tool intended for the task? I like the inland brand
studio soldering iron myself, 100W. Others here prefer other brands but mine
runs about 20$ wholesale.m

"Philip Lewis" wrote in message
...
I was thinking of getting it for doing stained glass. The tool touts
1000+ deg (F i assume) temps, which should be plenty to solder, but
i'm a bit worried that it only has a 30W heating element.

I'm new to stained glass (all but cemented my first piece) and found
my pencil iron is not up to the task... needs more thermal mass.

I worry that the Versatip might be the same.

Has anyone used this tool to solder ca(l)me? What is your opinion?

--
be safe.
flip
Ich habe keine Ahnung was das bedeutet, oder vielleicht doch?
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"Michele Blank" writes:
Why not just get the tool intended for the task?
Hi Michele!
Being the frugal sort, I like to get tools which are multipurpose.
*Especially* since i'm new to this craft, and don't know how long
I'll stick with it. The versatip comes with 5(?) tips and runs around
20-25... so for roughly the same price, i'd be getting more
functionality... thus a better value. (But only if it works)

I like the inland brand studio soldering iron myself, 100W.
Good to know... I think that's what my instructor carries at her shop.
If I go with it, I'll probably build my own rheostat... or more likely
build a triac based one.

--
be safe.
flip
Ich habe keine Ahnung was das bedeutet, oder vielleicht doch?
Remove origin of the word spam from address to reply (leave "+")

"Philip Lewis" wrote in message
...
"Michele Blank" writes:
Why not just get the tool intended for the task?
Hi Michele!
Being the frugal sort, I like to get tools which are multipurpose.
*Especially* since i'm new to this craft, and don't know how long
I'll stick with it. The versatip comes with 5(?) tips and runs around
20-25... so for roughly the same price, i'd be getting more
functionality... thus a better value. (But only if it works)

I like the inland brand studio soldering iron myself, 100W.
Good to know... I think that's what my instructor carries at her shop.
If I go with it, I'll probably build my own rheostat... or more likely
build a triac based one.

--
be safe.
flip
Ich habe keine Ahnung was das bedeutet, oder vielleicht doch?
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i used a standard dimmer light switch to build one for under $5.

"Philip Lewis" wrote
If I go with it, I'll probably build my own rheostat... or more likely
build a triac based one.

"Charles Spitzer" writes:
i used a standard dimmer light switch to build one for under $5.

Yup, that would be the "triac based" one of which i spake.

I couldn't believe that folks would pay for what I've seen them sold.

My project would cost around $10 and would be comprised of:
double wide metal junction box, dimmer, and split electrical
receptical. (one dimmed, one passthrough)

I should make a web page so other folks could do it as well.

--
be safe.
flip
Ich habe keine Ahnung was das bedeutet, oder vielleicht doch?
Remove origin of the word spam from address to reply (leave "+")

"Philip Lewis" wrote in message
...
"Philip Lewis" wrote
If I go with it, I'll probably build my own rheostat... or more likely
build a triac based one.

"Charles Spitzer" writes:
i used a standard dimmer light switch to build one for under $5.

Yup, that would be the "triac based" one of which i spake.

I couldn't believe that folks would pay for what I've seen them sold.

My project would cost around $10 and would be comprised of:
double wide metal junction box, dimmer, and split electrical
receptical. (one dimmed, one passthrough)

I should make a web page so other folks could do it as well.

Well, it wouldn't be anything particularly "new", we used them back when I
started in the late 70's, but the power is not uniform across the curve of
"dimming" range of the switch. Watch what it does with a light bulb. You
turn it down 1/4 of the turn and the bulb is down more than a 1/4 of
brightness. which alone is no big deal. But having this crutch prevents a
person from learning to solder to their abilities. More practice, the
better you get. My iron plugs into the wall outlet, the dimmer is useless
after a short practice time.

"Javahut" writes:
Well, it wouldn't be anything particularly "new", we used them back when I
started in the late 70's, but the power is not uniform across the curve of
"dimming" range of the switch.
yes.. non linear dimming i understand... but if i get an iron, I'll
probably go for the most heavy duty one i can find... and it's likely
that it will *need* to be brought down in temp, lest i start melting
ca(l)me.


this [...] prevents a person from learning to solder [...]
More practice, the better you get.
[...]the dimmer is useless after a short practice time.
so you're saying that full temp iron is ok to use if you know what you
are doing? My piece was had quite a few joints, and yes i was better
as the night went on... but i have a long way to go... esp "moving"
the solder to fill corners and less than perfect joints.
I was thinking of getting a 6' piece and just cutting it every inch or
so to practice the rejoin process... trying to convince myself that
it's not "wasting" it. Might be better to just do another piece.

I have a friend who might enjoy a prairie style...



--
be safe.
flip
Ich habe keine Ahnung was das bedeutet, oder vielleicht doch?
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"Philip Lewis" wrote in message
...
I was thinking of getting a 6' piece and just cutting it every inch or
so to practice the rejoin process... trying to convince myself that
it's not "wasting" it.


If a $2.50 piece of lead is standing in your way of learning a technique,
methinks your priorities are messed up.

"Philip Lewis" wrote in message
...
"Javahut" writes:
Well, it wouldn't be anything particularly "new", we used them back when
I
started in the late 70's, but the power is not uniform across the curve
of
"dimming" range of the switch.
yes.. non linear dimming i understand... but if i get an iron, I'll
probably go for the most heavy duty one i can find... and it's likely
that it will *need* to be brought down in temp, lest i start melting
ca(l)me.


this [...] prevents a person from learning to solder [...]
More practice, the better you get.
[...]the dimmer is useless after a short practice time.
so you're saying that full temp iron is ok to use if you know what you
are doing? My piece was had quite a few joints, and yes i was better
as the night went on... but i have a long way to go... esp "moving"
the solder to fill corners and less than perfect joints.
I was thinking of getting a 6' piece and just cutting it every inch or
so to practice the rejoin process... trying to convince myself that
it's not "wasting" it. Might be better to just do another piece.

I have a friend who might enjoy a prairie style...
There you go, build something with alot of joints, Prairie fills the bill,
or a diamond pattern cabinet door, something that won't be a waste, but a
learning tool.
The full temp of the iron is only a shock to the first joint, as heat is
drawn out of the tip to execute the task, the iron has to keep up, you move
to the next joint quicker and the iron is working as a tool, not heating the
room sitting on a rest. The only time we use a controller is when doing
sculptural solder with 63/37. Which is not often....

"Moonraker" writes:
If a $2.50 piece of lead is standing in your way of learning a technique,
methinks your priorities are messed up.
It not so much the cost of the material as generating a piece of
not particularly nice waste..... Hmmm... I could always take up
casting and melt it into figurines.


"Javahut" writes:
The full temp of the iron is only a shock to the first joint, as heat is
drawn out of the tip to execute the task, the iron has to keep up, you move
yup... technically a 10W iron could probably work, but the tips are
small and have no thermal mass, and the heating element cannot keep up
with the process. This is why i was wondering about the dremel
tool... can it keep up with the task.

If I really wanted to be cheap, I'd use the traditional iron I
have. big fat tip you heat with external heat source.

--
be safe.
flip
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Remove origin of the word spam from address to reply (leave "+")