Hi all,
Seems like we all have seen the same problem with the soldering guns!
They can be convenient when they work!
I've watched my problems with the Weller guns for many years. It appears to
be so simple, I am baffled about why the manufacturer doesn't understand and
fix the design defect.
To put it bluntly, they have put a square peg in a round hole!
The tip section is square, the holes in the posts comming out of the gun are
round! When we tighten the locking screws on the gun, we get two very small
line contacts at each connection. These connections do not have enough area
to be reliable. Furthermore, the heating and cooling of the joints causes
repeated expansion and contraction, which causes the joints to become loose.
It's just a a very poor mechanical connection.
I file my tips to make the bent segments, that go into the holes, have a
half round shape. This improves the surface area in contact between the
holes in the posts and the tip. Then I coat the bent ends of the tip in a
zinc based conductive paste to help prevent oxidation.
If it's good for the antenna, it ought to be good for the gun!
Maybe, if everyone sent a letter to the Weller Company, stating that the
first thing they learned in preschool was not to try and put a square peg in
a round hole, someone would figure it out!
Until then, get an assortment of irons of varying power ratings, as
suggested by K5RC, to cover your work.
73, Kurt
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