About 20 years ago out in the field and the solder tip on my Weller 8200 broke. I went to my truck to get another and found I was out, so I made a tip from some 12 gauge wire I had. I pretty much followed the shape of the original. It worked so well I have been making them ever since. I keep one taped with electrical tape around the power cord so I got one handy when I need it.
Really appreciate videos like these! As a novice who's just starting out and learning the basics, I always appreciate the years of experience and wisdom shared. Thank you!
Well, 6 years later in 2022, I have a selection of sliding guns, irons, butane tip and even the plumbers/roofing 1” X 4” copper on a stick & wooden handle. But the “Weller” made 450 Watt came with a SnapOn label and three tips (P/N) RB450 and for $30 you can get new tips that contain a ceramic cartridge inside with a copper tip welded on. Screws hold the cartridges case of nickel plated tubing and a second screw connects the cartridge for a complete circuit. On the guns show above, many DIYers get frustrated trying to solder as they can’t get heat. Your quick demo of cold-to-hot was great. The tip has to be removed, cleaned on a wire wheel or chemically if careful, but this connection is completing the secondary side of mutual induction from an internal transformer. The tip offers resistance and gets hot. The 60HZ frequency was a secrete diagnostic test in 1972 with GM’s High Energy Ignition system called HEI. With the cap off, the coil and wires are still attached and key on, hold the soldering gun next to the ignition module bolted to the base of the distributor w/heat transfer paste, but the timer-core over a coil of fine wire and magnet would have a frequency of 60 time per second induced into it and spark would come out of the center carbon contact. Using a clip, length of wire to ground and a spark tester (ST125) would spark telling you the module was bad as long as the timer core wires where not broke. Moving it around while disconnected and an ohms test would tell you if the wire had a break in it. Ignition module easy as long as thermal transfer paste was applied, but timer core goes around the shaft and the distributor had to come out and shaft removed. Excellent video as custom tip shapes for certain jobs can be made! Thank you. ASE master since 1978, retired.
I have a 50+ year old model 8200-N gun that is still going strong. I have used 10 gauge copper wire for the tips since I bought it new. My case is full of short lengths of wire that I picked up over time. It's great to see that this is a method used by others. I originally used the gun for strained glass work, but now it's just used infrequently for whatever soldering task comes along.
On the strength of this video I ordered a model D650. When it came, I was at first disappointed to see that it didn't use threaded studs but stainless steel rings and grub screws (known as Style 2). Disappointment quickly gave way to delight. Style 2 works perfectly with your idea. My first project involved soldering heavy copper wires to lead (Pb) terminals (blocks). I decided to make tips out of heavy copper wire itself, and solder the tips themselves to the lead terminals. Then I could loosen the grub screws and pull the gun off. Well, it worked perfectly. Took seconds per connection and the connections are outstandingly strong. BTW, the 650 is a beast. Love it!
Thanks, you just saved me $20 and a 5 mile round-trip walk to the hardware store. I should have been able to figure this out for myself, thanks for confirming what I actually already knew!
Another helpful tip that I do is to loosen the tip nuts at the end of the work day (or evening). Then i retighten them the next time I use the gun. It consistently breaks through the build-up of oxidation which prevents proper tip heating. Also, I have less stripped nuts that need to be replaced because I over torqued them.
I have been using 10AWG Copper wire (4.5" long) on my Weller 8200. #10 Wire fits perfectly and lasts quite a bit longer. The tip is then twisted 90 degree to make it look flat.
Mr Carlson is OCD in a good way. And when I make up the tips I make at least a dozen and throw them in a jar. Always have a fresh one on hand. Thanks for watching.
HOLY SMOKES!! This is great. I repair Lionel Trains and other things. I have both of those soldering guns and I was just about to chuck them in the trash. I never had any success with them even when they were new. Mine are slightly different. They dont have the nice big nuts . mine has tiny set screws and collars. Anyways, I switched over to using a soldering iron because I got so fed up with these. They would never heat up , I would diddle around with the screws , sometimes it would help sometimes it wouldn't. They never got hot enough to do heavier gauge wire and so on . I grew to hate these things. I was just about to ditch them and I saw your video. I figured what the heck Ill give it a try. I cant believe it , These work better than new. Perhaps the stock tips are junk? I dont know, I dont care. I am just so happy that I can use my soldering guns the way they were intended. I sat there at the kitchen table just soldering all sorts of scrap together. I could hardly believe my eyes. Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!!!
You are 100% right about the shape of the tips. I always use that shape on all my soldering Guns. I look forward getting some more guns. I had enough of breathing all that smoke from soldering stations plus having to thin the tip after a few minutes so that It won't corrode. Sometimes while working on some projects I forget to use a soldering station or pencil and need to use 2 soldering Guns because I need to wait for the other one to cool down lol. I even soldered 0603 SMD parts with a cheaper Gun using a thinner tip (all this while I have a Metcal MX500 just screaming to be used). Cheers mate :)
Great idea , cheap and efficient , i do the same for years on my D550 . One problem i have is the back of the big coil comes so hot and smoke ...is there a fix aside using the gun for short work . Thanks for sharing.
Ha Ha! I get to keep my cookies. Loved it look to binge watch some of you vids over the holidays. Would love you to see you put your videos into some playlists that best describes what someone would look for ie. Signal Generators, Oscilloscopes, Ham, Hewlett Packard, etc. Love the channel so far. Best Wishes n Blessings. Keith Noneya
Thank you for posting this. I had tried it before but became frustrated as I used some steel rod I had laying around in my shop. It did heat but not like my Weller did in the past. It went in the 20 year bin. Today while doing a project and wanting to use a hotter soldering gun I thought to use the Weller and thought that I used the wrong material. What a good thing to see this video and hear copper! The only thing that still puzzles me is can I use THHN rather than Romex? Thanks again!
I like longer tips to for there reach too.I really have used my big gun yet it's new I got it for old radios,but it came with three tips I got mine from habor freight ,because I won't be using it much ,and it comes with everything .I wasn't going to buy a weller for limit use . Mine has the same wattage .I also have butane and a seller battery operated one.and a 898 D rework station .it's Good to have choices .
Hi, i want to ask what you recomend for weller standard but the secondary winding is aluminium and i cant use copper because it will oxidize right away what would be your sugestion?
I find that if you heat the wire with MAPP gas until almost red hot while you initially bend the wire it holds up much longer. I'm guessing there's less stress on the wire so it doesn't crack over time.
Dude, are you sure about #12 wire? I have a Weller 8200 100/140w . I could swear that's one of the ones you talked about in the video. I use to know what gauge wire I needed, a few years back I had a head injury. I relearning everything now. I trusted your video. I went out and bought a roll of #12 wire it works but it could be quite a bit bigger. I'm not sure I remember how to soulder. Thanks Dude, you're a life saver
Had the video in question contained explicit instructions warning against any deviation of form, then 'disagreement' would be an apt characterization, however considering that is not the case, a differing preference in shape seems to be a far more fitting description. I also think that shape preference is determined by the most commonly intended task. For instance, a strong argument could be made in favor of the wide 'U' shape if creating large solder pools on relatively open areas of chassis were what one used that particular gun for the majority of the time. That said, the longer I type the more aware I am becoming of how frivolous my point appears regarding such an insignificant and trivial subject but I've already wasted far too much time not to post it anyway. While I'm at it I might as well take the time to compliment you on your content as well. Very informative stuff that's provided me as well as many others (I'm sure) a lot of help. I mean that sincerely. Thank you!
Mr. Carlson's video only recommended the short U shaped tip for the purpose of quickly soldering battery tabs without overheating the battery. He never recommended the home made short tip for component soldering.
Exactly - Mr. Carlson's tip was for chassis work, not component work. Both your tip and his are good for their intended use - yours for component work and his for chassis work. As it so happens, I have an 8200 with your style of tip (which I learned to make courtesy of my father) for larger component work and a D550 with Mr. Carlson's style of tip for chassis work. Still, good video for those who've never seen how to make their own.
I looked up "diy soldering gun tips" and your video was the first to come up! Subbed! Question: I've been doing the exact same thing, but if I get one speck of the rosin core on the copper tip, it fits right through after 1 or 2 small soldering jobs I clean them after every joint, and I do try not to get any solder on the tip but sometimes it's inevitable. The 1/8" brass rod from Lowes held up a little better, but doesn't heat up as quickly. I have the means to form steel into tips but haven't tried to yet. Any feedback would be much appreciated. Thank you!
...what you are describing is known as "tip erosion": when you have a very hot bare copper tip in contact with hot solder, you're gonna have accelerated tip erosion! (that's why "iron clad" tips were invented.) Fortunately, tips made from copper wire are inexpensive- and if you have extra tip nuts- you can keep a supply of extra tips on hand.
I have a Weller D550 and I need a Hot Knife to cut fabric with. Can I hammer a number ten (or #8) wire, flat (by about an inch long) to make a flat curved hot knife blade?
I’ve had my Weller 100/140 soldering gun for 55 years. It was a must during the days of color TV home service . When Working on solid state, PC electronics requires a smaller powered pencil type iron. The tip that Mr.Carlson makes over loads the transformer and shortens the life of the soldering gun coils.
Mind to explain why it shortens life of the soldering gun? Is that because of the total length of the wire he used or is it the shape? Planning to make my first tip soon.
For those that don't know: On those two Weller guns (models 8200 and D550), the fingertip trigger selects HIGH output (1st trigger position), or LOW output (2nd trigger position). There's nothing in my user manual about it. It's counterintuitive. Aren't you always supposed to pull MORE to get MORE power?
My experience with the 8200 is that 1st trigger position is LOW output, 2nd trigger position HIGH output, as one would expect. I've verified this by removing the soldering tip and measuring the ac voltage across the mounting terminals. It measures about 337mV at 1st trigger position, 379mV at 2nd trigger position, which is consistent with more power being delivered at 2nd trigger position. The light is also noticeably brighter at 2nd trigger position than 1st trigger position. My particular 8200 dates back to the late 60s. Still works great, too.
It depends on the brand of soldering gun. On the gun, Some have the range low to high, some have the range high to low. Its not always pull the trigger for more power.
Was looking at my old weller, can't find tips so I was going to make one.. Then this popped up. I don't like the newer guns as much as my super old weller.
I just bought a weller 8200 soldering. I use multimeter to measure between tip and transformer iron core. It conducts electricity. Is this product defective? It must be insulated. Thank you.
I have never checked mine for continuity between tip and core. But I would not be surprised to see a connection. As long as the center portion ( where it actually passes through the core ) is insulated it will not matter if one end is grounded to the core. If the tip heats up properly all should be fine.
@@theradiomechanic9625 The tip is connected to the high current low voltage side of a transformer. There is the equivalent of few secondary turns of very fat wire, thus, if you remove the tip and measure the DC resistance of the terminals it will be extremely low. Another test, while you have the tip removed, is to measure the voltage. It will be only a couple of volts. A soldering gun is a good source for a very high current, low voltage application, like a very low power spot welder. It isn't a great spot welder, but I have successfully spot welded thermocouple wire to the case of an oven. Of course there are some circuit concerns regarding grounds, etc, but It makes a nearly perfect thermal bond.As Dave Jones would say, "none of that thermal grease rubbish".
thank you so much! I appreciate your help very much! So I will try to win this 275Watts Weller bid on eBay ;-) as I know now where to buy new welding-tips ;-) Greetings from Austria!
Hi, nice video. Just yesterday I watched Mr Carlson's Lab video about making a homemade tip, and I think you may have misunderstood his purpose. He used an old Weller iron & homemade heavy tip for the purpose of soldering to steel chassis, something his Hakko was incapable of doing. He was not promoting it for use in any fine work. Thanks for your video.
Here is a twist. Recently my original Weller tip failed. Checked for cheap options but had no 10 gauge wire. I took some bare 14/2 household wire and twisted two 6 inch strands together with pliers. Formed it similar to the original in shape, and it has been working fine. A real advantage is with the twisted copper it holds solder better. ☺♥†♪♫ Feb 5th, 2023
I find that with the homemade tips my soldering gun heats up alot but the tip does not, the heat is to the point where I see smoke coming from the inside of the gun. Could this be cause the reistence is different then the originals?
Could be you're using slightly too heavy a gauge of wire. Or making them a little bit too short. And those guns are only designed for about a 50% duty cycle. The shorter they are the lower the resistance the more current it's going to draw as well a thicker wire. But I've been using them for years without any issues.
Nice video, your information is correct and number 10 wire is the correct wire to use. Do you know why Mr. Carlson made such a tiny little U which you correctly disagreed with? It's because he used #14 wire! This is the wrong wire and has too much resistance! Thus to make the wire have less resistance he had to make it very short. Thus the tiny little U which he pretended was what he wanted!
The originals have a smaller, flatter tip than the homemade ones, although this might not always matter. If the wire is aluminium plated, will that stop it dissovling in solder like pure copper does?
Home made tips made from copper wire will not last as long as commercial tips with multiple layers of different metals specific for the task. But at pennies for a new tip that lasts about a third as long a a multidollar tip, well, its your call.
...actually, it's a lot better when the solder takes to the tip- because it forms a "thermal bridge", you get excellent heat transfer- and that results in fast and strong solder connections!!!
Hi, are the soldering guns you have in the video, the Weller D550PK and Weller D650PK?. From the reviews i have seen of amazon, the Weller D550PK and Weller D650PK are junk. If they are the guns you have, what is you're experience with them?, I ask because i want to buy the D650Pk for heavy chassis work. Hope to hear from you soon. Many thanks in advance
Mine is the d550. It is the older style with the hollow nut that the tip passes through. The newer models have a clamp that holds the tip and I've heard that they tend to not make a good connection. Look around at yard sales and flea markets for the older models. I've had mine for more years than I can count. They are my go-to irons when I'm working on antique radios. I use my soldering stations with the pencil tips for printed circuit boards but for the heavier connections in those Old radios nothing will beat one of these wellers.
I am an electrician. I do some speaker building for fun and once in a while I need to solder at work. I wondered if Romex would work for a replacement tip, I knew it would "work" but pure copper (almost pure) is very soft compared to the tips they sell and didn't know how they would hold up as a heat element. I have seen a lot of overheated/burnt copper over the years and generally we replace it or cut it back considerably from the damaged area. I'm using it next time I replace a tip. Thanks.
Romex will work fine. It doesn't last a really long time, but then again neither do the original tips. Tin the tip well and keep solder on it at all times. As soon as the copper gets exposed to the air at soldering temperatures it begins to degrade. The beauty of using the Romex house wiring is you always will have a ready supply of free tips.
@@theradiomechanic9625 right, I have an unlimited supply. It takes literally 30 seconds to make a new one as opposed to driving to the hardware, shelling out the cash and driving home. Definitely a great idea.
Been doing almost exactly the same thing for decades! Only I'm even more anal about the shape and have been mimicking the original asymmetrical shape instead of pinching in the middle. Waste of time but I don't care. Only thing I don't like is, unlike store bought with the sacrificial copper knob at the tip, these tend to wear through at the tip rather quickly. But the price is right! 73', de W1MM
I made 3 in less than 10 minutes and they heat up much quicker than the original. I do have a question. Do I need to clean the tip for better dissipation of the solder?
I generally tin them immediately upon their first heating, and like R.M. I tin them at least an inch. The quality of the tip and its ability to wick solder is as good as any commercial expensive tip.
Hm, I bought a weller 100w/140W gun at an antiques fair. It is working properly but could do with a bit more power. I wonder if I can make a thicker tip that can draw more amps.
Yes. If it fits then it won't be much lower resistance (if at all). I've just bought some 3mm copper rod to use; I'll post here what the result of this is.
OK, update: I made a tip from 10cm of 3mm copper "rod". I used a pencil torch to anneal it as I went along. The tip works but is too short, and also I forgot to thread on the nuts before bending the ends, so they go into the outer sides. Not bad for a first try. This tip starts at about 200W and settles at about 150, whereas before it settled not much above a hundred. It's much better now; the time taken to heat up is reasonably good. Pictures; imgur.com/a/79CN6
metallitech Mine is 100 W and has a specified duty cycle of only 20%. I previously considered modifying the casing to add a fan to cool the transformer but never got around to it and rarely use it now anyway.
@@metallitech I'd fix your little mistake first, looks like you're going to get some stripped threads, or even some malformation under heat. Just take it back out, straighten the ends and put them on properly from there. Heat the copper at the bend if you have trouble straightening it. You'll also have proper thermal transfer
Haha. The only intelligent thing I can add is that the original tips have a cross section of 2.3mm x 2.0mm = 4.83 sq. mm. A number 12 wire has a cross sectional area of 3.46mm. A number 10 wire has a cross sectional area of 5.3 sq. mm. The resistivity of a # 12 wire is 1.588 ohms / 1000 ft. and a #10 wire has a resistivity of 0.999 ohms /1000 ft. so by ratio, the original tip should be around 1.097 ohms /1000 ft. I think the #10 wire will be more suitable than the #12 wire to be closer to the original design. I haven't tried the #12 wire but mine works great with the #10 wire on the 100/140 watt gun. Got to have enough resistance on the secondary or you will heat up the inside of the transformer. Heat kills the magnet wire on the primary side.
I tried this technique on a connecting rod. It doesn't work. Not only did the connecting rod separate at the crack. The result was the connecting rod went through the oil pan. Started a huge fire
This is a great video. Thanks. I am a complete newbie when it comes to wires other than I know what the different gauges mean. I'm looking at Home Depot's site but I don't see the type of wire you're showing. I'm assuming I'm looking at electrical copper wire? If so I'm only seeing multi stranded wires and 24 gauge. Is 14 alright and do I just use one of the strands? Or can you provide a link for what I should be looking for? I have also found wire on websites selling electronic parts but don't know if it's the correct stuff. Thanks again!
Hi Karen, this is just plain old house/home wiring. Solid copper conductor. It will be listed as 14/2 or 12/2 or 10/2. There are actually 3 wires, the 2 designates the insulated ones and the third is a bare ground wire. However they will want to sell you a roll. Ask around to friends and neighbors. I guarantee someone has a random length in the basement or garage left over from some project. The Idea is to get it for nothing as scrap so the tips are free. 10 is the largest, 12 is the next smallest and 14 is the smallest used in house wiring. 14 is for a 15 amp circuit. 12 is for 10 amp etc. Thanks for watching.
I Bought Me A Nice Soldering Iron Holder For $40.00 & one Soldering Iron & Then I Found One A Soldering Handle That usesMuliple Wattage Elements From 23 To 53 Watts
The one fallacy to this tip design is that it heats up from the gun mount all the way around. The secret to the factory tip is that the smaller wire from the gun mount to the larger square profile tip end, is that the tip end is a few milliohms less resistance than the leads from it to the gun mount, so it concentrates the majority of the heat there, and not the entire length of copper. When the tips were a bit hard to find, and expensive too, ACE Hardware being the most expensive, I also made my own. I held the wire end that goes to the gun mount in a vise, twisted the end together where it doubles back on itself, then used an acetylene torch to heat it to the plastic point and shape it into an end that resembles the factory original. Now that I can get the tips more reasonably on places like Ebay, I'll buy them unless I have burned them all out and need one in an emergency.
" that the tip end is a few milliohms less resistance than the leads from it to the gun mount". Didn't you mean that the resistance at the end of the tip is slightly _higher_? The wire soldering tip is one section of the iron's transformer secondary winding. The entire secondary loop is pretty low resistance, but the segment at the very end of the tip can be formed/squished so that it is relatively high resistance compared to the rest of the loop. Making the end of tip higher resistance will cause most of the power dissipation to be at that point, so that small segment will get very hot, relative to the rest of the secondary loop.
@@daleburrell6273 In the secondary loop, the "wire" and the "tip" are in series, so they have the same current running through them, right? So, if you have the same current running through the low-resistance wire, and the higher-resistance tip, which section will have higher power dissipation? Since P=I*I*R, and I is the same for the "wire" and the "tip", the higher-resistance tip will have higher power dissipation, and that's the part that will get hot. Really, this is the same scenario as an incandescent light bulb, or an electric heater. You have a high-resistance heating/lighting element in series with low-resistance electrical wire. The heating element gets hot, and (hopefully) the wire supplying the electricity does not.
@@walterwinnipeg7350 ...a short circuit ALWAYS draws more current- and creates more HEAT- and it's true that the current is the same everywhere in a series circuit- (Kirchhoff's Law?)
@@daleburrell6273 Dale, I'm not sure what you're getting at, but I'll leave my explanation as it is. The "tip" end is higher resistance than the rest of the wire of the secondary loop (just like the heating elements in a toaster are higher resistance than the power cord of the toaster) . You pull the trigger of the soldering gun, and high current flows through the whole secondary loop. The "tip" is the highest resistance part of the secondary loop, so that is the part that will get the hottest.
I like Mr. Carlson's Lab. This guy here is in love with the sound of his own voice and comes across as the person with the final word. That is usually because no one can teach him anything because he knows everything already. Arrogant. A poor student makes for an inferior teacher. See Ya..
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About 20 years ago out in the field and the solder tip on my Weller 8200 broke. I went to my truck to get another and found I was out, so I made a tip from some 12 gauge wire I had. I pretty much followed the shape of the original. It worked so well I have been making them ever since. I keep one taped with electrical tape around the power cord so I got one handy when I need it.
Really appreciate videos like these! As a novice who's just starting out and learning the basics, I always appreciate the years of experience and wisdom shared. Thank you!
Well, 6 years later in 2022, I have a selection of sliding guns, irons, butane tip and even the plumbers/roofing 1” X 4” copper on a stick & wooden handle. But the “Weller” made 450 Watt came with a SnapOn label and three tips (P/N) RB450 and for $30 you can get new tips that contain a ceramic cartridge inside with a copper tip welded on. Screws hold the cartridges case of nickel plated tubing and a second screw connects the cartridge for a complete circuit.
On the guns show above, many DIYers get frustrated trying to solder as they can’t get heat. Your quick demo of cold-to-hot was great. The tip has to be removed, cleaned on a wire wheel or chemically if careful, but this connection is completing the secondary side of mutual induction from an internal transformer. The tip offers resistance and gets hot. The 60HZ frequency was a secrete diagnostic test in 1972 with GM’s High Energy Ignition system called HEI. With the cap off, the coil and wires are still attached and key on, hold the soldering gun next to the ignition module bolted to the base of the distributor w/heat transfer paste, but the timer-core over a coil of fine wire and magnet would have a frequency of 60 time per second induced into it and spark would come out of the center carbon contact. Using a clip, length of wire to ground and a spark tester (ST125) would spark telling you the module was bad as long as the timer core wires where not broke. Moving it around while disconnected and an ohms test would tell you if the wire had a break in it. Ignition module easy as long as thermal transfer paste was applied, but timer core goes around the shaft and the distributor had to come out and shaft removed.
Excellent video as custom tip shapes for certain jobs can be made! Thank you.
ASE master since 1978, retired.
I have a 50+ year old model 8200-N gun that is still going strong. I have used 10 gauge copper wire for the tips since I bought it new. My case is full of short lengths of wire that I picked up over time. It's great to see that this is a method used by others. I originally used the gun for strained glass work, but now it's just used infrequently for whatever soldering task comes along.
On the strength of this video I ordered a model D650. When it came, I was at first disappointed to see that it didn't use threaded studs but stainless steel rings and grub screws (known as Style 2). Disappointment quickly gave way to delight. Style 2 works perfectly with your idea.
My first project involved soldering heavy copper wires to lead (Pb) terminals (blocks). I decided to make tips out of heavy copper wire itself, and solder the tips themselves to the lead terminals. Then I could loosen the grub screws and pull the gun off. Well, it worked perfectly. Took seconds per connection and the connections are outstandingly strong.
BTW, the 650 is a beast. Love it!
Works perfect! Thank you. Got my 40 year old Weller working like or better than new.
Thanks, you just saved me $20 and a 5 mile round-trip walk to the hardware store.
I should have been able to figure this out for myself, thanks for confirming what I actually already knew!
Another helpful tip that I do is to loosen the tip nuts at the end of the work day (or evening). Then i retighten them the next time I use the gun. It consistently breaks through the build-up of oxidation which prevents proper tip heating. Also, I have less stripped nuts that need to be replaced because I over torqued them.
Good tip. I usually am very careful how tight I make them. I will occasionally loosen then re-snug them for the same reason. Thanks for watching.
I have been using 10AWG Copper wire (4.5" long) on my Weller 8200. #10 Wire fits perfectly and lasts quite a bit longer. The tip is then twisted 90 degree to make it look flat.
Thank you. I made a tip and finished the job before I could have even gotten to the store. Thanks again!
Mr Carlson is OCD in a good way. And when I make up the tips I make at least a dozen and throw them in a jar. Always have a fresh one on hand. Thanks for watching.
Ive got an old Weller 8200-N and love it! Thanks for the tips ;)
Subbed for future needs.
Very well explained. Clear, and well paced. Thanks for posting. Take care.
Your Welcome, thanks for watching.
HOLY SMOKES!! This is great. I repair Lionel Trains and other things. I have both of those soldering guns and I was just about to chuck them in the trash. I never had any success with them even when they were new. Mine are slightly different. They dont have the nice big nuts . mine has tiny set screws and collars. Anyways, I switched over to using a soldering iron because I got so fed up with these. They would never heat up , I would diddle around with the screws , sometimes it would help sometimes it wouldn't. They never got hot enough to do heavier gauge wire and so on . I grew to hate these things. I was just about to ditch them and I saw your video. I figured what the heck Ill give it a try. I cant believe it , These work better than new. Perhaps the stock tips are junk? I dont know, I dont care. I am just so happy that I can use my soldering guns the way they were intended. I sat there at the kitchen table just soldering all sorts of scrap together. I could hardly believe my eyes. Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!!!
Agree about Mr. Carlson! I do like the tip shape you use better. Thanks!
You are 100% right about the shape of the tips. I always use that shape on all my soldering Guns. I look forward getting some more guns. I had enough of breathing all that smoke from soldering stations plus having to thin the tip after a few minutes so that It won't corrode. Sometimes while working on some projects I forget to use a soldering station or pencil and need to use 2 soldering Guns because I need to wait for the other one to cool down lol. I even soldered 0603 SMD parts with a cheaper Gun using a thinner tip (all this while I have a Metcal MX500 just screaming to be used). Cheers mate :)
Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Good job.
Thanks for the idea, very helpful 😃
Thanks. In your experience, does the D550 enough power to connect 11g steel rod?
Great idea , cheap and efficient , i do the same for years on my D550 .
One problem i have is the back of the big coil comes so hot and smoke
...is there a fix aside using the gun for short work . Thanks for
sharing.
great for rc cars too, the weller guns.
Excellent advice. Thanks.
what should I use to solder silver solder, easy melt for jewelry.?
Ha Ha! I get to keep my cookies. Loved it look to binge watch some of you vids over the holidays. Would love you to see you put your videos into some playlists that best describes what someone would look for ie. Signal Generators, Oscilloscopes, Ham, Hewlett Packard, etc. Love the channel so far. Best Wishes n Blessings. Keith Noneya
Thank you thank you I live in the Bahamas and it hard to find soldering tip here man o man this is so much faster thanks again
HI Peter, your welcome, thanks for watching.
Thank you for posting this. I had tried it before but became frustrated as I used some steel rod I had laying around in my shop. It did heat but not like my Weller did in the past. It went in the 20 year bin. Today while doing a project and wanting to use a hotter soldering gun I thought to use the Weller and thought that I used the wrong material. What a good thing to see this video and hear copper! The only thing that still puzzles me is can I use THHN rather than Romex? Thanks again!
I used a # 14 in emergency on the small gun works fine also as I didn't have#12 had to fix oil burner controller.🤗
Thanks for posting,good info.
Thankyou for the advice, cheers :-)
I would make the tip a little longer to reduce the load on the gun transformer.
I like longer tips to for there reach too.I really have used my big gun yet it's new I got it for old radios,but it came with three tips I got mine from habor freight ,because I won't be using it much ,and it comes with everything .I wasn't going to buy a weller for limit use . Mine has the same wattage .I also have butane and a seller battery operated one.and a 898 D rework station .it's Good to have choices .
Hi, i want to ask what you recomend for weller standard but the secondary winding is aluminium and i cant use copper because it will oxidize right away what would be your sugestion?
The 60 watt unit you show that described as blazingly hot sure seems to have along AC cord , would that be part of the reason ?
That's neat. Gonna try that with my radio shack gun and some fence wire. Looks like about 12 gauge.
Great 'tip'. Thanks
Uffff exelent vídeo, tks Mr....🤝🎩
Thank you for this tip. I'm so tired of spending money for tips.
I find that if you heat the wire with MAPP gas until almost red hot while you initially bend the wire it holds up much longer. I'm guessing there's less stress on the wire so it doesn't crack over time.
Will any wire do as long as it fits into my 8200?
Dude, are you sure about #12 wire? I have a Weller 8200 100/140w . I could swear that's one of the ones you talked about in the video. I use to know what gauge wire I needed, a few years back I had a head injury. I relearning everything now. I trusted your video. I went out and bought a roll of #12 wire it works but it could be quite a bit bigger. I'm not sure I remember how to soulder. Thanks Dude, you're a life saver
Had the video in question contained explicit instructions warning against any deviation of form, then 'disagreement' would be an apt characterization, however considering that is not the case, a differing preference in shape seems to be a far more fitting description.
I also think that shape preference is determined by the most commonly intended task. For instance, a strong argument could be made in favor of the wide 'U' shape if creating large solder pools on relatively open areas of chassis were what one used that particular gun for the majority of the time.
That said, the longer I type the more aware I am becoming of how frivolous my point appears regarding such an insignificant and trivial subject but I've already wasted far too much time not to post it anyway.
While I'm at it I might as well take the time to compliment you on your content as well. Very informative stuff that's provided me as well as many others (I'm sure) a lot of help. I mean that sincerely. Thank you!
Mr. Carlson's video only recommended the short U shaped tip for the purpose of quickly soldering battery tabs without overheating the battery. He never recommended the home made short tip for component soldering.
Exactly - Mr. Carlson's tip was for chassis work, not component work. Both your tip and his are good for their intended use - yours for component work and his for chassis work. As it so happens, I have an 8200 with your style of tip (which I learned to make courtesy of my father) for larger component work and a D550 with Mr. Carlson's style of tip for chassis work. Still, good video for those who've never seen how to make their own.
I looked up "diy soldering gun tips" and your video was the first to come up! Subbed!
Question:
I've been doing the exact same thing, but if I get one speck of the rosin core on the copper tip, it fits right through after 1 or 2 small soldering jobs I clean them after every joint, and I do try not to get any solder on the tip but sometimes it's inevitable.
The 1/8" brass rod from Lowes held up a little better, but doesn't heat up as quickly. I have the means to form steel into tips but haven't tried to yet.
Any feedback would be much appreciated.
Thank you!
...what you are describing is known as "tip erosion": when you have a very hot bare copper tip in contact with hot solder, you're gonna have accelerated tip erosion! (that's why "iron clad" tips were invented.)
Fortunately, tips made from copper wire are inexpensive- and if you have extra tip nuts- you can keep a supply of extra tips on hand.
I have a Weller D550 and I need a Hot Knife to cut fabric with.
Can I hammer a number ten (or #8) wire, flat (by about an inch long) to make a flat curved hot knife blade?
Should work fine. Weller actually sells a tip for that purpose.
I’ve had my Weller 100/140 soldering gun for 55 years. It was a must during the days of color TV home service . When Working on solid state, PC electronics requires a smaller powered pencil type iron. The tip that Mr.Carlson makes over loads the transformer and shortens the life of the soldering gun coils.
Mind to explain why it shortens life of the soldering gun? Is that because of the total length of the wire he used or is it the shape? Planning to make my first tip soon.
For those that don't know: On those two Weller guns (models 8200 and D550), the fingertip trigger selects HIGH output (1st trigger position), or LOW output (2nd trigger position). There's nothing in my user manual about it. It's counterintuitive. Aren't you always supposed to pull MORE to get MORE power?
I realized there was two positions but always assumed the 140w was position two, thanks for the info.
My experience with the 8200 is that 1st trigger position is LOW output, 2nd trigger position HIGH output, as one would expect. I've verified this by removing the soldering tip and measuring the ac voltage across the mounting terminals. It measures about 337mV at 1st trigger position, 379mV at 2nd trigger position, which is consistent with more power being delivered at 2nd trigger position. The light is also noticeably brighter at 2nd trigger position than 1st trigger position. My particular 8200 dates back to the late 60s. Still works great, too.
It depends on the brand of soldering gun. On the gun, Some have the range low to high, some have the range high to low. Its not always pull the trigger for more power.
These guns with 2 power levels have the high level on the first click. If you pull the trigger all the way they run the lower power.
I bet the thinking was 1st click high to get temp up fast, then full pull-low just to maintain the tip temp for longevity of all parts concerned.
Many thanks
Extremely informative. do a video on bad tips please. DVD:)
I cant find tips at the store and online they seem expensive I have #12 and #10 scrap wow thanks I will make my own
My lamps were sketchy from the get go. Great for heavy gauge amplifier power transformer 10ga copper line
Was looking at my old weller, can't find tips so I was going to make one.. Then this popped up. I don't like the newer guns as much as my super old weller.
I just bought a weller 8200 soldering. I use multimeter to measure between tip and transformer iron core. It conducts electricity. Is this product defective? It must be insulated. Thank you.
I have never checked mine for continuity between tip and core. But I would not be surprised to see a connection. As long as the center portion ( where it actually passes through the core ) is insulated it will not matter if one end is grounded to the core.
If the tip heats up properly all should be fine.
@@theradiomechanic9625 The tip is connected to the high current low voltage side of a transformer. There is the equivalent of few secondary turns of very fat wire, thus, if you remove the tip and measure the DC resistance of the terminals it will be extremely low. Another test, while you have the tip removed, is to measure the voltage. It will be only a couple of volts. A soldering gun is a good source for a very high current, low voltage application, like a very low power spot welder. It isn't a great spot welder, but I have successfully spot welded thermocouple wire to the case of an oven. Of course there are some circuit concerns regarding grounds, etc, but It makes a nearly perfect thermal bond.As Dave Jones would say, "none of that thermal grease rubbish".
thank you so much! I appreciate your help very much!
So I will try to win this 275Watts Weller bid on eBay ;-) as I know now where to buy new welding-tips ;-)
Greetings from Austria!
Hi, nice video. Just yesterday I watched Mr Carlson's Lab video about making a homemade tip, and I think you may have misunderstood his purpose. He used an old Weller iron & homemade heavy tip for the purpose of soldering to steel chassis, something his Hakko was incapable of doing. He was not promoting it for use in any fine work. Thanks for your video.
...that's what I was gonna say-(!)
Great tip, pun intended. Thanks for the good information though.
Your welcome.
Here is a twist. Recently my original Weller tip failed. Checked for cheap options but had no 10 gauge wire. I took some bare 14/2 household wire and twisted two 6 inch strands together with pliers. Formed it similar to the original in shape, and it has been working fine. A real advantage is with the twisted copper it holds solder better. ☺♥†♪♫ Feb 5th, 2023
I find that with the homemade tips my soldering gun heats up alot but the tip does not, the heat is to the point where I see smoke coming from the inside of the gun. Could this be cause the reistence is different then the originals?
Could be you're using slightly too heavy a gauge of wire. Or making them a little bit too short. And those guns are only designed for about a 50% duty cycle. The shorter they are the lower the resistance the more current it's going to draw as well a thicker wire. But I've been using them for years without any issues.
Nice video, your information is correct and number 10 wire is the correct wire to use. Do you know why Mr. Carlson made such a tiny little U which you correctly disagreed with? It's because he used #14 wire! This is the wrong wire and has too much resistance! Thus to make the wire have less resistance he had to make it very short. Thus the tiny little U which he pretended was what he wanted!
The originals have a smaller, flatter tip than the homemade ones, although this might not always matter. If the wire is aluminium plated, will that stop it dissovling in solder like pure copper does?
Home made tips made from copper wire will not last as long as commercial tips with multiple layers of different metals specific for the task. But at pennies for a new tip that lasts about a third as long a a multidollar tip, well, its your call.
@@ronjones4069 ...and if you have extra tip nuts, you can keep a supply of premade tips on hand, ready for immediate use-!!
...actually, it's a lot better when the solder takes to the tip- because it forms a "thermal bridge", you get excellent heat transfer- and that results in fast and strong solder connections!!!
Hi, are the soldering guns you have in the video, the Weller D550PK and Weller D650PK?. From the reviews i have seen of amazon, the Weller D550PK and Weller D650PK are junk. If they are the guns you have, what is you're experience with them?, I ask because i want to buy the D650Pk for heavy chassis work. Hope to hear from you soon. Many thanks in advance
Mine is the d550. It is the older style with the hollow nut that the tip passes through. The newer models have a clamp that holds the tip and I've heard that they tend to not make a good connection. Look around at yard sales and flea markets for the older models. I've had mine for more years than I can count. They are my go-to irons when I'm working on antique radios. I use my soldering stations with the pencil tips for printed circuit boards but for the heavier connections in those Old radios nothing will beat one of these wellers.
@@theradiomechanic9625 Many thanks for you're reply
I am an electrician. I do some speaker building for fun and once in a while I need to solder at work. I wondered if Romex would work for a replacement tip, I knew it would "work" but pure copper (almost pure) is very soft compared to the tips they sell and didn't know how they would hold up as a heat element. I have seen a lot of overheated/burnt copper over the years and generally we replace it or cut it back considerably from the damaged area. I'm using it next time I replace a tip. Thanks.
Romex will work fine. It doesn't last a really long time, but then again neither do the original tips. Tin the tip well and keep solder on it at all times. As soon as the copper gets exposed to the air at soldering temperatures it begins to degrade. The beauty of using the Romex house wiring is you always will have a ready supply of free tips.
@@theradiomechanic9625 right, I have an unlimited supply. It takes literally 30 seconds to make a new one as opposed to driving to the hardware, shelling out the cash and driving home. Definitely a great idea.
Been doing almost exactly the same thing for decades! Only I'm even more anal about the shape and have been mimicking the original asymmetrical shape instead of pinching in the middle. Waste of time but I don't care. Only thing I don't like is, unlike store bought with the sacrificial copper knob at the tip, these tend to wear through at the tip rather quickly. But the price is right! 73', de W1MM
I made 3 in less than 10 minutes and they heat up much quicker than the original. I do have a question. Do I need to clean the tip for better dissipation of the solder?
I usually tin them at least an inch.
I generally tin them immediately upon their first heating, and like R.M. I tin them at least an inch. The quality of the tip and its ability to wick solder is as good as any commercial expensive tip.
Hm, I bought a weller 100w/140W gun at an antiques fair. It is working properly but could do with a bit more power. I wonder if I can make a thicker tip that can draw more amps.
Be careful how big you go. The transformer will get much hotter. Should be OK for short usage.
Yes. If it fits then it won't be much lower resistance (if at all). I've just bought some 3mm copper rod to use; I'll post here what the result of this is.
OK, update: I made a tip from 10cm of 3mm copper "rod". I used a pencil torch to anneal it as I went along. The tip works but is too short, and also I forgot to thread on the nuts before bending the ends, so they go into the outer sides. Not bad for a first try. This tip starts at about 200W and settles at about 150, whereas before it settled not much above a hundred. It's much better now; the time taken to heat up is reasonably good. Pictures; imgur.com/a/79CN6
metallitech Mine is 100 W and has a specified duty cycle of only 20%. I previously considered modifying the casing to add a fan to cool the transformer but never got around to it and rarely use it now anyway.
@@metallitech I'd fix your little mistake first, looks like you're going to get some stripped threads, or even some malformation under heat. Just take it back out, straighten the ends and put them on properly from there. Heat the copper at the bend if you have trouble straightening it. You'll also have proper thermal transfer
5:21 NOOOOOO not my cookies!! Ok I subscribed :-)
My weller looks the same but it's a 9200ud anyone know the difference?
How do I change the tips I have original tips
Haha. The only intelligent thing I can add is that the original tips have a cross section of 2.3mm x 2.0mm = 4.83 sq. mm. A number 12 wire has a cross sectional area of 3.46mm. A number 10 wire has a cross sectional area of 5.3 sq. mm. The resistivity of a # 12 wire is 1.588 ohms / 1000 ft. and a #10 wire has a resistivity of 0.999 ohms /1000 ft. so by ratio, the original tip should be around 1.097 ohms /1000 ft. I think the #10 wire will be more suitable than the #12 wire to be closer to the original design. I haven't tried the #12 wire but mine works great with the #10 wire on the 100/140 watt gun. Got to have enough resistance on the secondary or you will heat up the inside of the transformer. Heat kills the magnet wire on the primary side.
I tried this technique on a connecting rod. It doesn't work. Not only did the connecting rod separate at the crack. The result was the connecting rod went through the oil pan. Started a huge fire
This is a great video. Thanks. I am a complete newbie when it comes to wires other than I know what the different gauges mean. I'm looking at Home Depot's site but I don't see the type of wire you're showing. I'm assuming I'm looking at electrical copper wire? If so I'm only seeing multi stranded wires and 24 gauge. Is 14 alright and do I just use one of the strands? Or can you provide a link for what I should be looking for? I have also found wire on websites selling electronic parts but don't know if it's the correct stuff. Thanks again!
Hi Karen, this is just plain old house/home wiring. Solid copper conductor. It will be listed as 14/2 or 12/2 or 10/2. There are actually 3 wires, the 2 designates the insulated ones and the third is a bare ground wire. However they will want to sell you a roll.
Ask around to friends and neighbors. I guarantee someone has a random length in the basement or garage left over from some project. The Idea is to get it for nothing as scrap so the tips are free. 10 is the largest, 12 is the next smallest and 14 is the smallest used in house wiring. 14 is for a 15 amp circuit. 12 is for 10 amp etc. Thanks for watching.
Thanks so much for the speedy reply!! I still have a spare tip from the original set so I have some time to start looking for people's scraps. 😀
That's what were here for....happy hunting...
You could also look on the scrap board for a couple feet of 1/0 and separate the strands to make individual tips.
@@nortok00 ...a lot of hardware stores will sell wire by the foot. For this particular application, only solid copper wire will do.
I Bought Me A Nice Soldering
Iron Holder For $40.00
& one Soldering Iron
& Then I Found One A Soldering Handle
That usesMuliple Wattage Elements
From 23 To 53 Watts
For those not working on radios, skip to 2:40 for the tip tip.
"Bweef" video lol
The one fallacy to this tip design is that it heats up from the gun mount all the way around. The secret to the factory tip is that the smaller wire from the gun mount to the larger square profile tip end, is that the tip end is a few milliohms less resistance than the leads from it to the gun mount, so it concentrates the majority of the heat there, and not the entire length of copper. When the tips were a bit hard to find, and expensive too, ACE Hardware being the most expensive, I also made my own. I held the wire end that goes to the gun mount in a vise, twisted the end together where it doubles back on itself, then used an acetylene torch to heat it to the plastic point and shape it into an end that resembles the factory original. Now that I can get the tips more reasonably on places like Ebay, I'll buy them unless I have burned them all out and need one in an emergency.
" that the tip end is a few milliohms less resistance than the leads from it to the gun mount". Didn't you mean that the resistance at the end of the tip is slightly _higher_? The wire soldering tip is one section of the iron's transformer secondary winding. The entire secondary loop is pretty low resistance, but the segment at the very end of the tip can be formed/squished so that it is relatively high resistance compared to the rest of the loop. Making the end of tip higher resistance will cause most of the power dissipation to be at that point, so that small segment will get very hot, relative to the rest of the secondary loop.
@@walterwinnipeg7350 ...less tip resistance = more current = more heat(?)
@@daleburrell6273 In the secondary loop, the "wire" and the "tip" are in series, so they have the same current running through them, right? So, if you have the same current running through the low-resistance wire, and the higher-resistance tip, which section will have higher power dissipation? Since P=I*I*R, and I is the same for the "wire" and the "tip", the higher-resistance tip will have higher power dissipation, and that's the part that will get hot.
Really, this is the same scenario as an incandescent light bulb, or an electric heater. You have a high-resistance heating/lighting element in series with low-resistance electrical wire. The heating element gets hot, and (hopefully) the wire supplying the electricity does not.
@@walterwinnipeg7350 ...a short circuit ALWAYS draws more current- and creates more HEAT- and it's true that the current is the same everywhere in a series circuit- (Kirchhoff's Law?)
@@daleburrell6273 Dale, I'm not sure what you're getting at, but I'll leave my explanation as it is. The "tip" end is higher resistance than the rest of the wire of the secondary loop (just like the heating elements in a toaster are higher resistance than the power cord of the toaster) . You pull the trigger of the soldering gun, and high current flows through the whole secondary loop. The "tip" is the highest resistance part of the secondary loop, so that is the part that will get the hottest.
nice tip (get it?) lol
got it....)
V
don't steel my cookies!
But they taste so good.....
I like Mr. Carlson's Lab. This guy here is in love with the sound of his own voice and comes across as the person with the final word. That is usually because no one can teach him anything because he knows everything already. Arrogant. A poor student makes for an inferior teacher. See Ya..