I went to use my electric soldering gun yesterday. To Un-solder the old brushes in a drill and install new ones but it would'nt get hot enough melt the solder.Seemed like the gun was plenty hot but the "iron"? part that touches the solder wasn't getting hot enough.I don't use it much so I'm wondering if those "Iron" pieces ever need replaced?
Thanks railguy

 

A new tip might fix it. You might try taking the old one out and cleaning the contacts and putting it back in. The tip has to be pretty cheap.

 

start with a good cleaning
some thermal transfer paste might help

 

X2 try retinning the tip, alsoma little soldering flux on the old solder joint makes it easier, if you happen to have a solder sucker even better.... ( easy fellas) pretty cool tool.

 

Sold'er for how much???

You said soldering gun. Am I to ASSume that you have a Weller soldering gun like this (or one of the few similar competing models):

6f77a1ee.jpg

If so, then you need to loosen the two nuts at the ends of the chromed tip holders, back them off onto the tip, tilt the tip toward you (if you are looking at it as in the photo), and pull it out, then clean the ends of the tip with a good stiff wire brush, with maybe a wipe inside the two tubes, too, then reassemble, making the nuts nice and tight.
You may be able to get away with just loosening the nuts and retightening.

After that, give the tip a shot with a wire brush or an old file (you don't want to gum up a good file), re-tin it, and wipe it, while hot, on a wet sponge to clean it.

You can get replacement tips at any hardware store if that one breaks in two.

- Eric

 

Most guns need to be cleaned every once in awhile. Often all that is needed is to loosen the tip and then retighten it. Also be sure to keep the tip clean by wiping it with a damp cloth after every use while the tip is still hot. If the tip is not shiny like wet solder it needs cleaned. Either hit it with a wire wheel or grind the tip to copper and retin the tip. If you do this I think you will find the gun working like new again. Good clean contacts and a clean tip is the key.

 

It looks like you beat me to it Eric. The old model Weller d550 is a great gun. I have a few of them. The newer model d550 has the allen head set screws to hold the tips and they just don't seem to work as well.

 

Mine looks newer and has the allen screws.I already tried loosening and retightening the screws didn't do anything. tomorrow I'll try cleaning it real good about the only thing I use it for is new brushes in tools.
thanks railguy

 

A lot of people don't realize that soldering irons need maintenance, just like other tools.


Didn't know that about the newer ones. I've got several older ones myself, and they're great for car wiring stuff. I've also got a Sears model from somewhere in the '70s, on which the tip is retained by two phillips set screws. I agree it's a crappy design.

- Eric

 

If that doesn't do it, you can often find "like new" older models at flea markets and yard sales for $5-10, which will take care of the problem permanently.

- Eric

 

If cleaning doesn't work, open it up. Sometimes one of the wires break. Of course you will need another gun to fix it.

 

Well....you've got me thinking now; I have had an old Weller soldering iron for probably over 40 years now, and the tips need to be cleaned and tightened every so often......but, as memory serves me, I always bought new tips to solve the problem.....BUT....


But the last time I bought new tips, at a hardware store, they were ALUMINUM, with copper plating, and NOT solid copper....and didn't work worth a darn! Am I dreaming this, or is this true????

 

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]I cleaned it up,it still didn't work so I opened it up there's a spot that looks like a shot or something.But it can't be a shot because it still works,just not well.Right?So I put it back together and tried it with the flux and it worked .....?still didn't seem to be getting as hot as it should.I'll get a new tip and see what that does.If that doesn't work I guess I'll get a new one. But I got my drill fixed anyway.
railguy

 

That burn mark indicates that some of the windings have shorted which results as lower voltage to the tip and less heat. Go ahead and get a new gun.

 

The only burn mark I see is where it is welded to keep the core together. Check the wires at the switch to see if they are making good contact. Your tip sure looks like it should be taken out and cleaned where the screws go. Clean the threads of the screws too. You need a good connection all the way through. Did you clean the end of the tip where the work is being done? The working end (tip where contact with material) should be shinny with solder. Sometimes the switch goes bad, but usually you will see a burnt mark through the opaque plastic. If you are thinking the spot on the core is caused by the windings inside being shorted or bad, I would think the pretty red wire would be all burnt black to create that much heat.

 

The winding inside looks like its a flat sheet of copper rather then wire. But maybe it just looks that way.
railguy