Would Like advice on a good Soldering Iron & accessories.

[Robertj668]

Thanks Lex

Well I will try both
I see radio shack has silver bearing with rosin core and with out. The 1.5 oz rosin core was about $6 and the 1 oz with out the rosin core was about the same price.

I put the link in just in case anyone else is following this.

http://www.radioshack.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=silver%20bearing%20solder&origkw=silver%20bearing%20solder&sr=1

Robert

[ebtbob]

Good Evening All,

       Question......when this thread started,  the message and my reply fit on my monitor screen.  Now,  starting at the beginning with the original post,  this seems to be supersized.   What the heck happened?   BTW......this is the only thread on any of the catagories that is like this.

[Robertj668]

Bob

I think it may be all of the inserted links? Some are lenghty. I noticed it too the other day.  I thought it was my browser. I thought it was on another post but after looking at a other posts I think this is the only one.

Robert

[rich1998]

Bob

I think it may be all of the inserted links? Some are lenghty. I noticed it too the other day.  I thought it was my browser. I thought it was on another post but after looking at a other posts I think this is the only one.

Robert

i converted all my links with tiny url. Did that make any difference?

Lex

[NarrowMinded]

It fixed mine, I wondered why this thread was wider and made me use the scroll bar to read it. Now it is fine.


NM

[bevernie]

GREETINGS!! Some time back, I ordered a "COLD HEAT" soldering outfit (off tv), but never used it. It's a battery-powered iron that is supposed to only produce heat at the tip at only the precise moment that you need it. -Never enough heat to damage anything; it only melts the solder and causes it to do only what it is supposed to do!
Has anyone used one of these?
I'm thinking about getting mine out and trying it(FINALLY!!)!!
                                                                                           THANX!!
                                                                                          Ernie

[rich1998]

our club bought the cold heat some time ago. Mostly a waste of money. you need ideal conditions for it to work and then not much battery time. it is very good for producing frustration though so I guess it is not a total waste. Don't forget, these companies use ideal conditions for this to work in TV ads.
It is a resistance soldering iron. Search using google for resistance soldering iron if not familiar with it.
I have made my own resistance soldering iron and they do a very good job for certain soldering jobs. Track feeder wires are a very good job for these type irons but the cold heat just does not have enough power for this type of soldering.

Lex

[Robertj668]

I too had the "Cold Heat" soldering iron, I was not impressed. 

And the message post are back to normal for me too.

Robert

[rich1998]

And the message post are back to normal for me too.

Robert

ok. I will try to remember to use the Tiny Url option in the future. I like to use links to prevent myself from interjecting incorrect opinions in messages.
Lex

[NarrowMinded]

I have a cold heat gun and found after practice it works ok, but only on very fine wire and it is best for soldering the backside of circuit boards. I use it in the field when I run out of fuel for my butane powered unit.

NM

[jward]

i, too, had a cold heat. i found it to be totally worthless for most model railroad applications. i couldn't solder rail joints with in, or feeder wires to the track, or even rail ro pc board ties. for what they cost you can get  a soldering iron that will do all those things and more, and still have money in your pocket.

cold heat is a prime example of why i never buy things "as seen on tv" as there are way too many hucksters hawking inferior products as a miracle solution. yeah....right. if it performs like they show on tv, that's the miracle.....

[Jhanecker2]

Considering the amount of energy required to heat wires & and rails to soldering temperature , any battery operated device connected to dry cells would appear to be underpowered . I have used electrical soldering irons , soldering guns , butane microtorch soldering irons for wires.  I used resistance soldering pliers at work when I was a Q.C. Inspector when soldering contacts and wires for testing and making up test equpment. We used  a " Triton " type resistance soldering transformer for contacts between #18 to #10 contacts . This worked very well in an industrial setting and resulted in very uniform solder joints.    We  had really heavy duty  resistance  for  larger work  ,  we built cables and connectors for  prototype railroad and mining equipment as part of our product lines. J2