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General Vintage Technology Discussions For general discussions about vintage radio and other vintage electronics etc. |
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26th Sep 2022, 8:54 am | #21 |
Octode
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Ashby-de-la-Zouch (it's not by the sea)
Posts: 1,254
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Re: Weller TCP from the dump
Weller weller weller uh, tell me more ... (sorry, I couldn't resist that one).
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Now where on earth did I remove that from? |
26th Sep 2022, 9:29 am | #22 |
Nonode
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Nuneaton, Warwickshire, UK.
Posts: 2,034
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Re: Weller TCP from the dump
aub
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Life's a long song, but the tune ends too soon for us all. |
26th Sep 2022, 3:08 pm | #23 |
Heptode
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Scarborough, North Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 507
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Re: Weller TCP from the dump
Watch out at the local recycle centre as ours now have cameras all round and lots of notices about prosecution. What a waste, it's obvious to me that for some, thing are just too cheap. Ted
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26th Sep 2022, 3:30 pm | #24 |
Heptode
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Twickenham, London, UK.
Posts: 536
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Re: Weller TCP from the dump
I have two Weller TCP's plus a spare. They have served me well for decades. Before I retired we were still using them in the lab where I worked. I recently had to replace an element in one but other than that they just keep on working. Over the years I've put together quite a collection of bits of various styles and temperatures.
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Alan G6PUB, BVWS |
26th Sep 2022, 6:06 pm | #25 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 3,301
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Re: Weller TCP from the dump
Hi all. Had another bash at the Weller TCP this evening. Intermittently working. Upon dismantling I could feel the magnet sliding back and forth when the tip was inserted and withdrawn, but the mechanism wasn’t operating the contacts. The small hex nut holding down the contact mechanism just turns round and round without getting any tighter. Time for a new switch I fear. They seem to be about half the cost of a new iron. That and a new sleeve/collar( hole in the end that holds the bit has rotted out), a few bits and a sponge or two and it’s looking even more ridiculous. Unfortunately I have a bit of a dilemma as my existing temperature controlled iron, an Ungar ‘77, is at least 30 years old and although it still works I can’t undo the knurled nut on the end to change the rather worn out( also 30 years old)bit, so looks like another element/sleeve assembly for that.
As you can see there is no capacitor across the contacts, and no signs of there ever being one. Although there is a service bulletin for this iron, no mention of the capacitor is made. Searching through pictures of new switch assemblies gives the value of 10n 630 volt( although 400 would probably be fine).. Andy, the service bulletin/leaflet gives instructions as to how to “ dress” the wires so they all go into the handle.
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"Nothing is as dangerous as being too modern;one is apt to grow old fashioned quite suddenly." Last edited by Tim; 26th Sep 2022 at 6:14 pm. |
27th Sep 2022, 11:15 am | #26 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 3,301
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Re: Weller TCP from the dump
Actually I did have a quick look inside my GPO/BT 50 volt version of this iron, and that has a 10n rated at 400 volts. Dated 1995, and that’s my newest soldering iron.
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"Nothing is as dangerous as being too modern;one is apt to grow old fashioned quite suddenly." |
27th Sep 2022, 12:42 pm | #27 |
Octode
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Surrey, UK.
Posts: 1,869
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Re: Weller TCP from the dump
I have a Weller 100W mains iron. Predictably, the switch failed.
A good workaround is to remove the switch entirely and fit a diode. This gives a perfectly usable tip temperature for most jobs and the loss of temperature control is hardly noticeable. It does take longer to warm up though. The iron has been like this for the past 15 years or so, and I use it frequently. It's good for soldering sheet metal and filter capacitors to screened boxes etc. I would be very careful if applying this mod to a transformer powered iron as the transformer may not take kindly to DC in the secondary magnetising the core. It's also great to have a big iron which does not trigger my Tek scope every time the thermostat switch operates.... Leon. |
28th Sep 2022, 11:03 am | #28 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: London, UK.
Posts: 1,046
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Re: Weller TCP from the dump
This is how my TCP failed, alas. It was ex-MOD, like all the irons at the firm I worked for. Must've done about 30 years service. I salvaged the transformer and holder, but went on to buy a newer Weller (which has tips that last about 5 minutes). I complain about the WSP80, but I've tried a variety of other irons and none of them have tips that seem to last particularly long.
I tend to think of the Hakko 936 as being the spiritual successor to the TCP. But this was before their new UK distributor, who has a £250 MOQ.... Am gradually retiring Hakko kit on account of their money grabbing (previous Hakko distro was lovely - such a shame). |
28th Sep 2022, 6:01 pm | #29 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Sleaford, Lincs. UK.
Posts: 7,636
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Re: Weller TCP from the dump
Tim, try soldering the thread the nut goes on, that or epoxy, that should give a tad more something for the nut to grab onto. Another fix is to find a nut in your nut stash that has a similar thread, but a tighter one. A bodge, I know, but better than nowt.
Andy.
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28th Sep 2022, 7:13 pm | #30 |
Octode
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Oxfordshire/Bucks borders, UK.
Posts: 1,604
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Re: Weller TCP from the dump
I've got one of these. I've not used mine in years (as when you go Oki Metal, there's no going back) but I'll always hang onto it for sentimental reasons as it was my late uncles Iron.
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Avometer, vintage Fluke and Marconi collector. Also interested in vintage Yaesu and KW. |
28th Sep 2022, 7:41 pm | #31 |
Nonode
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Kirk Michael, Isle of Man
Posts: 2,346
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Re: Weller TCP from the dump
Send me a photo of which bits you need. My Weller box has all sorts of odd bits in it. I could probably build 2 or 3 irons from out of it.
Les. |
29th Sep 2022, 7:30 am | #32 |
Hexode
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Weymouth, Dorset, UK.
Posts: 473
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Re: Weller TCP from the dump
I had 12 of these in my workshop, all in use by my engineers and one day, whilst fault finding on a JVC HRD-725 that was a warranty job from JVC, I noticed the servo was skipping a beat from time to time, causing a sync pulse type of issue.
It turned out that if I switched off my soldering iron on my bench, the skipping stopped. The fault was caused by the suppressor capacitor, sat across the thermostat was open circuit. I could then proceed to repair the proper clock fault. Lots of interference spikes from the iron when the tip reached temperature. Days long gone now.
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Valve equipment repairs since 1968 https://jonsnell.co.uk Last edited by JonSnell; 29th Sep 2022 at 7:49 am. Reason: Missed some info out. ... |
29th Sep 2022, 12:00 pm | #33 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, UK.
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Re: Weller TCP from the dump
Hi Andy. Good ideas but on further examination, it’s actually a hex head screw. So it’s whatever it threads into that has gone.
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"Nothing is as dangerous as being too modern;one is apt to grow old fashioned quite suddenly." |
2nd Oct 2022, 9:08 am | #34 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Sleaford, Lincs. UK.
Posts: 7,636
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Re: Weller TCP from the dump
I know the bit you mean,holds all the contacts, spring etc together.That's what I'm on about, put some solder on the threads, just a tad, it builds the threads up a bit enabling the nut something to grab onto, however it doesn't always work and is only good for a one off bodge.That said we could be talking about different bits, but the method sometimes works for damaged threads.
Andy.
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Curiosity hasn't killed this cat...so far. |
3rd Oct 2022, 9:04 am | #35 |
Pentode
Join Date: Mar 2022
Location: Harrow, Middlesex, UK.
Posts: 225
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Re: Weller TCP from the dump
My regular iron has a temperature adjustment knob on the front panel of the power unit, but I haven't found any source of spare bits that will fit. I suppose I should try an "info wanted" post.
Meanwhile, relevant to this thread, I have a Weller rescued when our lab closed down, but I haven't used it because I thought that it would need different bits for different temperatures. But I've now looked at the Farnell site (thanks Refugee) and see that they offer loads of different bits but with no mention of temperatures. Are they all just presumed to be suitable for modern lead-free solder? |
3rd Oct 2022, 9:17 am | #36 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Spalding, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK.
Posts: 2,851
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Re: Weller TCP from the dump
Richardgm, if it is the Weller adjustable unit, the tips look very similar to the tcp ones, but dont have the thick disc with a number, they are just hollow. This is so the temperature sensor thin probe goes inside the tip.
The tcp tips have numbers, referring to nominal temperature in fahrenheit. Eg, 7 is 700. 9 is the highest that I have and 5 the lowest in my own range. Rob
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3rd Oct 2022, 9:57 am | #37 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Stafford, Staffs. UK.
Posts: 2,529
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Re: Weller TCP from the dump
Also worth noting, that the newer tips for TCPs (LT series?) are just that, a tip. The temperature control part is separate and known as an adaptor, so you need both, but when the tip is had it you replaceonly that.
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