Repairing a Soldering Iron

[James AlfordParticipant @jamesalford67616]

I was wondering whether anyone has had any experience and success repairing this type of soldering iron? It has taken to tripping out the electrics from time to time. I shall change the lead as a precaution, but would welcome any other suggestions or advice from experience that people have.

Thank you.

James

[James AlfordParticipant @jamesalford67616]

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

I'd replace it unless certain the cable was the problem, (Quite likely it is, but be sure.)

Last thing electronic work needs is a soldering iron with an earth fault, and it might burn the house down after shocking the operator too.

Dave

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 06/02/2023 13:22:26

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

I would guess that the element is leaking to earth and needs replacement. Whilst you are looking for the Henley Solon replacement elements, buy a packet of spare hens teeth whilst you are about it perhaps?

Bob

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Looks like Henley Solon iron so quite elderly and (depending one which model/wattage) not ideal for modern electronic equipment.

If there is leakage to ground in the element then its toast, if its just a wiring or cable fault then its an easy repair.

I would put it on ebay (they seem to be wanted by some collector or enthusiasts) and get a new proper new iron

Ian P

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

The temperature controlled iron that I bought from Maplin 20 years ago recently failed. I got a nice 60W TC one with variable temperature and "hot standby" activated by a motion sensor for about £30 on Amazon. Frankly, I would bin it and buy a decent one.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Both my solons are still working (30 plus years) and are quite large , not used for electronics but great for larger work (brass etc). difficult to know where you get something these days that would give you that good a service life.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

I'm not exactly Mr Safety around here and I'd say bin it

Or at least get a new one and just keep the old one for stroking and admiring but not plugging in

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi James, I have a 250 W one of the same make and that does the same thing, I keep meaning to run it from an isolation transformer to see if it will carry on working with an earth. I did have an old spare one, which the casing around the element was failing, but the elements on that one were shot, and while taking it apart, the mica insulation just fell into pieces, so I guess the mica in yours is breaking down. You will indeed find it hard to get any spares for it, so unless it is the lead at fault you may as well scrap it. They do have a good copper tip though, which you may be able to salvage and fix to a handle via a steel bar, and then use it the old way by heating it up in a suitable flame, which is what I have been considering to do with the one that I took apart, which I still have.

I do still have my father's 65 W one though, which is still working OK, and that must be getting on for 70 years old, as I remember watching him using it when I was very young.

Regards Nick.

[john fletcher 1Participant @johnfletcher1]

This throw away society, has to stop. Just ask your friendly electrician to carry out a simple insulation test for you, a five minute job, that will determine what is wrong. Apparently the elements are rare, didn't know that, what is the wattage? If you locate a new element it is an easy job to change it. You might need to change the screws as well as they get corroded up then the threads strip. Some times its the rubber flex which hardens with age, simply crumble away inside the wooden handle causing short, not to earth but live to neutral. The local "Mates Shed" has a box full of donated new ones, some in cardboard sleeve if you send me a PM perhaps they might sell you one. John

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Nick F, The small one here is 125 watt and lord knows what the big one is. Neither trip the RCD's so I guess they are still good. as you say, ideal for brass plate work and the Big Un is great for soldering zinc guttering which is used extensively over here – mind you, it takes about 30 mins to warm up and even longer to cool down.

[Nick Clarke 3Participant @nickclarke3]

Posted by Speedy Builder5 on 06/02/2023 16:11:43:

Nick F, The small one here is 125 watt and lord knows what the big one is. Neither trip the RCD's so I guess they are still good. as you say, ideal for brass plate work and the Big Un is great for soldering zinc guttering which is used extensively over here – mind you, it takes about 30 mins to warm up and even longer to cool down.

An auto electrics place I used to work at used to replace the diodes in Lucas Alternators wit bullet diodes with one wire melted off and the duff diode in the heatsink scraped out to allow the short end of the new one to be soldered in.

This needed a Solon 125W Iron that was given a little help by being poked through the bars of an old fashioned 2 bar electric fire and left for half an hour or so!

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

I decided to stop using Solon irons when the one I had collapsed in my hand whilst holding the bit on a terminal. Not the only one that went the same way. Plastic the handle was made of degraded with heat. Exposed hot live wiring. They may be old school but still c***p.

[peak4Participant @peak4]

There's a number of different threads on Vintage Radio Net about them; this is one, there are several others
https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=163805

It might just need disassembling and cleaning out.

Bill

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Speedy Builder5, a photo of my 65 W & 250 W irons, which the copper bits are 18mm & 44mm wide, the big one does take a fair while to get hot though.

Hi John Haine, no cheap plastic on these, the handles are wood and the covers over the lead connections are Bakelite, and their quality is a long way upwards from your description and they have both done a fair amount of work in their long life.

Regards Nick.

[Pete RimmerParticipant @peterimmer30576]

Posted by James Alford on 06/02/2023 12:42:22:

I was wondering whether anyone has had any experience and success repairing this type of soldering iron? It has taken to tripping out the electrics from time to time. I shall change the lead as a precaution, but would welcome any other suggestions or advice from experience that people have.

Thank you.

James

What wattage is that James? If it's 65W then I could spare one of mine for you as a replacement. I have a 125W (110v) , had a 100W but it got destroyed in a fire and I have a couple of 65W.

To anyone contemplating stripping the element out of theirs for a service be advised that they do contain what appears to be asbestos and it's quite friable so only attempt this if you're aware of the risks and precutions. You don't want 5 million fibres in your lungs just to save a tool you can get for a fiver at the boot fair.

[James AlfordParticipant @jamesalford67616]

Thank you for all of the replies and suggestions.

Thank you, John, for offering to speak to your Men's Shed. I appreciate the offer.

Thank you, Pete, for your offer as well.

The warning about asbestos is welcome as I had not considered that. I shall try replacing the cable and leave it at that if it still trips out.

I realise that the iron is ancient and that spares are not going to be available. However, having bought a couple of new higher-wattage irons that failed very quickly, keeping this going if possible has its merits. I use it for things like replacing the mesh on my Austin 7 oil filter frame and repairing the cover of an early dynamo cut-off: I have a temperature controlled iron for electronics.

Regards,

James

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

Just an FYI – even if the electrical parts or plastic parts are shot, this type of iron with a substantial copper tip can be heated in a gas ring, propane torch, coal or charcoal fire, and still do a lot of good work in its' second life.

Broken plastic handle bits can be replaced by wooden handles, and if all wiring openings are completely filled with epoxy after removing the supply wires, any asbestos inside covers will be contained and there should be no need to open the covers afterward, if it is to be heated by flame. As a precaution I would do any disassembly or wire snipping on old irons outside with the breeze blowing away from yourself, and using an N95 mask (or better).

[Clive IndiaParticipant @cliveindia]

Since everyone is too polite to say it – these are crap and you should all throw them in the bin and start again with something new.

[simondavies3Participant @simondavies3]

Posted by Clive India on 07/02/2023 09:49:49:

Since everyone is too polite to say it – these are crap and you should all throw them in the bin and start again with something new.

but what do you then uuse when you have a soldering job requiring a collosal amount of heat input – especially if naked flames are not possible?
I know that new ones are available in this wattage but into the cubic-money department for what is essentially an element and a large lump of copper.

Personally, I'm all for fixing something that is as functionally as good as anything available off the shelf today – but that's my own preference, others will I am sure differ§

[Old SchoolParticipant @oldschool]

Clive

I have yet to find anything modern with the capability of these old irons for soldering brass tanks together for my tether cars.
Open to suggestions for something modern but the need to have a good size lump of copper on the end so I can just solder long seams without stopping.

[Mark Simpson 1Participant @marksimpson1]

Large soldering electric irons still available from Express Electric Soldering Irons (roofing-tools.com) and Industrial Soldering Irons (somersetsolders.com) up to 550W
for my last 2 bits of tinplate work I used a hefty manual one heated with a propane blowlamp… Must be donkeys years old, came from a jumble sale

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Posted by Pete Rimmer on 06/02/2023 20:09:26:

Posted by James Alford on 06/02/2023 12:42:22:

I was wondering whether anyone has had any experience and success repairing this type of soldering iron? It has taken to tripping out the electrics from time to time. I shall change the lead as a precaution, but would welcome any other suggestions or advice from experience that people have.

Thank you.

James

What wattage is that James? If it's 65W then I could spare one of mine for you as a replacement. I have a 125W (110v) , had a 100W but it got destroyed in a fire and I have a couple of 65W.

To anyone contemplating stripping the element out of theirs for a service be advised that they do contain what appears to be asbestos and it's quite friable so only attempt this if you're aware of the risks and precutions. You don't want 5 million fibres in your lungs just to save a tool you can get for a fiver at the boot fair.

Hi Pete, I don't know if there is any asbestos in my 65W one as I've never had any reason to take it apart, But there certainly wasn't any in the 250W one, there were Mica sheets though, which some had just fell to pieces, these were between the two heating elements and a separation strip of soft iron, and between the outside of the two heating elements and the outer shield, which was inserted into the slot of the copper bit.

I don't know why some rubbish these soldering irons, as they do the work they were made for, and both of mine have paid for themselves without any doubt. The one that is in pieces was one that I used in my old job many years ago, and got used for a whole day on a regular job over many years, until that particular piece of machinery became redundant, but it wasn't new when I got it, and it didn't melt like the Antex one that I did buy new, in the photo below.

I only had this one at home, but it didn't do even a quarter on the work the one above it did.

Regards Nick.

[James AlfordParticipant @jamesalford67616]

Posted by Clive India on 07/02/2023 09:49:49:

Since everyone is too polite to say it – these are crap and you should all throw them in the bin and start again with something new.

Clearly they are rubbish. How else would it have lasted for several years of commercial use before I was given it?

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

Ridiculous comment that they are rubbish, in my opinion. They can be made to do excellent work for many years yet, several ways. Even if someone did want to replace them with new heavy duty irons, they would find that they are seriously expensive to buy – one example of a US made very good quality brand of iron is below.

https://americanbeautytools.com/soldering-iron-3198

Good luck with yours James.

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