Inside an Iso-tip rechargeable soldering iron. (And charger hack.)
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- čas přidán 22. 08. 2024
- Many decades ago I used a rechargeable soldering iron that used a pair of beefy NiCd cells to power an electrically heated tip. It worked well at the time, but latterly had issues including intermittent operation of its switch.
Recently a company called Iso-tip contacted me and offered me one of their cordless soldering irons. I don't normally accept gifts like this, since I tend to tear things apart in my videos and want to avoid the awkward situation where I would be uncontrollably honest if I thought a product was crap. Before accepting their offer I Googled their product and immediately recognised it as a different version of the one I had used in the past.
So here it is. A full look inside and even a modification to the charger to allow it to run from a USB power supply.
The most notable thing about these irons is that they are very "retro". Their design has not changed since the 70's probably because it is a very simple, robust and serviceable unit.
If you want to check out these irons and the bewildering array of tips they make for them then the link is:-
www.iso-tip.com
This guy really knows his subject and is clearly enthusiastic. I wish my science teacher at school was like him, I would have learnt more.
There are no more Real teachers - just kids that hand out “packets” to other kids.
$50 for something that looks like it'll last a lifetime or more with proper care and the odd bit of maintenance is really not bad at all. I don't do a lot of soldering, but I could see having one of these just hanging out on my workbench for when it's needed.
Check out the website and you'll see rebuilt models as low as $20. And a tip as low as $6. So you could get the whole thing for about $26+tax(which if I recall correctly isn't much higher than it was back then.)
$121 in 2023 for a complete kit in a carrying case.
I started using these cordless soldering irons, branded "Wahl," in 1975. My job at that time was servicing and installing two way VHF radios and VHF mobile telephones in the very large off-highway trucks used in the oil drilling industry in northern Alberta. The trucks were so large that there was no garage space that would accommodate them. We did almost everything outdoors, except bench work on a radio even in the dead of winter, which was no joke. It was common to find yourself balancing on some precarious ice-covered steel foothold 12-15 feet in the air, soldering an antenna lead, or lying in a truck cab with head and shoulders inside the dashboard of these monsters, boots hanging out the door. We had four Wahl irons sitting in chargers on a shelf by the shop door. When a battery got tired, we'd drop that unit in a charger and take another out to the trucks. These were excellent tools, and would solder good joints of things like #14 stranded copper wire even in -40 degree weather (same in C or F). They would survive being dropped 10 feet or more; we could just straighten the tip and keep working. Needless to say, some truckers found these little soldering irons fascinating. Occasionally one would grow legs - the borrower not realizing that a charger base was required. We would just add the price of a replacement iron to the company's bill.
A bit later, we fitted up a mobile service truck, complete with test equipment, on a 4WD chassis with a comm shack body removed from a wrecked military signals vehicle. This got a lot of use out in the bush. We had a petrol generator to run the test equipment (Cushman analyser, oscilloscope, signal generator, etc.), but we modified the Wahl charger bases with a connection to the truck's 12 Volt DC power. This kept the soldering irons charged all the time - very handy. Version #1 was very crude - a protection diode and a couple of voltage-dropping resistors, possibly with a pilot light. Version #2 used a 3-terminal regulator built into each charger base, with a relay that selected either 12 volt DC or 120 VAC power supply. Version #2 was the result of a charger base accidentally being connected to both mains and 12 VDC simultaneously, letting the magic smoke out. The charger/base took power from the truck's electrical system when the truck was running, and isolated the 120 volt lead. When parked with the generator running, the relay switched to the 120 VAC source and opened the 12 VDC circuit. There may even have been a fuse! No more smoke signals.
Wahl were excellent about quickly supplying spare tips, bulbs etc. I did 2-way radio work for five years in the oil patch, earning money for university tuition. However, when the need ended, I happily gave up working outside in -30 or -40 degrees and blowing snow on fiddly 2-way radios and antennas perched high in the air. I did keep one of the Wahl irons (bad of me, I know), complete with the modified charger base. Later I found it very handy for doing amateur radio tower work and other soldering jobs where mains power wasn't readily available. That unit is still in one of my tool boxes, although I haven't used it lately.
One amazing thing is the very long service life of the NiCad batteries. I can only recall one occasion where a NiCad failed and required replacement. The small internal fuse could, in a pinch, be replaced with a bit of thin solder until a proper fuse was found. Amazing to think I was using one of these daily over 43 years ago. The fact that the design hasn't changed speaks to just how well they work.
Thanks for taking the time to write this, it is fascinating! And now I want one of these irons :)
Im always a bit amazed how you can hold on the the PCB, component, soldering wire and iron at the same time
Absolutely.. I have started to try to do this because he is just so damn fast in comparison to me. ^^;; It's like, "Ok.. I've got three components.. Let me grab the pcb vice and screw it in.. oh.. I should also put in the components I'm going to solder. *Bend bend shove shove*. Ok, let's start to solder already... *Drops components while trying to solder them in with the vice*. Fuck. Ok, last one... *Looks at other side after solder job and the complainants are all fucky looking* "
Then I look over and Clives got some 50 piece kit soldered up and working. lol What also amazes the shit out of me is how he does this with short leads, holds the part against the pcb with his finger, and then doesn't manage to fry his fingertips. I mean, I'm CERTAIN they are burning him a tiny bit, but it's still amazing that he manages this without burning the shit out of himself.
I've started to try holding my stuff like that since I found the channel, and honestly it feels really comfy. Like, we have five fingers per hand for a reason, may as well get the most out of them.
hackeritalics I've been doing it too. Gotta go fast! If your iron is cool, the heat radiates far enough through a part to sting your fingertips before it's joined properly. A hotter iron heats the joint fast enough to bond before the heat gets to you. Dead bug joule thieves are a great practice circuit for this!
I'm always amazed by both that and
How he manages to always cut twards his thumb with a razor without cutting into it.
@@nenben8759 I feel like he just doesn't show us the time he does since hes always covered with cuts
In my collection there is a battery powered solder iron from the 1940s. It heats by connecting its single clamp to a 6 volt car battery, and holding the iron's point to the other terminal of the battery for about ten seconds. This heats a spring-loaded length of carbon arc rod inside the steel body of the iron. When you see through a small inspection port the carbon is glowing red, you remove the clamp and solder merrily away. The iron's copper tip has enough thermal mass to solder several joints before battery power is needed again.
I like how its serviceable. Nowadays nothing is serviceable so no one knows how things work or bothers to fix them.
I have no intention of ever doing anything shown in this video...However it was fascinating to watch an expert at work. Thank you
My dad used this exact model under the Wahl label in the 70s. He gave me one for Christmas and I have fond memories of working with it. It was an excellent iron and probably still is the standard. Thanks for the reminder. Aside from mine being orange, it looks exactly the same.
This looks like a tool that was made back before the planned obsolescence craze days. It looks like OLD TECH! That is not a derogatory remark, it's freaking incredible!
I want one of these things right now, so you've definitely generated at least one sale for these guys.
This iron is quite endearing to me just for aesthetic reasons. Reminds me of the more industrial-looking designs of tools, kitchen appliances, computers and other things of the sort from the 70's and 80's.
you sir, made me want to order one of these! keep it up!
Yes, I don't do soldering but, I also want one too. Problem is our AU$ is very low against the US$ it now makes it a bit more of an expensive item to purchase. Still, I will have to see how it goes because I want to make the BigClive LED Crystal Entity and there is a small bit of soldering or parts in that. Would be much easier to do without a pesky power cord continually dragging the 10W iron away from the target.
Looks nice.
An advantage with the filament lamp is that if you don't want a lamp, you could easily take it out, and put it back when you do want one.
I think this definitively shows why this is such a great channel. First, he mentions why he decided to accept this "gift" from a company to do a review when he normally doesn't. Then, not only does he fully test the product out so he can give an honest review (on video) but he then goes on to show you how to (unofficially) improve the product. Unlike some other channels that simply hold the product in their hand during the video, talk about all the things it does and how great it is and then at the the end of the video they tell you to go out and buy it.
This is my go to iron, I have used it flawlessly to perform .5mm fine pitch work and through hole work including desoldering. I only pull out my soldering station for jobs I know will take longer than a hour.
It's so nice to see that soldering iron again. Used one in the mid 80's.
Quality that lasts.
I’ve had one of these (in an orange/red color) on my bench for many years. Very handy to drop in a tool bag for automotive or aviation repairs where ac power isn’t available. I’ve never cared for the charging circuit though, it stays warm on the bench and batteries don’t last as long as you might expect. There is an interesting accessory I like also, a small drill motor with a tiny, very precision chuck, for drilling PCBs and what not. It attaches to the lugs just like the tips do.
Excellent! I have one of these from years back. The distributor stopped selling them and the tip went out. I really appreciate your bringing it to my mind again. I will find it and order tips now that you've shown the manufacturer's site.
Damn, my grandfather had an iron like that one. He passed away in ‘83. When I saw that iron, I could smell flux and his pipe tobacco.Thanks for that.
Great review. I think I will get one for working on my pinball machine. I hate dragging out my corded iron and then fighting with the cord under the play field.
These have been well known and highly rated in the U.S. "tech community" since the early 1970's. You're quite right in that the design has remained almost unchanged since then. The only real change was that they now charge faster. They used to take 10-12 hrs. for a full charge. These were perfect for the tech's tool roll/kit for field use and also for the occasional light duty on the bench. If you only had a few joints to solder and your bench iron was off, these were always ready if left on the trickle. If you had a lot of joints to do, you could start the job with this as the bench iron was coming up to temperature. Wahl (the clipper Co.) does still make some of their better line here in the U.S. while the lesser priced products are now made overseas, however as of 2008 Wahl no longer owns the Iso-Tip tool line. A company called Senasys now owns Iso-Tip and can be found at www.Iso-Tip.com. When I was a kid, I had a Radio Shack (Tandy) knock-off that came without a drop-in stand and only charged with a small SLOW wall wort style trickle charger. It worked very well and would even use real IsoTip elements. These are, as you found, quite handy and worth having at the ready! BTW - Reminds me of the old saying that I myself seem to forget sometimes; "If it ain't broke... don't fix it"!!! ;^) lol
Clive I have had mine since the 1980s and I replaced the batteries since then it's a great iron very well made
All you need to make it look vintage is a mustard yellow or avacado green housing for both pieces, and a little bit of simulated wood grain
+ChozoSR388 They actually do make a yellow version of this. It's the same as the one in the video, except it charges in 1 hour, rather than 3-4.
RecurveNinja
Nce. Faster is better!
*****
IIRC it claims the same number of joints per charge as the 3-4 hour one, which I assume would mean the same battery, but different charging circuitry capable of handling more amps.
*****
"No matter how well built a sodering iron can only pull at the most 5 amp/hour charge rate" Says who? You? Because there are only a few things limiting a battery's rate of charge: current charge (in this context, current means "at the present time", not in the electrical sense), battery composition (NiCad, LiPo, etc) , maximum amperage supported by charge host (The wall wart or charging base), and the charging circuitry within the device itself. NiCad batteries, if that is indeed what is inside the yellow version, can be relatively safely quick-charged at 1C, where 1 is the multiplier, and C is the capacity of the cell in amp-hours. You could charge a 2600mAh battery at 2.6 amps, providing the charge controller inside the device and its supporting components are capable of withstanding that level of current. The fact that it's a soldering iron is completely, totally, 100% irrelevant. What exactly do you mean by "240v amp/hour charge rate"? Charging something at 1A, 240V for an hour?
They don't paint plastic products, they dye them. Your theory about paint chips causing shorts is bogus.
+The Joker I had one of the fast charge units years ago. They way they work is to add a manually resettable thermal switch spot welded to the battery. To fast recharge, one operates a slider that resets the switch, which selects the higher charge current. When it reaches full charge the battery gets hot, causing the switch to trip and reducing the charge current back to "normal". Works nicely!
Looks much better than the Coleman Cold Heat soldering irons with the graphite tips that broke after 5 seconds of use.
+Blaine Bugaski Those things were terrible. I also broke mine trying to press it to get a connection.
Yes garbage! I even had a few warrantied that broke the tip and the spare tip before you could even do anything on the warranty units. OH well they weren't very costly and this is probably 15 years ago or so.
+bigclivedotcom I was given one as a gift. I had the same trouble with the tip, but what was worse was the day it shorted out in my hand and began to melt. I barely had time to chuck it out in the yard before the power cell blew up.
Merle Mitchell Which device are you talking about, the Iso-Tip or Cold Heat?
Sorry,
The Cold Heat.
Didn't realize it until I got into the video a ways that this is the same one I had in 1979, just different color !
It finally gave out about two years ago and I put it in stuff going to Goodwill, wish I hadn't now, have to get another one !
Replaced the batteries in it twice with some of my rc car nicads, still worked great.
Great review, disassembly and hack. I went looking for one online, it's NOT cheap. It's $58 for this model 7700 and $67 for an even faster heating iron, the 7800. Long story short, nothing else comes close. Very importantly, they have quite a large selection of alternate tips, which are cheap, about $7.00 each. This is not a "buy the raiser and pay over and over through the blades" scam! The other cordless irons I found use AA batteries and heat up in about 40 sec instead of the 10 sec the Iso-Tip takes. You can also get replacement ISO-Tip Ni-Cad batteries easily, which is good. Oh yes, there is one other type of cordless iron, the cold solder iron. They break their carbon tips soon and often. Oh BTW, the original company was Wahl.
I got one of these WAY back as a Christmas gift that I asked for. I used it for MANY years, and the only thing I had to do to keep it working well was to occasionally clean up the copper disk on the button and the contacts under it. This thing brings back many good memories.. 👍
I don't do a lot of soldering in the woods but when I do all the birds and the bees sit around watching in amazement
Am I the only one that thinks that thing looks like a Phaser from TNG? Hope you had is on 'Maximum Solder'
Glad you did a review. I really didn't figure any rechargeable solder could do any soldering work because of lack of power and lack of heat. I even looked at gas powered solders for cordless work and wondered about their pros and cons as well. I will have to give a rechargeable solder iron another look now. Very nice. Very nice video. Thank you Clive.
I had one of these, in black rather than gray, and used it for decades. The charger was a wall-wart, rather than a stand-up bench charger. It was the perfect iron for soldering stereo wiring harnesses under a car's dash board - cordless, and it had a built in light. Then one day, after decades of use, the tip literally fell apart, and there was no easy way to replace the tip, as it was in the days prior to the internet. It was the perfect compliment to my mains powered Weller.
I had my first one for many many years and mine was a Radio Shack Archer made by Wahl before they spun Iso-Tip off as a separate company. Mine was from 1974 and was blue and was identical in every way except it did not have a charger stand.It had a wall wart that plugged into the end of the iron. I had it until a few years ago and the battery gave out.
Last year, I bought the Iso-Tip model 7800 with the 60 minute charger.It's yellow and has a small red led under the power button to indicate it's charging. Overall, these are the best cordless soldering irons available and I love the idea of having different size tips to fit the job.
I can remember seeing a fellow service tech who had not one but two of these irons in his toolkit. Because of how long they took to recharge. I don't think that they were the "quick charge" models, but the earlier ones that did take quite a while to get there. Later on I bought an Isotip 60, which was supposed to recharge in one hour. I've replaced the battery in it once already, and that replacement is pretty well shot and has been for some time -- I just haven't gotten around to doing anything about it. The differences internally is that the battery has a bit of a circular metal holder attached to the top end, in which sits a thermal switch that makes a pretty distinctivie click when it gets up to a certain temperature, presumably when the battery is fully charged. There's a red LED and a little plastic slider on the side of the unit to reset this thermal switch, so it will charge again.
I too have looked inside the base and wondered about that setup. Never thought about a diode in the transformer, though.
I think the best way to use these is on standby in a charger. They do heat very fast, which is a good advantage.
I'm surprised the charger didn't put out AC and put the diode inside the soldering iron. You isolate the soldering iron charging contacts from shorting and rectify the AC and prevent you accidentally from plugging the soldering iron in the charger backwards (assuming it might be possible to damage the mechanical keys to allow this).
Jammit Timmaj I was a bit surprised about this too. With a typical 1A diode there would be no need for the fuse and accidental shorting would not be possible. Then the base could just have a transformer. I wonder if it is just to make sure the base remains compatible with older irons.
The base has a polarised connector type shape, so maybe the design used to have accessories that plugged in there to use the internal battery as a power source.
bigclivedotcom It looks like Iso Tip is a fan:
www.iso-tip.com/cordless-soldering-iron-modified-to-charge-from-usb-power-supply/
I totally like the simplicity of this :). But I think the diode could have been inside the soldering iron, so the battery voltage is not exposed in the plug. This would also allow a non-polarized charging socket.
I love the simplicity of the design, looks like a great little solder.
I really like my soldering iron. It is the even older Wahl unit with a red plastic case and LED charging lamp incorporated into the handle. I still use it and pop in a new battery now and then.
I could not even get close to the joints it has heated in its lifetime but it has to hundreds of thousands. These things were designed and built to be straight forward and work.
Thanks for the USB hack idea. It's very tempting.
I had the identical one back in the 70's branded UNGAR, it was red, no charging base, just an adapter that plugs in the wall. Used it for years until I couldn't find tips anymore. Surprised to see that design is still around, maybe I should get another one, Thanks Clive, love your videos.
Ungar has apparently been bought out by Weller. I have been using those Ungar irons where the heating element screws into the handle with a base similar to the bulbs used in nightlights, and in fact remember a tip in a very old magazine that talked about putting a nightlight bulb into the handle to ease seeing into various dark corners in "a chassis". :-) Those irons were also sold by Radio Shack for a while, though their handle has had the rubber grip deteriorate muchly, which was not the case with the Ungar handle. Heating elements and tips are still currently available from Mouser Electronics, which is where I've purshased them last.
@@Roy_Tellason I am aware of those irons you speak of, I've always used Weller soldering stations throughout my life and no longer need a rechargeable iron. Now I do mostly automotive work so I have a 12 volt Weller iron with alligator clips in my toolbox if I need to do a quick fix.
I have the same product made by Wahl, it does not have a charging base, but comes with a direct plug in. They are great in a pinch when you need instant heat. I like the modification you did with the charging base, it actually looks like it belongs there along with led indicator, "nicely done"
Thank you for this review, Clive. I bought one because of this video, and I love it. Beats the hell out of the old Weller 40w.
FlippantCatholic ii
used this iron as a service engineer some 50 years ago and never let me or the other engineers down.
How convenient! I'm in the market for a portable iron for my radio control toolbox and this looks like it would fir the bill. I'll probably leave the transformer in place, however.
I did recently modify the charger for an electric screwdriver. It (the screwdriver) uses a lithium-ion cell and came with a very low output "wall wart" that connected to a base with charge regulation circuitry. I bypassed the factory components and attached leads directly to the charge terminals. These leads get plugged into my RC battery charger. Charge time has dropped from overnight to about 30 minutes. Much more convenient!
Here from Jeff's video - Can't believe Wahl made these!
My dad had a red one back in the early 1980s. Worked well for him as far as I know. I had no idea they were still around.
I bought one of these in the late '80's. It looked exactly the same except mine was red. Used it for many years. Even replaced the battery once. I probably still have it somewhere.
Thanks for the short video... I have had one for 45 years and replaced the batteries a few times... they are great... I didn't know they had a larger tip... that would be handy for larger wire... have tried other cordless irons but none have worked this well. The gas powered ones have too much flame and can burn components. Good job.
My grandfather gave me his old Craftsman rechargeable iron many years ago.
I thought it was so neat because it was charged with AC instead of DC.
But that was before I really got into electronics when I was 6-7.
That thing lasted for over 20 years...just with me...no telling how long with him.
This iron is awesome! My father owned one of these exact irons back in the 1970's from sears!!! We were speaking of it and I looked on amazon to find it amazingly so cheap!! He tossed his original one back in the 80's because the battery wouldnt hold a charge anymore. Little to know theyre so easy to change lol! Got the new one and it is EXACT to the old one!
They also approached me! I told them i wasn't worthy of one seeing my channel is so small. But they insisted I was getting one! =) SO I passed on some names of other channels they wil be getting in touch with!
pietkaify Having just checked out your channel I think you should have taken up their offer. Your content is good.
I have one of these and you have given me a whole new perspective on it. I will be doing this mod because I love this iron and now I know why it hasn't been as good as it was designed. Thanks!
I used to have one of these too. It's probably in my parents loft. It was great to see it again :)
Yet another reason to use the NiCd batteries instead of NiMH or Lithium -- NiCd batteries don't need "monitoring" circuitry to control the charging current. That simple, little transformer and the in-series diode are more than enough to keep a NiCd battery charged up safely. NiMH and Li-Ion batteries need complex, expensive circuitry to monitor their charging state and control it very tightly.
+LMacNeill In fact, NiCd cells are most abuse tolerant cells I ve seen :-). Overcharging ? Not a big problem. Overdischarging? Can survive... Overtemp ? Not such problem if its not 24/7 and over 50C. Undertemp ? Maybe the best performance in comparison to "modern" battery chemistries. and so on and so on...
PS: this comment reply is a bit old, but maybe helpful for others as an explanation you started :-)
+LMacNeill +JanicekTrnecka They really are tolerant! I have most experience with the sub-C cells in RC car packs -- I think I have a couple 2400mAh packs laying around still.
They have taken so. much. abuse! Laying unused for years, seemingly completely dead, only to come back strong ones cycled a couple of times. They have gotten really hot too: Driven hard with a mechanical speed controller the wrapping actually melted a little on one.
I think those 2400mAh packs had Sanyo branded cells.
NiCd can also be run to the ground, all the way to zero, left there for a long time, and still be charged, again. And since this is a 1S battery, there is no chance of reverse charge damage when doing so. So in addition to simple charging circuit, there is no need for low charge cutoff circuit.
Mildy Productive. it's a two cell with the batteries in series wrapped in a plastic skin.
completely unavailable in Australia. typical.
found it, if anyone in Australia is interested, mouser sell it for about $80, search for the wahl 7700
+Tunsafun[BSTRD] +bigclivedotcom
They sent him a unit but their site DOESN'T EVEN SHIP TO THE UK LOL, in fact nothing outside the USA/Canada ...
+afterlifedes They do actually ship outside the USA/Canada, you have to contact them via email etc.
***** thanks for the info!
+Werner Tømmerstøl But after the recent incidents about the batteries do they ship it by plane? Just curious :s
This is amazing. I had no idea they still made these. The one I was hoping to find on here was the super cheap ones that run on two AA batteries.
Now I need to dig up Dad's IsoTip from the 80's and see if I can resurrect it.
+BRMBug Theoretically if its cells had died then fitting new ones would result in near-new performance.
In the early 80's, in the epic days of CB radio, I was modding them and adding channels by interfacing with the PLL. These IsoTips were so valuable to me and 30+ years later, they still are and I still have the same ones. The reason I was asking about the 21700 lithium is yesterday I had to change the power switch on my MFJ 993B antenna tuner and its in a BITCH of a tight place to get to. I reached for the iso tip and DEAD. DAMN NICADS !!!!!!!!!! I had to botch it in with the Weller WES51. I need my isotips to work every time damnit. These need to be lithium !
How nice for this iron to find its way back to you, perfectly preserved. Like a woolly mammoth on ice. :)
There is something great about a tool designed to last for a long time. Built right the first time isn't done much anymore. Now there is planned obsolescence in electronics. No money to be made if you can't withold enhancements in future editions from customers. Even better if the tool goes bad just after warranty.
very good review. you are right about the age, I had one 30 years ago. now may get one of these...
We had that style in our Avionics tool kits in the CAF.. worked quite well when people remembered to keep them charged up.
The TV shop where I worked had a Wahl model. We used for doing home TV service. That would have been in 1965 - 1970 era.
That looks a really nice bit of kit both for it's retro looks (especially with the red LED addition, looks kind of like an old warehouse/office/PA system mike) and for how useful they are too.
👍👍👍👍 great hack from one tech to another 👍👍👍👍
hi brother your product was working I saw it, but one thing to know about tip of this ISO soldering iron, which material use to make the soldering tip?
Another youtube channel I follow was given one of these. He's a car mechanic here in the US. He liked it as well.
Eric the car guy ????? Lol
compactc9 I have seen few... This company really wanted to have attention on youtube =)
+compactc9 I _knew_ I saw that little soldering iron from somewhere.
We had 25 of these in as school lab for the pupils. Very rare for any problems to occur, from memory it was only ever the diodes that needed replacing (1N4001).
I had one of these back in the 70's, but mine was a flashy go faster orange colour,... used and used it 'til it was no more,.. took it apart loads of time replaced the fuse wire more than once,.. even installed a small LED to the charger,.. "real hi-tech",.. Probably even still have some 'bits' in my boxes of bits and pieces that will come in useful one day.....
Great to see its still going,. although curiously have not found a supplier in the UK yet....
Nice one Clive I still have 3 of the Draper ones and they still work great. Its good to know that I can get replacement tips again now and the usb charging mod is a great idea.
Thank you for putting the link in the description. So helpful.
I had one similar to this when I was a kid in the 70s, purchased from Radio Shack. It had one large ni-cad cell inside, and a recharger port, which I unwisely left plugged in for too long, and ruined the cell.
A very nice soldering iron. We had one in our avionics shop when I was in the Navy. Very handy to use on aircraft on the line,, unfortunately the batteries developed a surface charge after several months use.
The batteries were the weak link in this tool. Redesign for USB charge, and using Eneloop NiMH cells, could make it a winner again.
I have one of these since the late 70's. It is orange color and still working but the battery is almost dead. Maby I need to replace that because it is a very handy tool. Specialy for working where you dont have access to power source.
Totally understand your nostalgia, there... I picked up a 100-140 watt pistol iron made by Weller at a yard sale last year... It reminded me so much of my dad's slightly bigger model which I used for my projects in the 70's that I just HAD to buy it. Haven't used it on anything yet, but it just feels right to have one. LOL
Been to their website...
Those low voltage tips look like they might be prime candidates for building a very portable, very small soldering iron attachment for a slim, one-celled Li-ion power bank! Has anyone here tried this yet?
Its the same as the one I had forty years ago,I am needing to buy a new one,and I don't have a fairy princess like you do,I think its the best one I have found that's out their,the knew ones that use three replaceable battery's,none of them work as well as this one.so guess I will have to saveup for it they start at 50.00 dollars here,plus shipping.great video Clive.
You might want to consider sticking a brick of metal in the charging base, it would make it feel more substantial, especially since you took the transformer out
You may also notice that the little 'tray' in the base, where you added the LED, is just the right size to hold one spare tip. I glued a small bar magnet there to hold the spare tip despite jostling.
at the end there when they put the fuse wire to prevent from shorting they should have just put the diode there, boom problem solved. and then it will not matter which way around you put it inside the base or have to worry about putting a diode to the transformer.
I had one of these 45 years ago.Same design except for not having a locking button. Worked well until the battery got old.
Stuff like this is why I'm addicted to your channel. Cool mods. I probably would have added a cheap panel mount usb jack for modularity. Then it could be powered by any phone/cig lighter charger or usb output.
I had one branded Weller, and it worked well till the 2 NiCd cells eventually died. You could also make a DIY tip using a short length of steel wire bent to shape and make a flat tip using a hammer. NiCd cells because they can supply a massive current for the size without failing, and also do not mind being left long periods flat, unlike the NiMH cells which both cannot do high current and also they fail. Lamp lasts forever, as it is severely under run, being meant for a 2 cell torch. Only time I changed them was when they broke apart from me dropping the iron on the floor.
Modifying to charge on USB means you can leave it charging all the time at 50mA, as opposed to the old charger of only limiting charge time for 1hour and take off or risk the battery.
Clive, it would have been great to see a 'blow by blow' build video of you making these mods. I have just bought one of these & want to modify ir.
I also remember these from back in the 70's ! Remember cursing them, in fact... sadly could never seem to get on with 'em.Started using Metcal irons about 20 years ago and now I won't use anything else.
On their site in Testimonials they have video reviews. 1st review is our beloved BigClive!
Good review Clive, no BS, it seems honestly you enjoyed it and we (the consumers) appreciate that about all your videos.
With 2.5V to provide and high immediate amperage requirement this seems a perfect application for a super capacitor instead of a battery.
Got one of these a few days ago, I like it very much! Always hated the cable on soldering irons.
I like this. I like the simplicity and seviceability of the unit. I may have to get myself one, to replace my gas powered iron. Another reason for keeping it on charge constantly, is the annoying trait of Nicad batteries to self discharge.
Edit - Just did a search, it appears that the only UK distributor is 'Mouser'. The price for the kit is... £133.04 - Yikes!!
Don't think I'll be getting one.
Might have to invest in one of these, I'm ok with plugging in my soldering iron when I'm indoors, but I also do electrical on vehicles and I don't like having a hot iron setting around in the very flammable interior of a vehicle, plus it's also a pain to run an extension cord. Very nice product
In the US - back in the 70's - A company called Black & Decker sold an identical - yet orange soldering iron.
It really does need a cap for it. In the tool bag the tip would be constantly bent as it rattled around. I can't see it lasting long. Nice unit though and I love the modification.
InTheNameOfJustice That is why you remove the tip when you store it.
You remove the cap on purpose so that the tip will get bent? Are you sure?
InTheNameOfJustice he clearly meant tip
George Jordan Thanks for pointing out my error, i edited it so it is correct now.
It was not clear to me but now it is and it makes sense. Thanks.
Looks like very well made soldering iron
It would be interesting if they make larger version of this. Similar to mains soldering gun but using several 1.2V NiCd battery and using mosfet switch
I like the gas irons cause they also blow hot air (PP). And I just keep a small butane can with me to keep it full, As with this one it would need to be plugged in somewhere to recharge. And when doing work with car audio there sometimes isn't an outlet to plug in to. Just don't drop it... I still might get one of these also... Love your tear downs. Thanks!
ISO-Tip should adopt your design and offer a USB version. Rather the trend these days.
Back in the 70s Wahl advertised these heavily in electronic magazines, there being a sizable market of TV/electronic repair shops and techs who made house calls and other location stops. That was pretty well gone by the end of the 80s so I don't know how they have survived since. (My niche, theater service, hung on a while longer.)
I had several of these in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Their weakness is the ceramic in the tips. Not toolbox-friendly but you could just replace the tip easily enough. A fellow tech made a stiff leather cover for his and glued foil inside it to reduce combustion likelihood. A cover, like your Draper had is needed.
Great vid, BTW.
blast from the past.....late 70s early 80s....my dad had one
Oh wow I could use this for when I am on the road doing pinball machine repairs on Solid State pins.
I could also use it when I go to Portland Retro Gaming Expo and use it to fix boards there at the convention. :)
And I like the fact they let you take it apart too.
And what is the Amps on the filament?
Would it be a 20A fuse?
And could you replace the fuse with the glass type fuse?
Didn't like my iso-tip 20 years ago, Mr butane pen sized orange plastic iron was magic.
INSTANT CHARGE WON EVERY TIME.
Wanted a new tip at Altronics, they had a stand full of returned irons, so I grabbed a bundle at $5 each.
Asked the price of new tips, "that will cost you $25 each" I was told.
It's okay I said, just paid $5 each for slightly used ones, earlier in your shop.
BTW managed to get all but one working, nice gifts for mates.
I've had one of these for over a year and I love it. There is another mod (2 actually) that you can do. 1 is to make it use an LED which I am going to do to mine. Go to ISO-TIP's website and they have a link to a video a guy made to show how to do this and also put a charging LED inside the iron itself. It uses the joule thief circuit from your video I think, which I'm also going to do. I like your USB mod and I might consider doing that as well. I will add that years ago Radio Shack had a cordless soldering iron that used the same tips as this one (might have been manufactured by Iso-Tip, but not sure) It was a great little iron and included a cover that enclosed the entire tip/mechanism for easy travel and protection. I wish I still had mine. I do have the tip and switch section though and am going to try to mount it in one of those cold heat (junk in my opinion) soldering irons.
Very nice product indeed. Wish more things where made this way.. It´s undestructable and if it every breaks, it´s easy to repair!
wow that's an old incandescent. the last time I seen a light like that was in the 90s.
I had a nearly identical Tandy one of these, very handy, incidentally the "memory effect" in Nicads is not a loss of capacity, just the voltage depression point happens earlier for something non voltage critical like this I doubt it will ever be an issue.
I love it. Demonstrates how well things used to be made, and that US plug is perfect because I live in the US :3.
Wonderful American product :)
I had an original Radio Shack soldering iron that looked like that and then the Wahl one. They are good for short soldering jobs but I do predominantly use one of those butane soldering irons. Yes.... you need to be careful in use and setting it down of the hot gas coming out of the side of the tip.
And now I want one of those… *.*