Soldering iron

Has anyone used one of these little gas irons. Ridiculously cheap, but I can't get it to heat the soldering tip.

Basically, its is a gas torch which lights from another ignition source (match etc).

For the soldering iron (Or hot knife for plastic), you screw an attachment over the flame attachment and light the gas which exits just before the screwed in iron tip. The gas ignites, but the heat dos not travel down to the soldering tip.

It looks like there is an incandescent "wick" inside the attachment, but it doesn't want to "Ignite"

Any tips on how to use it ??

Bob

I have a different type of gas soldering iron where you remove completely one tip and substitute it for another.

Are you sure you put your soldering attachment over the torch fitting, or should the former be removed first?

Or; if you are lighting at the exhaust hole, perhaps the flame is staying external to the tip rather than being inside it and therefore not heating the tip much - the inside remaining at the gas delivery temperature?

Mine ignites internally with a piezo-crystal so the flame stays inside the bit. Maybe yours has an internal igniter that you have not noticed, or maybe you need to light the torch, then place the solder tip over it ?

Mine is not the same model but the various 'ends' are fitted separately:-

Torch on left next is the soldering head with bit then torch and the bit at the top slides onto the torch and makes a mini hot air gun.

When lit the soldering iron looks like this. Looking at yours I am guessing that the 'corrugated' bit of the nozzle comes either unscrews or pulls off before the soldering attachment is screwed onto the black collar

Hope that helps a bit.

John

Edited By Journeyman on 25/10/2022 15:41:34

I have a Amtech 20556 model. The soldering tip is unscrewed to use the "blowlamp". When the tip is screwed on the whole blowlamp/tip assembly is pushed forward against a spring by thumb pressure. A flame is then used to light the burner through a hole in the side. The assembly is them released backwards slowly to get the flame into the correct place to heat the tip. If moved too quickly the flame will go out. So I find leaving the tip assembly in the forward position for a minute for the flame to stabilize and preheat slightly does the trick. Excellent little soldering iron that I find very usefull.

regards

The wick looks more like a catalytic converter and heats the iron tip with very hot air, much like my little mini heat shrink gun.

Have a look at the Amazon Advert, and watch the video.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Soldering-Cordless-Welding-Temperature-Adjustable/dp/B07T7HGDQS/ref=sr_1_3_sspa

Bill

Bill, Peak4, is correct.
The "wool" is, or should be, a catalyst probably platinum.

I'd guess the cheap clone either hasn't got a catalyst at all or it is thin plating. Even the good ones can be easily damaged by contamination of the catalyst.

Robert.