Solder Pot Alterations & Reassambly
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- Опубліковано 4 жов 2024
- The solder pot is reassembled with several modifications.
Part 1: • Cheapo Solder Pot of F...
Flex destruction: • Solder Pot Flex Destroyed
Patreon: / jwflame
Contact info, sending stuff in etc.: xo4.uk/?YTT
I love that you acted on the suggestion in the comments to try to fix up the solder pot.
John I think you may have bought a dud which has been bodged in the factory.
After seeing your original video I decided to buy one of these, as the 100W version (which actually pulls 140W) was only £6 delivered. It arrived this morning, and although I have not yet pulled it apart, I powered it up through a plug-in power monitor and the consumption varies between 20W at minimum setting to 140W at maximum -- so my version is clearly wired up correctly!
Thanks for the info , i have got myself one solder melting pot when i start to use it i will do an initial power up test & also an "Opening up" to see if all looks ok inside . TIP about the solder bar : I found that scarring ( making a week point )the solder bar with a beefy cutter and then using a vise to wiggle forth and back the bar . the bar broke into smaller manageable pieces with zero loss of material and no mess to pick up as a saw would have , Cheers . Excuse mon english still working on it !
A fascinating video!!! I have been watching 'Dave' on the EEVBlog for a number of years now, but it is nice to find an English person who covers some of the same ground--perhaps pitched at a slightly more accessible level of electronics know-how. I am a complete amateur and while I really enjoy watching Dave's work--especially his tear-downs and infrequent repairs--I actually _understand_ far less than 10% of the stuff he covers!
Anyway; count me as a fresh subscriber!!!
More of these "Improve Things" episodes please :)
Instablaster.
Note that this type of triac dimmer makes tremendous radio noise if not filtered. And it obviously isn't. I think a small inductor in series with the load will do.
Very good vid, for the technically minded the triac circuit didn´t regulate down to zero amps. It starts out powering the solder pot with some power.
nice to see you mentioned safety about keeping wired plugs away from children. I just discovered your site and i like it!
Excellent follow-up video. Thanks John. Great job.
"They made a bit of an effort" LOL understatement of the year. Instructions not to run over 6-funny since it was full out regardless. Amazed that you were able to return it to proper function; not sure why they would not do that in the first place.
I suspect they realised that temp control cct was pointless, these things take so long to heat/cool (when full of solder) that that silly control knob would be next to useless. That or it was originally designed for something else, another product perhaps.
One nice mod would be something like a 150c NC thermal switch (KSD301 for example) wired to short across the control circuit at low temps, to get it up to temp faster so that there was no need to mess with the controller.
Also (and this isn't a criticism) the location used for the earth wire, isn't that connected directly to the pot? Therefore it'd get very hot and unlike the other wires in that area it has no sleeving for protection.
Did this mod,as mine was not wired correctly either. Works a treat now! Cheers john
Great watch, many thanks!
I think it's a wonderful thing that we can buy all this stuff from China so cheaply. However, it's only sensible to check it out before putting it into service. More of this kind of thing please.
I always wondered why UK plugs were so fat... Neat idea to have the fuse built in!
Mark Harrison it also is to prevent being able to reach fingers round when plugging the thing in to touch the live pin, despite the sleeving on the pins which is designed to help prevent that too.
Nice job on the repair John. I may get one of those. It'll be interesting to see if it's wired the same (ie wrongly)
Thank you for this, you may have saved my life and a lot of otherths as well.
I really love these kinds of videos, like 'this sucks lets fix it'
Hi John
Just a thought with this solder pot, check the temperature with a meter, on low and high, be good to find out
Great video 🤙🏼🇦🇺
wow that solder Bar :'( i love it
I think you may have chosen the wrong type of flex here. I think you'll find that it gets very hot inside that box and that PVC insulation on those individual conductors will not be up to the job. Even that cheapo Chinese flex had rubber insulation on the individual wires or at least that's what it looked like to me. You definitely need rubber rather than PVC insulation inside that box and as for that bit of plastic on the female spade connector on the earth wire? I think you'll find that will be badly burnt soon enough. (I would have removed that myself). Any old flex from an iron or a tabletop hotplate has this high-temperature rubber-insulated flex. All the best.
The earth wire touches the round metal plate which presumably gets hot, so it could do with some heat resistant sheathing.
Nice video. I woud do a heatprotection on earth wire.
Siegfried Ammer hdjgigofkfkfkckvkt
I got one of these. Lasted 6 weeks before the element blew.
The only thing I can really complain about here is that 90°C (or even 105°C) PVC still won't survive direct contact with soldering temperatures. I would have chosen a silicone cord, or failing that at least *some* other thermoset insulation.
Otherwise, good job getting it to work and be safe(r).
Enjoyed the video. I actually fancied one at £11 even if I had to follow these mods. Would have been a bit of fun.. Searched on Bangood, but price has jumped to £30 as of November 2022
I would have replaced that crappy knob, too.
Nice project. Doesn't the solder in that pot get a layer of oxide cruddy contaminant that prevents good shiny solder joints and instead produces disappointingly dull sort of powdery looking joints that are most unsatisfactory visually and potentially suspect regarding connection reliability?
+Terry Clark Yes, the top layer has to be removed at intervals to get rid of the oxide.
*****
Did see a pot once that had a little built in skimmer for keeping the top clean but it was a big pot.
I see you are using that Wylex ashtray.
something like this with one of those elements and a metal case is a perfect example of why you need a securely attached ground wire. deadly! easily fixed in the right hands though. as seen
I love your videos, but I struggle with the audio... you speak in a whisper frequently so I have to turn up the volume, then all of the sudden you emphasize something and it blows out my eardrums hahaha... is there some way you can normalize the audio with your editing software? Hopefully you take this as constructive criticism, you do great work! Thanks
I have the same issue with John Wards video's
Sounds like captain's speaking on a flight. :D An audio compressor/limiter will help + some kind of pop protection.
I quite like John's voice. I listen on headphones and I've never had a problem.
Nice video - but master mumbler ;)
Spent a considerable amount of it saying "What?!".
i just how he speaks, up and down and again up and down....it's crazy...i can barely understand 50% of what he says...it's like he doesn't want us to understand all words. It's like he runs out of air and the end of each sentence is almost unintelligible.
Nice video john do more of these kind of video
You should have measured the temperature at minimum and maximum. Other than that, excellent video.
Looks like the switch is upside down in the slot.
Depends where you live. In the UK, Australia and many other countries (outside the USA) a switch is "on" in the down position.
Having said the there's a barrier between the hot and cold parts, you then run the earth connection in standard PVC wire over it to get to the solder pot mounting screw?
What are you afraid is gonna happen, the ground wire shorting to the case?
Nope, just messy PVC meltdown.
The switch is backwards :$
R4MP4G3RXD glad I'm not the only one who noticed, if it was mine it would drive me mad
nice work really like the detailes keep up the good work.
Great video, but did you notice that you installed the switch upside-down?
You forgot to add some lead to the pot just for good measure 😀
In a number of your videos where heat is an issue, such as this one and those involving overheated components/cables, I have wondered why you don't use a non-contact thermometer to add to the information.
Don't have one, and they are only accurate when used on certain types of surfaces.
Hi John, I was wondering what kind of rotary tool it was you were using in this video (at 9:00).
I love these 'tear-down' type videos btw, they're great!
A more sensible way would be to put the plug on last. I mean, one can always get distracted before one finishes the job and although your intention was to complete the job immediately or stow the plug and cable away, the front door bell always seems to ring at the most inopportune moments.
Very good job ! Nice video.
Great video. Thanks.
JW
I'm not all that familiar with this circuit but I'm assuming the difference between the 110v and 220v versions is done at the resistive element on this design as opposed to a simple half rectified and full bridge rectifier configuration?
Replying to a very old port... Yes, the heating element for 110V will have about 1/2 the resistance and will draw double the current (at full power). There is no rectifying used here, the element is running on full mains voltage. The triac-based "dimmer" is switching off the power for a selectable amount of the 50/60Hz mains cycle.
That plug looked like the Australian ones
Just a positive comment on what are good videos can you possibly improve upon the audio. When speaking the volume of speak is soft and mumbled except the last few words of each sentence where you increase your volume and pronunciation. Could you possibly project all words a little more strongly as per the end of the video particularly helpful for people whos english is not their first language ?
Is the price worth the (low) effort in modifying it? I would like a melting pot for alloying low melting metals.
Even with the additional parts, it's still 10 times cheaper than the £200+ Antex one.
Impressive (the solution, that is, not the original "engineering")!
can you put that old flex on the arc welder and cause some mayhem :)
A thermal camera would be useful to see how hot it was
were can I get the solder bar give me any link to buy
John, where can I find a power meter like the you used? It looks to be a quality item.
It's a Zhurui Tec LPT200, available at www.aliexpress.com/store/427884
Video about it: ua-cam.com/video/2DQ9Jzulo4I/v-deo.html
no star washer on the earth ? or did I miss that ?
why did you use lead free solder?
Probably because the lead free solder will destroy the solder pot much faster than leaded solder (lead free solder is much more "corrosive" than leaded), thus bringing an eventual end to this tortured affair. Like, seriously, how much more could they have screwed up the original build?!
But, in all seriousness, likely because he has an affinity for lead free solder, though many of us prefer traditional leaded solder for general purpose work, but lead free does offer some useful benefits when reworking surface mount boards with solder resist where the reduced wetting can be beneficial...otherwise leaded solder is generally more reliable since cold joints are readily visible and it remains ductile after setting, thus less prone to fracture.
It's nothing to do with eating away the pot. It's because of environmental considerations. EU rules effectively prohibit the use of significant amounts of lead in consumer electronic devices to avoid it getting into waste dumps where it's considered a hazardous component. It's much the same with solder used in plumbing fixings too.
Does solder evaporate?
If it's hot enough, but that would require temperatures of well over 1000C, which will never happen with any normal soldering equipment.
+John Ward
But water evaporares even at 1degC at a very slow rate or am i wrong? Thanks!
You're technically correct, but it evaporates so slowly that it really isnt worth mentioning, as it would evaporate at roughly the same rate as solid lead, so I wouldnt personally worry about it.
A much bigger problem is breathing in solder paste/resin.
Metals typically have a very low vapour pressure, so will not evaporate unless heated to very high temperatures or placed in a near-vacuum environment.
Isn't the lack of a thermal cutout on this device potentially dangerous? It's all well and good that you can turn the power down, but that's far from fail-safe. Given how flimsy that unit is, then I don't think it's wise.
Probably - it's main feature is that it was very cheap, safety probably wasn't an issue when it was designed.
I think I can concur with that thought. Given I once bought some Chinese-made GU10 light where there was a 50:50 chance the metal case/heatsink was live, I've been a lot more careful about buying mains-power equipment.
Great channel by the way.
One of the other youtubers I follow said that most cheap Chinese products are nothing more that kits to build it yourself, some truth in that...
maby a thermal fuse would be a further improvement in case you left it on full and forgot it was on.
You won't find many thermal fuses rated at (or above) soldering temperatures, so good luck trying that.
The plug looked Australian - you'd have thought they'd send a euro plug to the UK if they were going to ship an adapter, but maybe the Australian one is e cheapest 230V model.
It's the standard Chinese 220V 3-pin type, which is similar but not identical (pins are slightly longer, a little thinner, and uninsulated).
Love the video. Off topic question. I was looking to get one of those handy clamps with the bendy arms.. But it is a lot of money. Wanted your opinion if they are worth the money??
I got s similar but cheaper one from ebay and it works well. I think I paid about £15 for it. Again, similar to JW's but not the same.
The one JW, (the exact one I was thinking of getting) is a hobby creek one. Much more expensive, but has a great set of bendy arms (not shown in this video). I get really annoyed with my super cheap clamp, and want to go the other end of the spectrum and go for great stuff.... But I have no idea if it's worth it.
+Colin Richardson I see, Didn't know about the arms. If it is any help, I have some small & large crocodile clips on stiff copper wire (from UK mains ring main cable) and these work quite well, however look like a big mess. Does enough of a good job to get me through most of what I need to do.
Do you think this could be easily modified to run on 110v AC easily?
It would still work on 110V but with a much reduced heat output. For the same heat output the element would need to be replaced. Banggood do sell a 110V version of this anyway.
*****
Thanks John!
I hope you realise that by going into the box you voided your guarantee? You might live longer and it definitely works better but with no guarantee...
nice 11pounds and you made it 40pounds heavier
20:58 moth on the wall :)
Did you put a heatsink on that triac?
No need for a heatsink, there is almost no power consumed in the SCR/Triac. This is only 200W, well under 1A. A typical wall-mounted light dimmer can handle 10A without a heatsink, and the circuit design is basically the same.
I always expect that anything I buy cheap like that from Banggood or the like is a "you complete it DIY project". Especially annoying why you buy supposedly precision tool.
9:00 "Is it safe?"
What does the "BL" mean on your tester?
The one with the money after it
OL = over limit, or infinite resistance / no connection.
@@jwflame I think he means on your consumption meter at 20:56. I've often wondered what BL means
I expected heatproof cotton covered flex.
OFF and ON on the case are in the wrong place.
that plug is the Australian type plug
Nope, that is a Chinese standard plug. The Australian plug is similar, but 180° rotated, has thicker pins, and the Live & Neutral are insulated for half their length. These is a minor difference in pin spacing as well. A Chinese plug sort-of fits into an Aussie socket, however the pins don't grip properly so the electrical contact is poor.
heat sleeving on earth lead would be wise as hi heat under pot
Why would it matter if the earth wire insulation all melted off and the conductor touched the metal case? The wire strands aren't going to melt... and BTW, heat rises.
Lol the switch is backwards
Funny that manufactures of wire go the extra mile to dye the covering to trick us into thinking its copper. WTF?
That copper clad aluminium's turning up everywhere now, in network patch cords (it's actually probably ok there, no current to speak of)... and in telephone wiring (altho a lot of that is copper clad steel!)
Aluminum (american spelling) in wire is nothing new. It works just fine but will offer more resistance and energy loss. The cladding thing is just a marketing gimmick and probably morally reprehensible.
Actually copper cladding can be useful in certain scenarios because it makes the wire solderable. Obviously a bad fit for mains wiring though.
I've also encountered stainless steel (obviously from scrap metal) wire, used with crimp connections as it's completely impossible to solder. It sort of looks like tin plated copper.
+xKatjaxPurrsx The copper cladding is also very desirable at higher RF frequencies where much of the signal is limited by skin depth, thus allowing for a cheaper or stronger core metal to be used. But the greater problem with aluminum flex wiring in power cables, aside from the higher than typical resistance, is that aluminum work hardens much more quickly than copper when repeatedly flexed leading to broken strands that can increase local resistance considerably and lead to fire (nor does it help that aluminum is flammable if it gets hot enough). It is much harder to overheat copper wire when breakage leads to localized heating since copper is a much better heat conductor as well, and just wicks away the heat.
Good to turn useless junk into something decent.
I've always wanted to be the first commenter. :D hi john.
17:43 so what you boo. lol
Т2000)))
No China
Pleasss stop smacking your lips
good video but drives one insane with frequently whispering .
Many people do not recommend led free solder, Louis Rossmann even let you see how bad led free solder is, and that it breaks a lot faster, just wash your hands when you have soldered, and then leaded solder is not a problem.
were can I get the solder bar give me any link to buy