Soldering Iron Tips - What's a good source?

[diogenes]

Hello, everyone!

Hopefully, someone here can give me a clue because I am without.

I have an old Craftsman 45w soldering iron that I use for the occasional soldering task. That usually means on my back under a dashboard. It has a completely worn out chisel tip.

I want to get a conical tip and a chisel tip but I am having a hard time finding them. The tip is 4.77mm x 70mm. I bought a couple that I thought would work on eBay but they measure 5mm and are just that much too big. I did find a conical one eBay that is supposed to be 4.7mm but I was hoping to find both chisel and conical at the same source. Obviously, the length isn't critical unless it is less than, say, 60mm.

Anyone have any ideas of where I can look? My search foo is failing me. I can find plenty of 4.7mm tips but they are too short or have collars.

Thanks for any help you can provide. I really hate to trash a working iron and buy another just like it because I can't find a $10 tip.

 

[RTM]

Most of my iron thread in. I just measured the threads, and found tons with “8-32 soldering iron tip”

Maybe yours is 3/16? Are you in a metric land? Is it a slide in or threaded?

 

[64C10]

Chuck the slightly oversized ones up in your drill motor and turn them down with a piece of emery cloth. I’ve had to do this with the newer Weller (Chinesium) tips to make them work in my old Craftsman iron.

 

[diogenes]

Most of my iron thread in. I just measured the threads, and found tons with “8-32 soldering iron tip”

Maybe yours is 3/16? Are you in a metric land? Is it a slide in or threaded?

Thanks for your response.

They are slide in type tips. I used my Mitutoyo calipers to measure which gave me thousandths which I converted to metric assuming they would be spec'd that way. I just looked up a conversion chart and 3/16" would be the likely answer. I'm going to take a look and see if that knocks some fruit out of the upper branches.

Also, @64C10 has a suggestion that 1) Is cheap (since I have these two here) and (2) Makes a lot more sense than trying to get my brother's new lathe operating just to turn the tips down (Which was a thought that I had already dismissed as too much work).

 

[diogenes]

Chuck the slightly oversized ones up in your drill motor and turn them down with a piece of emery cloth. I’ve had to do this with the newer Weller (Chinesium) tips to make them work in my old Craftsman iron.

Thank you! You may have won the day. I'm heading out to the barn to see what I can do. I'll report back.

 

[diogenes]

@RTM @64C10 The experiment has been completed. The patient lives.

@64C10 , you knew my files really, really needed carding, didn't you? I now have two freshly carded files, two somewhat depleted 9.6 volt DeWalt drill batteries and a hot drill. I now also have two bits that will fit into my soldering iron. I tinned them and ground the old one a fresh chisel point and tinned that one for good measure.

The diameter of the original bit is .188". The new bits are turned down to .208". The thickness of the metal coating the copper in the tip? Everything above .208": It's bare copper now... I assume that will be an issue somewhere down the road, but for now it will give me workable tips. I wonder what project kits are available cheap? I'll think on that. I'd like to do an LED clock...

Now I need to research the information that @RTM slapped me with: Fractional inch measurements. I need to see what is listed that way.

Thank you both very much for spending some time on my bumbling today! You are awesome!

 

[diogenes]

While I have your attention: What is the functional difference between the watt specs on the tips?

If I find tips that are rated higher or lower than the 45 watts that my iron is rated for will they work? Or will the universe tilt and I'll find myself staring into void?

I guess I still am looking for that clue.

 

[64C10]

The wattage rating is usually based on the length from my experience- higher rated, longer length.

I’ve always left them bare copper - never had an issue compared to leaving the plating intact.

 

[diogenes]

Most of my iron thread in. I just measured the threads, and found tons with “8-32 soldering iron tip”

Maybe yours is 3/16? Are you in a metric land? Is it a slide in or threaded?

I just found this:. https://www.ebay.com/itm/154146076628

It says it's for Hakko irons. Down the rabbit hole I go...

 

[diogenes]

The wattage rating is usually based on the length from my experience- higher rated, longer length.

I’ve always left them bare copper - never had an issue compared to leaving the plating intact.

That may obviate my need to find a source for tips. At least for a while. Thank you for letting me know.