🚀 go-pugleaf

On Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:00:21 GMT, qrk <SpamTrap@spam.net> wrote:

>On Mon, 20 Apr 2009 21:08:32 +0100, Allus Smith <allus_smith@com.com>
>wrote:
>
>>All this talk about soldering irons makes me think how crummy too 
>>much American industrial design is.
>>
>>Some US industrial design looks great but some looks downright, 
>>well, Russian. 
>>
>>Sure you can see crap-looking design in western Europe too but 
>>there's a lot less of it than in the US.
>>
>>Take soldering irons for example.  An ordinary soldering iron in 
>>the US with unregulated temperature still has great big mofo screws 
>>holding the tip. 
>>
>>By comparison, my 30 year old British-made basic Antex is a sleek 
>>looking baby and those Antexes are not particularly expensive.
>>
>>Don't start me on the looks of cars!
>
>If you expect something from a $10 hardware store soldering iron
>that's made in China, you shouldn't be in electronics. The only people
>who use those are kids starting out in tronics and people who don't
>know anything about electronics. 
>
>If you want a good iron, get a Metcal (now OK). Metcal has soldering
>irons for under $200 which work very well for SMT and thruhole. My
>only gripe about the cheap Metcals is the tip temperature only goes up
>to 750 deg F. Gotta use my 20+ year old Weller iron for melting
>isulation off of magnet wire.
>
>If you really want to see a classic soldering iron, get your hands on
>an American Beauty! You'll drop your shorts when you get your hands on
>that one.

My dad had one, 150 W i think.  It would solder 12 Ga. sheet metal.
  .