12v soldering iron power draw

HI Boo Boo

Have you considered as gas soldering iron like a Weller Portasol. I have a 12 volt job but found it slow to heat up etc etc.
I'm not disappointed with my gas job.

I’ve been using things like this for joining wires lately and they are brilliant!

http://www.smartmarine.co.nz/products/electrical/cable-wiring-accessories/49857/solder-splice-joiner-terminals-2-5-4-5mm-wire-5-pk/details/

You can buy them at most car accessory stores. Solders, heat shrinks and waterproof all in one action and you only need something like a Bic lighter.
May not suit your needs here, but worth looking at in the future.

Cheers
Tony

Shaker

I didn't know what a portasol was so looked it up.

From what I can see it doesn't have a flame coming out of a nozzle, instead it heats the tip inside the iron. If that's the case the I'd have to agree that it would be ok to use it for this job and a whole lot more.

Ross

No, I don't have a need for a converter, or at least I don't think so! lol

The problem with 12 volt soldering irons is getting a decent one.
Its been years since i've had one, because I just have not seen one I consider worth buying.

I solder for a living and perhaps I'm a little spoilt.

The hand piece from the standard weller station will work on a pair of 12 v 7 AH sealed batteries for long enough to do a few joints.....I have not done this but I know those who have.
The same 24 volt hand pice apparantly will work on 12 volts but not all that well.

Weller make a battery powered version of their standard iron that comes with a 12 volt 7 AH battery pack.....I understand it has a 12 volt heater...but the price..mmm

I know there are plenty of gass soldering iron lovers out there, but I have been less than impressed with those I have borrowed or used on the job....and there are issues.

Those gass soldeing irons present a source of ignition and " hot work", so I can use them on customer's sites.


I'm no lover of inverters, but running a 240V soldeing iron seems to be a reasonable use....Ya spent decent money for a decent 240V soldering iron, it should run happily on a 150 or 300watt inverter without draining the battery in 5 minutes......though still illegal on construction sites in QLD.


As far as the 12 volt iron you may have, it should run fine on your ciggy lighter.

BUT now here is the problem......you have this soldering iron connected to the electrcal system in the car....the electrical system needs to be live for the soldering iron to work......are ya following me......its wise to de-energise the electrical system, particularly when working under the dash.

NOW, the tip of this 12 volt iron, is it earthed to the negative battery supply or is it isolated... are you sure, have you checked.

Best to operate this 12 volt iron from stand alone battery.

Ya see whay I just keep comming back to a 240V iron...either getting whatever close to a source of supply or running out an extension lead.

Let me assure you a 60 watt soldering iron will run just fine at the end of 60 meters of extension cable.

chers

To everyone who gave the thumbs up for the cig socket approach I thank you.

However, so far in Gladstone I have been to bunnings and supercheap and cannot find anything suitable.

In a little while I'll go to the other side of town and try my luck there.

Hopefully I can also see a portasol and check that out as well.

Always carry a 60w item Boo Boo - you need that much and its ok on ciggy lighter.

Mines a NEWSTAR brand got it from Jaycar or Dick Smith before they went limp.

For splicing wires I use the non break method.

I.E. with a sharp scahpul (spelling) I take a cut a slice off the PVC insulation until a thin bit of wire shows.
Then put iron onto that bit and as it heats wire it sizzles cut edges making more wire visible without ever actually cuting a wire. Then tin existing and new wire and solder new wire longways into the 1cm or so of the exposed wire.
(this can be done in either direction to suit rest of loom.)
I then use good (green) masking tape to wrap around - Masking tape won't curl off later like PVC tape. I lay a second piece of masking tape over the jion such that it forms a tag and on the tag I label join.

If I ever have to cut a wire then use also heatshink and soldering iron can usually shrink it in the loom.

Depends on your needs, but far and away, the best 12V soldering iron you can buy is a "Superscope" 150W. We used them in the past for quickly soldering battery packs and heavy wires in remote control racing cars. Within a few seconds, the fat tip is hot enough to solder heavy wires. At $190, they don't come cheap, but they are so much better than my portosol or 240W solder iron running off an inverter.LINK HERE

Allan you are spot on.

While going from store to store after lunch one place was kind enough to point me in the right direction.

I had looked up jaycar, but not leading edge. Anyway I bought a portasol and have just about finished the job.

Everything is working, I just have to tidy up and all is good.

As some people have said grab yourself a butane kit. We use one on my boat as we are always wiring something. The kits contain everything you'll ever need, highly recommended. The Ebay link shows one of many.

Soldering Kit

All,
I worked as a Plant mechanic/ auto electrician for a number of years, we used to use the Weller butane units, my favorite one ( the only one that ever lasted me any more than about 6 months) was a smaller one that looked like a pen. It was orange in color and had a flint lighter built into the cap. The piezo lighter was the bit that always died on the click to igniite and flasher models.

I also used to use a 12 volt unit that I made it was basically a ground down diesel glow plug with some battery clamps on the end of a length of sheathed twin core and a push to heat (normally open contacts) button on the top. They are brilliant. Get hot almost instantly and are just about unbreakable. The switch would eventually die after a few water submersions and good knocks but a trip to jaycar would fix that. Only trouble with all this is that if you want one I think you would have to make it as I did.

Anyway food for thought
Crawler

Afternoon All,
I was talking above about the 12V glow plug soldering iron that I made years ago.

Well,
I found a commercially produced model available. I dont know what the retail price is on the unit though. It is likely that most auto electricians would be able to order this for you from Genr8


See the address below: (I don't know how to insert hyperlinks)
http://www.pjldiesel.com.au/product.php?part_id=270697

Specs:
120w
10 second heat up time
alligator clips
3.2mm tip

It is sold through Pjldiesel, an agent for Genr8.
Genr8 are a supplier of many auto electrical components and lighting.

I reckon this would be "The Goods"


Cheers
Crawler

I'd just plug it into the forum, there's enough electrons in this thread alone to power a soldering iron for a week :)

I can't see other reference to this point in all the above responses, but a 12v soldering iron that needs to be plugged into the cigarette lighter is not really any good if you are going to be cutting or soldering onto a circuit that is switched on the same circuit as the cigarette lighter.

I happily use a 12v soldering iron of unknown rating, but have alligator clips and long leads so I can use it inside the vehicle with the battery disconnected/ fuses removed/ key off for safety as needed.

A good butane heated iron is good to have.

So is a bare flame butane torch, for larger fittings such as battery lead ends where a soldering iron is going to struggle.

Tim