My soldering gun failed. The primary coil shorted out after who knows how many heating and cooling cycles. So I decided to rebuild the primary coil. After doing so, I plugged it in and after 10 seconds heard the sound when electronics fry. So I pulled the cord. Oh, 120V 60hz. My question is: "Is there a grade or type of coated copper wire I should have used? What I used was the coil wire from a automotive solenoid. Definitely a bit thicker than original. Perhaps not enough turns to manage the voltage?

 

My soldering gun failed. The primary coil shorted out after who knows how many heating and cooling cycles. So I decided to rebuild the primary coil. After doing so, I plugged it in and after 10 seconds heard the sound when electronics fry. So I pulled the cord. Oh, 120V 60hz. My question is: "Is there a grade or type of coated copper wire I should have used? What I used was the coil wire from a automotive solenoid. Definitely a bit thicker than original. Perhaps not enough turns to manage the voltage?

Any repair like that I tend to use the factory build spec as to how many turns and guage thickness in order not to create a fire hazard.
Oh they use enamel coated wire ..

 

This is definitely a coated wire. Definitely insulated. I have to believe it's an enamel. It looks the same (red-ish coating) as any other wire I've seen used in a transformer. I'm thinking it's the number of turns. The amount of wire isn't enough to handle the voltage it needs more for the electricity to be distributed.

 

My soldering gun failed... Perhaps not enough turns to manage the voltage?

Really? What made you think that you could rewind your transformer with a random number of turns and have success? If you want to try to repair the transformer, go back in time and this time, COUNT the number of turns on the original coil as you de-construct the primary. This time, rewind the coil using the number of turns you derived in your de-construction.

I would bet that almost any coated wire would work as your primary.

 

Also It is possible the transformer was dipped and baked as done to armatures etc.
Max.

 

Really? What made you think that you could rewind your transformer with a random number of turns and have success? If you want to try to repair the transformer, go back in time and this time, COUNT the number of turns on the original coil as you de-construct the primary. This time, rewind the coil using the number of turns you derived in your de-construction.

I would bet that almost any coated wire would work as your primary.

What made me think I would have any success? Nothing really. I tried it before a few months ago and it tripped a 20 amp breaker FAST. I figured, what the hell...give it another go (this time I used different wire) just wind some wire and see what happens. Well it didn't trip any breaker, so that was progress. There has to be a margin + or - with a transformer...a range where everything will work. Listen, I didn't claim that I'm doing this for a living or trying to sell anything. Cut me a little slack please.

 

You may be asking yourself "Why doesn't the dude just go buy a new one?" There's a couple of reasons. The primary one is that I'm not into screwing myself, my family, you or any of my fellow Americans buy buying 'Made in China'. I refuse. I will buy used instead. Which I have done, I bought a Craftsman 200 and a Wen 250. And when able, I repair what breaks. Of course I would like new, but I'm not going to screw everyone over for my own selfish needs/wants.

 

What made me think I would have any success? Nothing really. I tried it before a few months ago and it tripped a 20 amp breaker FAST. I figured, what the hell...give it another go (this time I used different wire) just wind some wire and see what happens. Well it didn't trip any breaker, so that was progress. There has to be a margin + or - with a transformer...a range where everything will work. Listen, I didn't claim that I'm doing this for a living or trying to sell anything. Cut me a little slack please.

Playing with line voltage like that is dangerous. I understand the desire to repair broken items, I do it all the time. The number of turns depends on your soldering gun's wattage and the transformer type. Without this info, any number we give you will simply be a guess. As an example, a SHELL TYPE 100 watt transformer for 60Hz operation would have approximately 260 turns of magnet wire.

 

You may be asking yourself "Why doesn't the dude just go buy a new one?" There's a couple of reasons. The primary one is that I'm not into screwing myself, my family, you or any of my fellow Americans buy buying 'Made in China'. I refuse. I will buy used instead. Which I have done, I bought a Craftsman 200 and a Wen 250. And when able, I repair what breaks. Of course I would like new, but I'm not going to screw everyone over for my own selfish needs/wants.

Well feel free to 'screw me' being I only by American as a last resort. Nobody really cares where you buy your stuff from. I certainly don't.

To be honest, if you are truly buying American it had better been made by Native American Indians being anything made by anyone else is something that has been made by a foreigner or a descendant of a foreigner.

BTW on honest unbiased head to head testing the vast majority of our true made in America stuff gets it's butt handed to it by most everything but the lowest of low foreign made equivalents.

 

Even Harleys have Japanese forks!!!!!!

 

One thing to watch for if this is a typical Weller Iron, is that the trigger switch is a two pull, and switches the primary winding between Hi & Lo, (dual winding) with the first pull being Hi.
Max.

 

One thing to watch for if this is a typical Weller Iron, is that the trigger switch is a two pull, and switches the primary winding between Hi & Lo, (dual winding) with the first pull being Hi.
Max.

Good point. I was just thinking. I know how many turns the secondary coil has. Certainly there is a formula. As far as the Harley issue, while I'm sure you're correct and I do understand the point, what truly matters is where the company is headquartered. That's where profits go and therefore contribute to the trade numbers. Consider Honda who builds vehicles in the USA. While they adverise that fact...because they want you to know that, it is actually a zero sum game. Back in the 90's we had a recession and Americans were taking baseball bats to foreign cars in radio station sponsored events. The Japanese saw this and the effect was not good. The Japenese had an idea. Build the cars here and then Americans will not take their frustrations out on their product during the next economic down turn. It worked. Plus, they no longer had to pay import duties. So they hire Americans to build those cars....the cars are bought by other Americans which means there is no gain to the economy. It's one American giving money to another. However the profits still go to Japan. We lose AGAIN. However if some of those cars were exported then the production of those automobiles would have an effect on the trade deficit. In addition, it's not really the Japanese that are the real problem. It's the Chinese because while they get the world standard of currency...we get garbage. They laugh their *sses off every day. There are no boats taking failed goods back to China...so there is very little incentive to NOT continue cutting content, cutting quality, violating American company copyrights, patents or anything else for that matter. When someone buys 'Made in China' that money goes over there and they don't give it back. They keep it for their kids and loved ones. They are doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing. The problem is Americans. People keep asking for 'cheaper' and it's a perfect storm as company leaders have been and continue outsourcing our fellow American's jobs with the promise that in return we will get lower prices. However that is not happening. Prices have only gone up. Therefore I got screwed when my neighbor's job went away and then I'd be getting screwed twice by buying the products. I could not control the first time I got screwed. I can control whether or not I get screwed twice. I need every American to be successful. If you're not successful that is a problem for me as you can no longer buy my goods. I in turn cannot buy yours and then we're both in trouble.

 

Watch the PBS documentary if possible, 'Is Wal-Mart good for America' an oldie, but still relevant.
Max.

 

Good point. I was just thinking. I know how many turns the secondary coil has. Certainly there is a formula. As far as the Harley issue, while I'm sure you're correct and I do understand the point, what truly matters is where the company is headquartered. That's where profits go and therefore contribute to the trade numbers. Consider Honda who builds vehicles in the USA. While they adverise that fact...because they want you to know that, it is actually a zero sum game. Back in the 90's we had a recession and Americans were taking baseball bats to foreign cars in radio station sponsored events. The Japanese saw this and the effect was not good. The Japenese had an idea. Build the cars here and then Americans will not take their frustrations out on their product during the next economic down turn. It worked. Plus, they no longer had to pay import duties. So they hire Americans to build those cars....the cars are bought by other Americans which means there is no gain to the economy. It's one American giving money to another. However the profits still go to Japan. We lose AGAIN. However if some of those cars were exported then the production of those automobiles would have an effect on the trade deficit. In addition, it's not really the Japanese that are the real problem. It's the Chinese because while they get the world standard of currency...we get garbage. They laugh their *sses off every day. There are no boats taking failed goods back to China...so there is very little incentive to NOT continue cutting content, cutting quality, violating American company copyrights, patents or anything else for that matter. When someone buys 'Made in China' that money goes over there and they don't give it back. They keep it for their kids and loved ones. They are doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing. The problem is Americans. People keep asking for 'cheaper' and it's a perfect storm as company leaders have been and continue outsourcing our fellow American's jobs with the promise that in return we will get lower prices. However that is not happening. Prices have only gone up. Therefore I got screwed when my neighbor's job went away and then I'd be getting screwed twice by buying the products. I could not control the first time I got screwed. I can control whether or not I get screwed twice. I need every American to be successful. If you're not successful that is a problem for me as you can no longer buy my goods. I in turn cannot buy yours and then we're both in trouble.

Donald J., is this you?

 

Fatal flaw in the logic is that there are more than just me and you working in this country.

Given that there are some 350+ million more than just the two of us the 'I depend on you and you depend on me' theory really falls apart. Add in the fact that we have inflation, economic center and commerce drift it's clearly not a zero sum game either.

He who makes the product we want at the price we will pay gets the customers. He who doesn't whines and makes up excuses stories about why the other guy is getting his customers. Plain and simple.

Whether some like it or not we live in a global economy system not an exclusive national or local one and thus those who make what the people want get their business.

If you really want something to blame and complain about look into the big government that continually regulates, restricts,mandates, and taxes the American business practice until a company has no choice but to either fold under or move overseas. That's who is driving the business there more than anything else.

 

About the soldering gun you are trying to repair........ Did you count the number of turns when you un-wound the primary?? Regardless of the size or type of wire you use, you must have the same number of turns on the primary.

 

Actually you are incorrect my friend. It is very much a me and you game. Look at Detroit. Detroit went from being the third largest city in this country down to nothing. That was a result of neighbors giving each others jobs away. More recently I point to the housing bubble of the late 2000's. At the end of it in 2007 there were a ton of people racing to Arizona where there is plenty of land. There are housing developments there right now...brand new homes and only a handful have occupants. I even considered going until I thought about it for a minute. I thought "they haven't built enough sh*t cleaning waste water treatments to handle the influx of humans." There were a few that went and bought their homes outright...no financing. Took their life savings and put it all on the table. Just a few short months later the bottom fell out. Those who did finance picked up and took off. The only ones left there now are the ones who cannot afford to leave. Guarantee this...they wish their neighbors were successful. They know how much one American's success means to another.

 

Yeah, yeah, yeah... Let's get back to trying to fix your soldering gun.

 

I hear ya. I'd rather that reply than head in the sand justifications for one's actions. I swear it's like everyone forgot everything they learned in school. You should see this Craftsman 9-53831 soldering iron I picked up today. Gargantuan.