Wen 199 Soldering Gun Question

3/13/2010 3:45:01 PMJoe

I recently acquired a Wen 199 (180 watt) soldering gun. I believe it dates back to the 1960's. It works well but the tip is in pretty rough shape and I believe I may have to replace it soon. Radio Shack carries a "Weller D550" 260/200 watt tip. This tip looks like its solid copper and seems like it will fit my Wen. Can I use this "Weller D550" tip as a replacement for the original Wen tip.

3/13/2010 3:52:53 PMWarren

It would be better to use the tip for a Weller 8200. This gun is 90/125 watts. The one you mentioned I think may be to heavy to heat.

3/13/2010 4:31:04 PMJoe

Warren,

That's a good point, I'll take a look at the 8200 tips.

Joe

3/13/2010 4:45:31 PMJoe

I see the Weller tips come in two varieties the "standard" and the "iron plated". Which might be the better fit.

3/13/2010 4:54:23 PMWarren

I think that those are the same in size. The standard tip is what I would try. Be sure not to over-heat the tip when in use. Your trigger finger controls the heat.

3/13/2010 5:07:18 PMJoe

Thanks alot Warren; I'll use the 8200 standard tip and try to be light with the "trigger finger"

Joe

3/13/2010 7:44:26 PMEdd

Sir Joe . . . . . .

I do remember two things very well about the Red Wen 199 unit, I liked it very much BUT it was the poorest design on its BALANCING that I have ever experienced.

I also don't believe I ever saw one in pristine mechanical condition very long. They were always power cord snagged and then pulled off the bench or just plain dropped, by virtue of their balance issue.

The casing, then shattering and leaving exposed innards, and then being typically covered up with layers of black electrical tape. . . . again . . .and again . . . and again

I treasured mine so much that I made up another custom BLUE case from two good halves , one mine and another temporarily borrowed from a friend , to make 2 plaster of paris casts and then the making of actual case halves with tinted Bondo.

It actually, later with time, took multiple bounces to the floor without its shattering.

WEN 199 . . . . R.I.P. . . . it went up in smoke from a wild wheatfield fire taking out a storage barn while I was in VN.

The other aspect of those special tips . . . probably some still available as NOS . . . was the fact that their intermediate section extended the actual end tip area out QUITE a distance. (REF)

Sooooo . .if you DO try using the (lower wattage unit of the two available) Weller tips . . . . on that Wen unit . . . .fully expect us to be assigning you the nickname of, no longer Joe . . . . but . . ."Stubby".

73's de Edd

3/14/2010 7:37:24 AMJoe

Edd,

Thanks for your input. I saw a lower wattage Weller tip at Radio Shack and it was quite short. I did find a package of two NOS Wen tips on ebay bought those instead.

As I said earlier, the gun seens to work well. It heats up and melts solder in just a couple of seconds and cools down very fast. But the tip sometimes glows red - is that an indication of some problem with the gun or does it mean that the tip is begining to fail?

Joe

3/15/2010 5:56:57 AMEdd

Sir Joe. . . . . .

Your comments on the unit just refreshed my memory !

Glad that you were able to get the original tips for the unit.

I must have at least 5 Weller guns , one of which is the D550 BRUTE which I believe is rated up in the 360 or so watts range..

YES . . . that Wen unit WILL run the tiplet cherry red if you hold down on the trigger.

At times, I was always wondering why my unit was not holding its tinning. That was answered one day when I saw the high school after school help using my unit to light a cigarette. Believe me, I severely castigated him for that, and had no further problems after that incident..

You have to sort of pulse the Wen's trigger to hold the heat down, as the unit is much faster responding than a Weller is..

There is less problem with the oxidation of the Wen heating element than the Weller.

On the Wen, the high current interfacing connection is made back in a cooler area and is also having more surface contact area. . . . one is always having to tighten down on a Wellers clamp nuts, or pulling the copper tip completely to scrape it down.

BUT I do remember having a tip going out on me while working on some high tech equipment, with no Weller replacement available , being 50 miles from one, but I took a coathanger from the van and fashioned a tiplet from it to then tin up and complete the job with.

Normally I would have used copper wire, but I would have even had to rip Romex out of a wall to get to that !

73's de Edd

:Edd,
:
:Thanks for your input. I saw a lower wattage Weller tip at Radio Shack and it was quite short. I did find a package of two NOS Wen tips on ebay bought those instead.
:
:As I said earlier, the gun seens to work well. It heats up and melts solder in just a couple of seconds and cools down very fast. But the tip sometimes glows red - is that an indication of some problem with the gun or does it mean that the tip is begining to fail?
:
:Joe
:

3/19/2010 5:11:56 PMDes Miles

Isn't a weller or other soldering station with temp. control tip better for our hobby? You can get a large tip that will unsolder an earth connection on a metal chassis with ease. My first soldering iron was a weller soldering gun, this was in the early 60's but I soon learned that the tip could get red hot and destroy its tinning. Could also over heat a joint and damage early transistors and diodes unless you used a heatsink on there leads. OK that's not a problem if your working on valve (tube) equipment.Just a thought. Regards from sunny South Africa.

:I recently acquired a Wen 199 (180 watt) soldering gun. I believe it dates back to the 1960's. It works well but the tip is in pretty rough shape and I believe I may have to replace it soon. Radio Shack carries a "Weller D550" 260/200 watt tip. This tip looks like its solid copper and seems like it will fit my Wen. Can I use this "Weller D550" tip as a replacement for the original Wen tip.
: