Dremel Versatip for Soldering Stained Glass

I was thinking of getting it for doing stained glass. The tool touts

1000+ deg (F i assume) temps, which should be plenty to solder, but i'm a bit worried that it only has a 30W heating element.

I'm new to stained glass (all but cemented my first piece) and found my pencil iron is not up to the task... needs more thermal mass.

I worry that the Versatip might be the same.

Has anyone used this tool to solder ca(l)me? What is your opinion?

Reply to
Philip Lewis
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Why not just get the tool intended for the task? I like the inland brand studio soldering iron myself, 100W. Others here prefer other brands but mine runs about 20$ wholesale.m

Reply to
Michele Blank

Hi Michele! Being the frugal sort, I like to get tools which are multipurpose.

*Especially* since i'm new to this craft, and don't know how long I'll stick with it. The versatip comes with 5(?) tips and runs around 20-25... so for roughly the same price, i'd be getting more functionality... thus a better value. (But only if it works)

Good to know... I think that's what my instructor carries at her shop. If I go with it, I'll probably build my own rheostat... or more likely build a triac based one. ;)

Reply to
Philip Lewis

i used a standard dimmer light switch to build one for under $5.

Reply to
Charles Spitzer

"Philip Lewis" wrote

Yup, that would be the "triac based" one of which i spake. ;)

I couldn't believe that folks would pay for what I've seen them sold.

My project would cost around $10 and would be comprised of: double wide metal junction box, dimmer, and split electrical receptical. (one dimmed, one passthrough)

I should make a web page so other folks could do it as well.

Reply to
Philip Lewis

Well, it wouldn't be anything particularly "new", we used them back when I started in the late 70's, but the power is not uniform across the curve of "dimming" range of the switch. Watch what it does with a light bulb. You turn it down 1/4 of the turn and the bulb is down more than a 1/4 of brightness. which alone is no big deal. But having this crutch prevents a person from learning to solder to their abilities. More practice, the better you get. My iron plugs into the wall outlet, the dimmer is useless after a short practice time.

Reply to
Javahut

yes.. non linear dimming i understand... but if i get an iron, I'll probably go for the most heavy duty one i can find... and it's likely that it will *need* to be brought down in temp, lest i start melting ca(l)me.

so you're saying that full temp iron is ok to use if you know what you are doing? My piece was had quite a few joints, and yes i was better as the night went on... but i have a long way to go... esp "moving" the solder to fill corners and less than perfect joints. I was thinking of getting a 6' piece and just cutting it every inch or so to practice the rejoin process... trying to convince myself that it's not "wasting" it. Might be better to just do another piece. ;)

I have a friend who might enjoy a prairie style...

Reply to
Philip Lewis

If a $2.50 piece of lead is standing in your way of learning a technique, methinks your priorities are messed up.

Reply to
Moonraker

There you go, build something with alot of joints, Prairie fills the bill, or a diamond pattern cabinet door, something that won't be a waste, but a learning tool. The full temp of the iron is only a shock to the first joint, as heat is drawn out of the tip to execute the task, the iron has to keep up, you move to the next joint quicker and the iron is working as a tool, not heating the room sitting on a rest. The only time we use a controller is when doing sculptural solder with 63/37. Which is not often....

Reply to
Javahut

It not so much the cost of the material as generating a piece of not particularly nice waste..... Hmmm... I could always take up casting and melt it into figurines. ;)

"Javahut" writes:

yup... technically a 10W iron could probably work, but the tips are small and have no thermal mass, and the heating element cannot keep up with the process. This is why i was wondering about the dremel tool... can it keep up with the task.

If I really wanted to be cheap, I'd use the traditional iron I have. big fat tip you heat with external heat source. ;)

Reply to
Philip Lewis

I can't afford "multipurpose" tools, I have to buy ones that work.

Reply to
Andy Dingley

Which is why, of course, I'm investigating the suitability of said tool.

Have you never used a screwdriver bit, wire wheel, buffing wheel, or sanding disk in a drill?

Rotary motion is Rotary motion. If the drill was made so that only special "drill" bits could be made to turn in them, it would suck mightily. I realize, however, that a drill does not have the correct parameters (speed) for doing routing operations. I therefore have a router as well.

Heat is heat... A device which allows for changing the way that heat is applied to the enviroment, has more use. I'm asking for experience as to whether this tool has the correct parameters. (in this case, thermal mass, tip size, and/or speedy recovery)

I'll grant that there is also the argument that having the "right" tool for the job might contribute to my continuing the craft, and I can appreciate buying a special purpose tool when i'm going to be using it constantly, but I've just started this craft. I've made

1 window so far... If I buy a new iron for $20 and never make another window, I'm out $20 and the storage space of the iron. (I already have a high wattage solder gun, and a low wattage pencil iron for electrical work) If i buy the multipurpose tool, I'll still be out the $20, but I'll have a tool useful for woodburning, cutting foam, etc. If I find the tool adequate, but not a "dream" with which to work and I find myself making lots of windows, then I might splurge for the single purpose tool.

Can you say that this tool will *not* work? If you have experience with this tool, I'd love to hear it. (any experience, soldering and/or it's other functions.)

Reply to
Philip Lewis

I admire the folks that attempt to change and improve the world. The problem you'll have with SG is that we've been doing it for 1000 years pretty much the same way. I have students bring in their Home Depot bargain tools and home made gadgets, and we all watch them basically not do as well as with the tools made for the SG industry. Sure your iron will work. It just won't work very well. It's like the Dremel grinding bits.... the Sears dry grinding wheel.... the diamond tipped glass cutter.... the electricians pliers..... the Flair marking pens..... cutting glass underwater with a scissors, etc. Buy cheap glass, but not cheap tools.

Reply to
JKSinrod

I wouldn't hold my breath on that.

Reply to
Moonraker

heh... I can dream. I've written them and will let folks know if I get it and if it works.

Reply to
Philip Lewis

And 30W of it isn't enough.

Reply to
Andy Dingley

I don't know the physics involved well enough to argue the point. Are all 30W elements the same, or is there a conversion factor?

like in light bulbs: A 60W incandescent lightbulb converts to light and to heat. a 15W flourescent bulb is more efficient at converting the energy to light, and therefore is as bright as a 60W bulb at 25% the wattage.

I think, in a closed box (with the box absorbing all the light and converting it to heat) the 15W bulb would only yield 25% of the heat that the 60W does.... so If the iron represents 100% (or near) conversion of the the energy to heat (I don't recall seeing an iron emitting visible spectrum radiation. ;), then knowing that 30W is not enough is useful, Thanks.

Reply to
Philip Lewis

"Philip Lewis" uttered ina troll like manner ....

Are you the kind of guy that when someone asks the time, you want to know how a watch is made? Or are you determeined to keep posting this drivel until someone bites ate the bait and says

"What the F*** is wrong with you?" Are you going to keep belaboring the point until someone agrees with you and says , "Yeah it's a great iron go ahead, buy 50 of them you'll love it."

What's your real reason for posting this question, it can't be to know the iron won't work, because it WON'T. It will begin to solder one joint and it will crash and burn, then 15 min later it can start another, it is not designed to do what you want to do, solder leaded glass together efficiently.

But that is not why you are posting, I just gave you the answer to why you are posting, you like to see your name in print.

Reply to
Javahut

Reply to
Michele Blank

Please! We don't need Stephen Hawking here.... go buy a 100w SG soldering iron already. Spend all this free time on your design instead. Have some fun.

Reply to
JKSinrod

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