Technique
Soldering Operation. You’ve made it this far already, so by now you have understood that this is not an old-fashioned soldering tool. Let’s agree right now that you will not try to operate it as such, because otherwise you will only become frustrated. So let’s try this instead:
- Slide the ON/OFF switch to the top of the tool to ON. The white light illuminates and although the tip is still cool, your tool is now ready to solder.
- To heat the tip, gently place it against your work piece (wire, electrical or electronic part, etc.) so that both of the Ceramic Tip’s electrodes make solid contact with the work piece; then add solder.
- If the tip is placed correctly, the red light will illuminate and the tip will create heat almost instantly, allowing for clean solder flow onto the work piece and the formation of a smooth joint.
- When the joint is complete, remove the tip from the work piece. The tip should cool off to touch-safe temperatures within a few seconds to a few minutes, depending on the length of your soldering process.
Caution: DO NOT PRESS HARD. Ceramics are brittle! Excessive pressure does not improve performance and may break the Ceramic Tip.
If the tool is not supplying the required heat, the tip electrodes are not properly making contact with electrically-conductive material. Reposition the
tool for better contact until the red light turns on. Light-handed operation will serve you best!
The first time you try this, it may not be all dreamy. But with a few minutes of practice, you can become an expert. Let’s work on your technique:
- If you are having trouble establishing electrical contact between the Ceramic Tip electrodes and the work piece, tilt the tip so that it touches the work piece at an angle. You may also pull the tip out, turn it 180°, and re-insert it. The red light will then turn on when the tip makes correct contact with the work piece. Look for the red light to confirm good contact!
- The Soldering Pen delivers approximately 25W of AC-equivalent power. It is intended for hobby or light professional use in electrical projects with small and medium-sized components, such as 18-24 AWG wires, small jewelry repairs, and larger printed circuit boards and components. We do not recommend it for soldering temperature-sensitive, very small electronic components, or large joints that require long, continuous soldering.
- For best results, use solder approximately 1 mm (0.040”) in diameter or 18 AWG. This will fit best with the gap in the Ceramic Tip and will make contact a breeze.
- This tool is intended for short bursts of heat. Do not dwell on a single soldering joint for a long duration. This may overheat the Soldering Pen and discharge the battery.
- Users more experienced with the soldering process will recognize that the Ceramic Tip eliminates the need for wetting and cleaning the tip. The tip can also be used for desoldering with wick. If you don’t understand this, it’s OK, you’re still awesome in your own way.
- A new set of batteries will perform approximately 600 joints under normal conditions. We recommend that you replace the batteries often to maintain high performance from your tool.
OK, you’re getting there. Room temperature to 700° F in a quarter of a second? Yes, we can.
