HI Arlene

On 7 Jun 2006 23:10:22 -0700, wrote:

Hi Mike...
what is this?

i don't seem to have much of a choice here...the only two irons on the
market,
as far as i can tell are the German models and the Turkish knock-offs.

There are two analog irons..one is a 60watt, the other an 80watt.

Based on my quick 'playing' with the temperature-controlled 100W
Weller last night - avoid 'non-temp-controlled' irons unless you
really have no choice.


i STILL can't find a supplier outside Turkey that can give me
electrical stuff
that works on our current!

The folks in UK don't seem to be able to help me...their plugs are so
strange...

Ahem !
_Our_ plugs are normal g - it's everybody else that uses strange
ones gg

Seriously though - if the only problem you have with Irons (& other
kit) from UK suppliers is the plug - why not do what I've just done...

Because I happened to have a 240 - 110V transformer (our UK mains is
240v), I now also have a 120V grinder (ebay) and a 120V Weller iron.
Both of these pieces of kit come with 'strange' USA plugs - but they
now connect through one of those multi-way extension leads - with
sockets that fit the USA plugs and the 'other end' wired straight into
the transformer.
All you'd need is a UK-style extension lead - and then you could plug
whatever UK-style kit you wanted (within reason & taking account of
the maximum current it'd handle) into your extension lead - while the
other end was wired into whatever they use in Turkey...

If you went the 'transformer' route, then you might find that (120V)
kit like soldering irons bought from the USA worked out much cheaper
than buying the 'same thing' in 240V versions....

are there NO SUPPLIERS in Italy, France, Spain, anywhere except UK???

they don't show up on any searches i've been doing. this is crazy!
there MUST
be people doing stained glass in those countries!!!

so frustrating!! hopefully it will get solved one of these days.

explain the 2:1 transformer...what is it?

Big, heavy lump of metal with windings on it.
Conect it up correctly and you can put 240V into it and get 120V out
of it. Worth getting assistance if you're not 100% confident - because
there are 'other' ways to (mis)-connect it - one of which would give
you about 480V output - which might cause your equipment some
surprise!...... BTDT.....

The bigger & heavier the transformer, the more power it can handle.
Tiny ones are available for travellers - but they're likely to be too
small for your use.
Mid-sized units will handle a soldering iron or two - or an iron and a
grinder. Not a kiln !

If you really wanted something powerful there are things (at least in
the UK where we have funny mains plugs g) called 'site transformers'
- which are big yellow cubes intended for use on building sites -
where 110V tools are used for safety purposes. I can buy one of these
new for about 50 UK pounds - and this would probably run a small 110V
kiln, - or lots and lots of soldering irons.
Weighs a ton though - don't recommend you try & get one via mail
order!

You could always modify an arc welder, of course. I'm reliabily
informed that having lots of heat while soldering is the only way to
go - so a nice carbon arc - or mayble plasma....? ONLY JOKING !

Have fun
Adrian
Suffolk UK - (but only for a few more weeks !)
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