we make fine mess - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: lostjuan
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 29, 2013, 03:57:05 am
content: I made a fine mess. I bought a hakko fx888 right out of the box decided to change the tip, for what ever reason it didn't work put the old tip on and it worked. Switched back and it has not worked since. Openned the iron and was checking resistance on the heating element at that point I noticed that one lead was not attached. Not sure that it came that way or I did it during inspection. So I attempted a repair. Now your saying why didn't you just return....well many ocean waves are between me and the place it was to be returned too or lets say I didn't want to wait 5 weeks for a new one.So now in the process of "repairing" I aaa uhm, Yup made it worse by shortening the lead. Can I fix this or do is a new element required? I can't just unsolder the element end as it requires high temp solder. (as per Hakko site) So can I just extend this wire some how?Acquisition of a new element has proven fruit less for some reason it's not carried locally, not sure nationally. That's either a good thing or a bad thing, either they never break or they break to often or I moved to the jungle and I bought a humidifer because someone told me I would need it.Attached is the pic of the shortened red wire and hakko replace diagram caps.

author: trackman44
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 29, 2013, 04:58:51 am
content: Maybe this site would help :-http://www.hakko.com/english/maintenance/maintenance_soldering_iron.htmlWill

author: lostjuan
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 29, 2013, 05:20:50 am
content: Quote from: trackman44 on November 29, 2013, 04:58:51 amThx.It was the first thing I found when looking for help.Been to the forumns (hakko) and accessed docsthat are for reg. users only. That is how I got the install captures off a pdf.ONe thing is, that this might not be the real issue just something I created.

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 29, 2013, 09:16:39 am
content: Why not try extending that lead which is short with a bit of wire and shrink sleeve, you cant be any worse of, I would suspect that there was a bad connection there to begin with judging by the look of that solder joint changing the tips over moved it aboutand broke the contact.

author: lostjuan
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 29, 2013, 11:21:22 am
content: Quote from: G7PSK on November 29, 2013, 09:16:39 amThat was my thought. Just not sure what kind of wire or how to splice it. I do know what a shrink sleeve is though. In other words I am really a beginner at this.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 29, 2013, 11:45:31 am
content: Regular wire of the same gauge as the existing one should be OK.

author: lostjuan
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 06, 2013, 10:31:31 am
content: Thx that was the problem. Did what u told and bob's ur uncle.

author: wilheldp
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2013, 04:17:16 pm
content: Oh the irony of a bad solder joint inside a soldering iron.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2013, 12:05:27 pm
content: That's why you buy two... the second onedoesn't even have to be that good.

author: toxicnos
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 18, 2013, 01:22:16 pm
content: That looks to be a cold solder joint judging my what happened and the dull gray the solder is. It may have come off when you changed the tip. That could have put a pulling force on it causing the wire to be ripped out of the joint.You could solder it back on but if that was your only soldering iron you would have to go and buy a 25 dollar Weller iron surprisingly really good for the money or some cheep thing. That should fix it.