My new Duratech TS-1390 60 Watt Temperature Controlled Soldering Station.

[DrNomis_44]

Hi everyone,


Just thought I'd start a new thread about my new Duratech TS-1390 60 Watt Temperature Controlled Soldering Station, I bought it from my local Jaycar Electronics Shop yesterday just before I went to my local Bunnings Shop to buy some Ebony Timbermate for my STA-1M build, I bought the Soldering Station because my old 48 Watt DSE Soldering Station was no longer up to the job, technically the TS-1390 is designed for Lead-Free solder but it works perfectly well with the standard 60/40 Flux Core solder used for electronic work, personally I think these Soldering Stations are ideal for doing general Soldering-work on guitars and the 60 Watts capacity should be ample, this particular Station normally retails for only $149.00 at Jaycar Electronics.

Here's a little tip for those of you wanting to buy stuff from Jaycar Electronics, you can apply for a Jaycar Electronics Trade Card which will enable you to buy goods from Jaycar Electronics at discounted prices, I used my Trade Card and I only had to pay a total of $133.95 for my TS-1390.


I'll post a pic of my new Soldering Station and my Trade Card for you once my Samsung Galaxy Y phone has finished re-charging, so stay tuned.


As promised, here are some pics of my new TS-1390 60 Watt Soldering Station:

[tonyw]

I just recently bought the same station, it was on special for $129 shhh thats one of the main reasons i bought it.

I go through irons pretty quick, but the Weller units from a few years back, i used to get a good run with, my mate reckons he goes through the new Weller ones pretty quick.

[DrNomis_44]

I just recently bought the same station, it was on special for $129 shhh thats one of the main reasons i bought it.

I go through irons pretty quick, but the Weller units from a few years back, i used to get a good run with, my mate reckons he goes through the new Weller ones pretty quick.

Yep, that's same like my one except the holder for the Iron is on the right-hand side of my TS-1390.

[tonyw]

Yep mine is on the right hand side as well, its a PIA because i am left handed.

Swanny has one as well.

[stan]

Next present to myself I think.... Current one is a Weller, and is fine, but these seem pretty good bang for buck

[tonyw]

Good irons Stan

[DrNomis_44]

I reckon they are great Soldering Stations, they practically guarantee that you'll produce good solder joints all the time because of the 60 Watts capacity and the fact that they are Temperature-controlled, I tried soldering with a cheap 15 Watt Iron once and found I got lots of dry-solder joints simply because 15 Watts wasn't enough to do the job, soon as I switched to a Station my soldering improved by a factor of 100%.

[tonyw]

I blitzed through a tele complete wiring job including 4 way switch, 1st time i used it, had it set at 360 and it was perfect.

[DrNomis_44]

I blitzed through a tele complete wiring job including 4 way switch, 1st time i used it, had it set at 360 and it was perfect.

Yep, I reckon from about 350 degrees to maybe 380 degrees is about an optimum temperature setting range for most solder-joints in a guitar, the higher side of the range is good for when you go to solder a ground-wire to a pot since the metal casing soaks up the heat like a sponge soaks up water, the typical 60/40 solder has a melting-point of about 250 degrees (it could be a bit more though), when the solder cools it goes from a molten-state to a solid state, but, there is a very narrow-margin where there's a "Plastic" state, you normally find this Plastic-state in plumber's solder, but in 60/40 Solder this Plastic-state is deliberately made to occur in a very narrow margin within the temperature range as the Solder cools-down and goes from a liquid to a solid-state.