Where to get 600 degree tips for Weller WTCPT station?

[rbm]

Hi,

My soldering station is an older Weller WTCPT, with tip-controlled temperature.  Most of the Weller-PT types tips I have on-hand are 700 and 800 degree ones and massive for through-hole soldering.  Since I want to start getting into SMD soldering, I need 600 degree tips with thin conical or screwdriver shapes.  I am having difficulty finding OEM PT tips through places like Digi-key.  Are there other manufacturer's tips which will function in the handpiece but which gives me the lower temperature?

Or am I going to have to go out and buy a new soldering station?

[zapta]

I and found fine smd soldering with metcal 700F tips without any problem. Is it possible that 700 should be just fine for you?

[rbm]

I'm wary of overheating 0805 resistors and caps with 700 degree tips.  I have a couple PTJ7 tips which have very conical pointed tip and they might not dump tons of heat on the part if I'm quick.  I'll experiment with my soldering technique then.  Thanks for the reassurance.

[nanofrog]

If the tip is sized to the pad correctly, you shouldn't have any issues with a 700F tip. 

[SeanB]

Take a 700F tip and pull out the curie point metal back and replace with a 600F one from another tip. That does work well, I did it when I got a lot of 800F tips from the stores as that is what they had, and I was not wanting to cook the fragile PCB's I was working on. When I bought a flat pack bit ( I wanted one so paid for it myself, less hassle) it came as the model without a curie point back, so simply added one into the existing hole there, as Weller made it for ease of bit use on the new stations. Just had to be careful in screwing it into the head that the metal block did not skew and that it did come out with the tip.

[zapta]

I'm wary of overheating 0805 resistors and caps with 700 degree tips.  I have a couple PTJ7 tips which have very conical pointed tip and they might not dump tons of heat on the part if I'm quick.  I'll experiment with my soldering technique then.  Thanks for the reassurance.

Also, flux is your friend, it makes the spider flowing better and reduces the soldering tube. I do even 0402 with metal 700f, no problem.

[rbm]

Thanks all for the help.  And thanks SeanB for that insight into the curie point back.  I learnt something I never knew, which is always a good thing.

[Richard Crowley]

I'm not sure I understand the question. A few seconds with Google revealed several vendors of WTCP tips in various shapes and temperatures.
For example, from the very first "hit"....

PT Series Screwdriver Solder Tip for TC201 Iron, 600°F, .062"
http://www.all-spec.com/products/PTA6.html

[Richard Crowley]

And if you are really fond of Amazon, for twice the price: http://www.amazon.com/Weller-Screwdriver-Tip-Length-0-062/dp/B000IOJ0TU
And from Mouser: http://za.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Apex-Tool-Group-Formerly-Cooper-Tools/PTA6
And from Newark: http://www.newark.com/weller/pta6/tip-soldering-iron-screwdriver/dp/35F2525