Electronics > Beginners
Soldering iron that won't melt?
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vk6zgo:
I turns out to have the same internal "guts" as the one I bought from Jaycar some years back to use while I was fixing my Weller WTCP.

That one had a base a bit like the older Wellers , but quite small.
As soon as I saw the uncalibrated knob, I knew it wasn't really temperature controlled.
I suppose you could use "weasel words" & say,"Well, you can control the temp with the knob", but that is seriously sleazy.

In my case, I thought "It is what it is" & would probably be useable, was cheap, so bought it on the "like a fuse" basis that you buy most stuff these days-----If it dies, you throw it away & get a new one!

Well, it was lousy, though I did a few jobs with it-------too hot for really small jobs, not hot enough for average work, only about one third of the control rotation gave enough heat to solder.

It felt heavy, as if it had a transformer, which could maybe be salvaged, so I decided to pop it open, only to find my "transformer" was a weight, & the same cruddy little lamp dimmer as in the OP's one was inside.

I would advise the OP to buy an old WTCP, but if they do, make sure it cycles on & off, as sometimes the Magnastat switch gets old & becomes stuck "on" making the iron run "full on" continuously.
I've never seen a Weller melt its handle  though! ;D
Old Printer:

--- Quote from: Audioguru again on August 30, 2019, 04:02:52 pm ---The soldering iron is cheap, Chinese and maybe was never certified to be safe. If it caused a fire then your insurance company would laugh that you bought a cheap Chinese soldering iron. Claim denied!

--- End quote ---
This is just plain wrong. As consumers, our insurance companies cannot hold us responsible for evaluating the integrity or safety of products we buy. To deny a claim, an insurance company would have to prove you did something willfully negligent. Depending on the laws in your country they can sue the maker, distributor, dealer, etc.. Even a half-assed repair to the cord like the OP admits to would likely not get them off the hook. Not being pompous, I have wrapped more than my share of electrical cords with cheap tape or worse.
Audioguru again:
I suspect that the manufacturer of that cheap soldering iron that gets too hot has no quality control and never tested it. They probably make 120V and 240V ones and got the heaters mixed up.
Jwillis:
Did you check the thermistor in the handle.They do fail over time .Although thermistors fail open circuit  more often , there is a chance that they can fail closed circuit. Drift in the resistance value is the second most likely failure.Maybe check for possible short in the control circuit.
ArthurDent:

--- Quote from: Jwillis on September 01, 2019, 10:45:47 pm ---Did you check the thermistor in the handle.
--- End quote ---

There is no thermistor in this iron. It is just a 'dimmer' circuit and there is no feedback to regulate temperature. 
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