Remploy 30 Watt Soldering iron in white?

[60 oldjohn]

Were these irons generally available in white, or other colours? I am aware the common colour was a pale blue. These are the ones with the triangular "rest" with the illuminating bulb and a "Design award" sticker.

The only photos of the blue ones were on selling sites, so I believe I am unable to use them on here.

John.

[paulsherwin]

I had a blue one as my first iron in the early 70s. I don't think I've ever seen any other colour.

[60 oldjohn]

Thank You Paul, My friend had a blue one in the late 60s. He has just bought a white one, which I would have thought to be bit impractical, I would expect it to soon be grubby. I wondered if His would have been a one off made for an exhibition?

John.

[Boulevardier]

My first iron also - xmas present 1962. Mine was the pale-blue colour. I remember that a terminal issue with mine was that the triangular-profile plastic handle and the shaft/element assembly would part company if slightly stressed in any way - usually when the iron was hot. The three screws holding these parts together were screwed into three small metal springs recessed into the handle. There was nothing to keep the springs in place in the handle except tightness of fit - which was inadequate.
Back then, there weren't the many competent adhesives that we have now, so I soon abandoned this attractive but fairly useless iron, and bought my first Solon.

[Reelman]

This was our first electric iron in the family that was safe. Previously we had a interesting iron whose handle provided a cover for the element and bit, very common model at the time but imported and deemed dangerous!

Only ever seen the Remploy iron in the pale blue. I used to drive past a Remploy factory in Coventry every day, always wondered if the irons were made there. It’s faults were exactly as Boulevardier says, the pilot light was nice but not bright enough to illuminate the work. The bit rattled around a good deal as it was only retained by a split pin. Good that it didn’t roll across the bench though. Seem to remember it came courtesy of Green Shield stamps.

Peter

[SiriusHardware]

Never saw them in anything but pale blue but this classic model was also my first soldering iron - it was a big improvement on what I had been using before, which was a screwdriver poked into the gas fire. My Grandfather saw me doing that, took pity on me and bought me an actual soldering iron c. mid 1970s.

Is it possible that this white example has just been bleached by sunlight or some other agent? It would be interesting to know what colour the handle is on the inside.

[wd40addict]

My first iron. I had two, one of which was a replacement when the first one failed. The second one failed too and I gave up and bought a 15w Antex which was sooo much better. The Remploy's wobbly bit coupling meant poor heat transfer and the elements failed quickly. I think both of mine were blue, but I'm sure I've seen a black one somewhere.

[Tractorfan]

Hi, I also had a blue Remploy iron for years and thought it very 'posh' with its little light.
After that was a Solon, which I still have despite the element failing many years ago, in the vain hope that replacement elements may become available again at some point in the future.
Cheers, Pete.

[60 oldjohn]

Originally Posted by SiriusHardware

Is it possible that this white example has just been bleached by sunlight or some other agent? It would be interesting to know what colour the handle is on the inside.

If this had happened I would expect others to have at least partial whitening of their irons. This one is a uniform off white all over, clearly made like it.

John.

[Trigon.]

I believe the normal blue Remploy was 25W, so a 30W one might be a 'special edition' in white to differentiate it ?

Cheers

[thermionic]

……………And my first iron, too!

Pale blue handle, and 30 Watts, if I’m not mistaken.

Surely, these Remploy irons must be responsible for lots of teenagers getting into electronics. The wobbly bit held in with a small split pin I remember well…..along with my first burnt hand!

Happy, carefree days.

SimonT.

[Boulevardier]

The wobbly-bit and split-pin weren't so bad really - the 25W Solon used exactly the same arrangement...
Mike

[fetteler]

I had a blue one that my Mum got for me with Green Shield stamps. It was like something from the space age! I wonder if I still have it stashed away somewhere?

Steve.

[60 oldjohn]

Originally Posted by Boulevardier

The wobbly-bit and split-pin weren't so bad really - the 25W Solon used exactly the same arrangement...
Mike

The Henley Solon was my first Iron, used it many years until I bought an Adcola I think. At least the wobbly bit held with a split pin did not seize in the iron. Wow how Irons have advanced.

The white iron in question shows no sign of UV bleaching, it is a uniform off white all over.

John.

[SiriusHardware]

Understood, I was just trying to understand why it was so difficult to find online images of non-blue ones - you may have a rare one-off there.

White wouldn't have been the obvious alternative colour to choose - red, perhaps. Yours is certainly an interesting example.

[Trigon.]

Originally Posted by Trigon.

I believe the normal blue Remploy was 25W, so a 30W one might be a 'special edition' in white to differentiate it ?

My mistake - there were both 25W and 30W models in blue...


Cheers

[newlite4]

My first remploy iron in the early seventies had the light grey handle, almost dirty white. Ever since, I have only seen the light blue ones.
Neil

[Ted Kendall]

Originally Posted by Boulevardier

The wobbly-bit and split-pin weren't so bad really - the 25W Solon used exactly the same arrangement...
Mike

...and you could burn yourself on a Solon, too!

[Boulevardier]

Originally Posted by Ted Kendall

...and you could burn yourself on a Solon, too!

True, but with a Solon at least you weren't left desperately trying to fumble a soldering-hot shaft and bit away from the kitchen formica worktop that it had collapsed on to!
Mike

[saxmaniac]

My first iron was a solon but I remember the handle used to get very hot, remploy one had element fail at a fairly young age, Antex were a massive improvement, I think that design hasn't altered since the 1970s?