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Hints, Tips and Solutions (Do NOT post requests for help here) If you have any useful general hints and tips for vintage technology repair and restoration, please share them here. PLEASE DO NOT POST REQUESTS FOR HELP HERE!

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Old 13th Dec 2022, 11:23 pm   #1
allyblack
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Smile Duratool desolder gun.

I bought mine without any cleaning tools and found the gun difficult to clean out the pipe easily. So i made up a special tool, it consists of an extra,extra long series drill 2mm dia. This is cut down so you have about 110mm to play with, you will unfortunately have to resharpen the point.I made up a small handle and epoxied this on to the drill, so you end up with 92mm of usable lenght. You can now clean out the tube when cold or before every use, i find this works well and makes the desolder station more practical. A drill piece can also be made for the nozzels if required , amodified spanner completes the set. I hope the picture shows all clearly..
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Old 14th Dec 2022, 12:16 am   #2
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Default Re: duratool desolder gun

I find mine usually blocks up half way through desoldering a big chip so I need to clear it when it's hot. Most of the time it's because I've been lazy and have left it too late to empty the solder receptacle and it begins to back up.
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Old 14th Dec 2022, 12:25 am   #3
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Default Re: duratool desolder gun

I think I will have to procure some long 2mm drill bits too. I find that keeping the tip temperature pretty high and keeping the suction running (away from the joint) for about a second after desoldering keeps the tube clear most of the time. I also find that removing the glass tube is a bit of a hassle. I'll have to do a spot of re-engineering to make it fit slightly less snugly when the catch is released.

But I'm very happy to have it - it's saved me a lot of time.
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Old 14th Dec 2022, 9:45 am   #4
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Default Re: Duratool desolder gun.

Someone on the forum has already modified theirs, it's on here somewhere! I agree the tube is very fiddly to remove due to a design fault and risks damaging the rubber gasket at the front each time.
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Old 15th Dec 2022, 6:52 pm   #5
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Default Re: Duratool desolder gun.

We have an RS PRO branded one at work and if I had to use it it would have been modified immediately as I found that difficulty with getting the glass tube in and out an intolerable design defect - how it got as far as final production is beyond belief really.

That mod for them which McMurdo mentioned is here:- unfortunately only verbally described, if anyone else has a go at it please take photos as you go.

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=163807

Their other quirk is that beads of solder often solidify while they are still inside the tube before they reach the chamber and yes, they do take a bit of rodding out when that happens.

Aside from these problems they are OK and the hollow tips for them are cheap, about a fiver for a set of three different sizes, as against £25+ for one cartridge / tip for my OKI / Metcal.
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Old 15th Dec 2022, 9:45 pm   #6
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Default Re: Duratool desolder gun.

I'm on my 2nd base station in about 10 years after I wore one of the pump bellows out. And I've broken about 7 or 8 handpieces, but they're under £20 complete so I don't mind.
Both times when I've had a new base I've modified the fan arrangement and fitted a quieter fan. The original power supply over-volts the fan considerably and it sounds like a vacuum cleaner.
The hakko unit the Duratool copies is more than 10 times the cost of the Duratool so I dont mind. It certainly saves me wear and tear on my thumb joint from using an abeco hand desolder pump.
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Old 16th Dec 2022, 1:26 pm   #7
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Default Re: Duratool desolder gun.

The main thing about (any) electric-pump assisted iron is that it gives you a good chance of clearing a joint at the first attempt so imposing less heat stress on the pads, and it also doesn't have the potentially damaging physical 'kick' that a spring loaded pump does.

I just can't imagine not having one now.
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Old 16th Dec 2022, 4:32 pm   #8
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Default Re: Duratool desolder gun.

CPC do have these in their special offer section from time to time, so if you fancy buying one then it might be worth waiting.

I might add that the digital temperature display is engineered to tell a few white lies, for example if it's set for say 350deg, and you switch on from cold,
the actual temperature display climbs to about 348 then jumps to the setpoint of 350 and stays there, even though the actual bit does overshoot considerably. The 'real' measured temperature can be seen by momentarily pressing the setpoint buttons either up or down one click, wherupon the measured value will 'reveal' what the sensor is actually seeing.
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Old 18th Dec 2022, 12:19 pm   #9
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Default Re: Duratool desolder gun.

I had a Brand X one where the tube was forever getting blocked. I bought an RS one in the expectation that it would be better but it's just as bad. I have been using a long 2 mm drill whenever necessary, but it's a nuisance to have to wait for the gun to cool down, drill out the blockage, then switch it on again. I think the rear end of the tube doesn't get hot enough to keep the solder molten, but I will try running the suction for a bit longer. I also agree about the difficulty of opening the thing up to empty the chamber.
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Old 18th Dec 2022, 2:24 pm   #10
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Default Re: Duratool desolder gun.

I was hoping you would say the Duratool vacuum pump could be bought on it's own as a spare part, having worn out two Pace pump motors at work, an apprentice witnessed the second failure, now down to using the pump assembly from an old Weller.
Now concerned how much life is left in the one I have at home, also find the front heater seals don't last long enough, with the newer design of Pace tips.

We had one of the Duratool clones of the Hakko at work (both used the spring collection chambers), you could tell when the heater was powered on the Duratool, as it jammed weak FM stations. The Hakko became difficult to obtain parts for much like the old Weller, the Weller got EOL'd by someone unblocking the ceramic heater, which cracked.

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Old 19th Dec 2022, 12:07 pm   #11
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Default Re: Duratool desolder gun.

I confess I'm surprised to see several mentions of trying to clear a block when the iron is cold / cool. I never do this, I always unblock with the iron at running temperature.

The proper clearing rods are quite cheap and the ribbed ridges on them do a lot less damage to the inside of the tube than a drill bit will. If you are trying to drill out a cold obstruction there is always the risk of a drill bit trying to find its way around the side of the obstruction and cutting a groove in the wall of the tube instead of going through the block.
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Old 19th Dec 2022, 12:25 pm   #12
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Default Re: Duratool desolder gun.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SiriusHardware View Post
I confess I'm surprised to see several mentions of trying to clear a block when the iron is cold / cool. I never do this, I always unblock with the iron at running temperature.
I agree. My approach when the tool is blocked is to get the glass tube out, expose the end of the solder tube and heat it with a separate soldering iron while poking with the supplied unblocking tool. As has already been pointed out in this thread, the problem really arises because the end of that tube where the blockage usually occurs stays at too low a temperature.

Best wishes - Des
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Old 19th Dec 2022, 4:46 pm   #13
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Default Re: Duratool desolder gun.

Great to here so much feedback about said duratool gun. I agree with all that is said . Underdevelloped would be my observation, still i have modified my gun as per the instructions and am happy with it. Cleaning when hot is not what i have ever done succesfully as i got burnt a couple of times, does the supplied cleaning tool actually work.. i dont have it. The complete station works well when sorted....
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Old 19th Dec 2022, 8:19 pm   #14
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Default Re: Duratool desolder gun.

As with all desoldering tools these are high maintenance and you will have an easier life if you clear them out very regularly - ideally just after every use - using the proper tools which are designed for the job and in particular designed not to unduly damage the inside of the thin metal tube.

However, the tendency for beads of solidified solder to get stuck in the final 1/5th of the tube on this particular model is not something the official tools were designed to cope with and for that I would suggest a length of stiff, smooth stainless steel wire / rod of appropriate diameter.

The rationale behind cleaning them hot rather than cold is that of course some of the residue in the tube is likely to be waste solder, so letting it solidify before trying to shift it will only make its removal harder.

If you do get a bead of solder stuck in the final part of the tube try adjusting the angle of the gun hang-up holder so that the tip is pointing vertically straight down so that heat from the tip rises straight up the tube, that alone may allow the block to melt and then be sucked through into the chamber in the normal way.
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Old 23rd Dec 2022, 2:24 pm   #15
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Default Re: Duratool desolder gun.

If you want the correct cleaning tool, CPC have them for around 50p under code SD01396.
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Old 23rd Dec 2022, 7:29 pm   #16
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Default Re: Duratool desolder gun.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Welsh Anorak View Post
If you want the correct cleaning tool, CPC have them for around 50p under code SD01396.
I use these little tools and clear out before and after each use and have had no problem with blockages.
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Old 26th Dec 2022, 12:41 pm   #17
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Default Re: Duratool desolder gun.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SiriusHardware View Post
I confess I'm surprised to see several mentions of trying to clear a block when the iron is cold / cool. I never do this, I always unblock with the iron at running temperature.

The proper clearing rods are quite cheap and the ribbed ridges on them do a lot less damage to the inside of the tube than a drill bit will. If you are trying to drill out a cold obstruction there is always the risk of a drill bit trying to find its way around the side of the obstruction and cutting a groove in the wall of the tube instead of going through the block.
I resorted to using a drill after the gun has cooled down because the supplied clearing tool (which is just a bit of stiff wire with a plastic handle) couldn't break through the solidified solder in the tube.
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Old 27th Dec 2022, 5:52 pm   #18
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Default Re: Duratool desolder gun.

The trick is to use the 'approved' deblocking tool, but - if you try to use it on a bad block as-is the long part between the handle and the desolder tip will just fold or bend. What you have to do is insert the rod until it hits the block and then grip the rod with a pair of pliers no more than about 3mm-4mm from the tip, and use that combination (pliers + rod) to knock the blockage through. By gripping the rod very close to the desolder tip you allow the rod almost no leeway to bend because nearly all of the section which is having force applied to it is inside the tube, which naturally holds it in shape and prevents it from bending sideways.
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