MJLorton Solar Power and Electronic Measurement Equipment Forum

Older Technology => Older Technology => Topic started by: Steve Johnson on October 06, 2013, 08:12:45 AM

Title: Soldering Station
Post by: Steve Johnson on October 06, 2013, 08:12:45 AM

Summer's over here so it's back to the computer and my collection.

Here is a vintage wall mounted electric soldering station built for Bell Telephone by the Vulcan Electric Heater Co., New York.  It holds two soldering ions. 
The lamp tell you when it's on. You pull one soldering iron out and use it till it cools and then snap it back in and use the second while the first one is reheating.

(http://www.stevenjohnson.com/soldering/pics/bell-telephone3.jpg)

(http://www.stevenjohnson.com/soldering/pics/bell-telephone2.jpg)

Title: Re: Soldering Station
Post by: SeanB on October 06, 2013, 08:45:53 AM

Steve, why does your website not resolve for me?  Only time it works is if I use a proxy, so are you on a shared server or are you blocking external IP ranges?

Title: Re: Soldering Station
Post by: Steve Johnson on October 06, 2013, 11:53:34 AM

No IP is blocked as far as I know and no one else has reported any problems.

Title: Re: Soldering Station
Post by: retiredcaps on October 06, 2013, 02:31:42 PM

Quote from: Steve Johnson on October 06, 2013, 11:53:34 AM

No IP is blocked as far as I know and no one else has reported any problems.

Works fine from Canada.

Title: Re: Soldering Station
Post by: steve30 on October 07, 2013, 05:48:54 AM

So how does it heat up the irons? Is there an element in the wall mounted unit?

Title: Re: Soldering Station
Post by: Steve Johnson on October 07, 2013, 08:43:39 AM

The irons have a heating element in them.  The wall assembly just holds the irons and supplies the AC.  Each iron has a two conductor post sticking out the end of the handle.  When snapped back in the wall station, the post on each iron makes contact with two large clips that hold the iron in place and supply the AC to heat it.

(http://www.stevenjohnson.com/soldering/pics/bell-telephone2.jpg)

(http://www.stevenjohnson.com/web-pics/bell-irons.jpg)

Title: Re: Soldering Station
Post by: steve30 on October 07, 2013, 09:04:41 AM

Nice. A cordless soldering iron  8).

Do they work?

Title: Re: Soldering Station
Post by: Steve Johnson on October 07, 2013, 09:18:56 AM

Quote from: steve30 on October 07, 2013, 09:04:41 AM

Nice. A cordless soldering iron  8).

Do they work?

Yes, and both soldering iron elements are about 160 ohms.  Higher than I thought they would be.

Title: Re: Soldering Station
Post by: MJLorton on October 07, 2013, 02:36:03 PM

Thanks again Steve...great to see old equipment like this..

Title: Re: Soldering Station
Post by: steve30 on October 08, 2013, 04:48:06 AM

I wonder how they compare to modern soldering irons ;D

Title: Re: Soldering Station
Post by: birrbert on October 10, 2013, 02:28:05 AM

What's the manufacturing date of this soldering station?

Title: Re: Soldering Station
Post by: Steve Johnson on October 16, 2013, 09:48:47 AM

Quote from: birrbert on October 10, 2013, 02:28:05 AM

What's the manufacturing date of this soldering station?

I don't know the manufacturing date yet.