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Unobtanium soldering iron tips
Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2026 11:02 pm
by electra225
I have two or three Radio Shack soldering irons I like and used until the tips burnt up. Of course, no RS here locally. What can be used to kluge new soldering iron tips? I thought about buying some heavy copper wire and using that...

Re: Unobtanium soldering iron tips
Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2026 1:36 am
by Dr. Radio
Greg,
Any pictures or model #'s ?
Every Radio Shack iron I have (or had) seemed to be a re-badged Weller.
Re: Unobtanium soldering iron tips
Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2026 2:59 am
by TC Chris
I figured that they were heavy copper wire.
Chris Campbell
Re: Unobtanium soldering iron tips
Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2026 4:21 am
by electra225
I can get some model numbers for reference. I never thought about the Weller connection. Are Weller tips still available?
Re: Unobtanium soldering iron tips
Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2026 5:00 am
by Doug
Is this a pencel iron or a soldering gun ?
I was a radio shack in Indiana
Radio Shack & Osborne Electronics
Has a lot of old stock
Pictures of your irons would help
Happy new year
Douh6
Re: Unobtanium soldering iron tips
Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2026 5:41 am
by TC Chris
I was assuming pencil when I said copper wire, but my old Weller gun has the copper end that's basically a U-shaped piece of copper wire shunting the secondary of the transformer inside the gun. I bet a suitable gauge of copper wire, end pounded flat, would serve.
Chris Campbell
Re: Unobtanium soldering iron tips
Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2026 5:53 am
by Doug
I have used #10,12 wire on gun shape it to make more contact on a larger connector.
#12 wire will turn red
You can find stuff on the web about that.
By the way they sell great lakes potato chips down here sw ohio.
Pretty good
Re: Unobtanium soldering iron tips
Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2026 5:37 pm
by Dr. Radio
electra225 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 03, 2026 4:21 am
I can get some model numbers for reference. I never thought about the Weller connection. Are Weller tips still available?
One source....
Go to eBay and type in "Weller Tip" in the search box......You'll get plenty of results.
