Repairing Soldering Gun

I have two 100/140 watt soldering guns I use when wiring 120V Romex etc.

The Problem: Most folks think when wire nuts are used you stick the ends into the nut and twist the nut and think it will hold. I am a vol firefighter and have been in attics of houses in the middle of the night and found arcing junction boxes where the wire nuts did not hold tight enough.

Thus when I wired my house and had to use wire nuts for a splice I strip the insulation off about an inch from the end, clamp a small pair of vice grips and twist the two together to where they are very tight. I then solder the twisted pair to make sure it won't come loose. Then apply a wire nut and tape in place so it won't come loose and then tape + and - back on the wire in opposite directions so they can never get together.

Problem: The factory tips come in standard that last a short while and a thicker end that lasts longer but Home Depot nor Lowes stock spare tips. Used to get them from Radio Shack but they closed stores here.

So I decided to make my own. First I made replacement tip from 12 ga solid wire one piece bent appropriately and worked but I noted it is giving way and getting thinner.

Today it hit me,the big solder guns have big tips and the soldering guns normally found don't have them.

I took a 4" piece of 10 Gage Romex wire, stripped it out and placed one end in vice jaws so I could bend it over slightly to insure good contact with electrodes. Then I put the other ends together sticking up through vice jaws and applied vice grips to ends and twisted it together and applied solder solder and it was amazing how well it heated up and melted the solder.

So now when I want to solder two, three or four wires together I know I will get lots of heat to where it is needed quickly and not have to worry about the tip going out any time so and if it does the fix will cost about 10 cents for the 10 ga solid wire.

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Repairing Soldering Gun