Readly RF Feb 20

Sl GAS-POWERED
MAINTAINING YOUR OLD FORD
ROTHENBERGER 3-IN-1 GAS SOLDERING IRON SET
PART NUMBER: 36233 PRICE: £24.99 SCREWFIX WWW.SCREWFIX.COM 03330 112 112
A gas-powered combined soldering iron and
miniature blowtorch with lots of accessories.
Butane is added via a valve on the base of the
body of the soldering iron. There’s an on/off
slider switch for the gas, but it has to be ignited
as there’s no igniter included. The strength of the
gas flame is controlled via a small wheel on the
body, with numbers from 1 to 3. We found it took
under 30 seconds from cold to melt fresh solder
and was effective at melting and manipulating
existing solder.
There’s a useful sponge for wiping off excess
solder, a length of solder wire in a handy tube
and four soldering tips. A hot-air gun attachment
fits over the blowtorch and holds the solder
tip, which can be unscrewed from the end and
changed, or left off to turn into a hot-air gun.
Igniting the hot-air gun requires a naked
flame to be held close to the end of the tool. We
used a stove lighter and found it worked well.
Igniting the soldering iron attachment is a little
more complicated, requiring the soldering iron
attachment to be pushed forwards to expose the
end where the gas exits. This needs to be ignited
and the end released to automatically retract. It’s
quite straightforward to do if the soldering iron
is cold, but when it’s warm, you can easily burn
your fingers.
IRONS
OLDERING
Sl GAS-POWERED
SEALEY PROFESSIONAL SOLDERING/HEATING KIT
PART NUMBER: AK2962 PRICE: £40.45 SEALEY WWW.SEALEY.CO.UK 01284 757500
A very comprehensive gas-powered soldering
and heating kit, which includes a similar range of
accessories to the cheaper Rothenberger kit, so
is it worth the extra cash? Well, this soldering iron
is more substantial and similar in shape and size
to a traditional electric-powered soldering iron,
but it is noticeably lighter. It’s has piezo ignition, a
variable flame control and a small inbuilt stand. The
piezo igniter only works if a small locking button is
pressed down. Once ignited, that slider needs to
be held in position to keep the gas on. However,
there’s a small plastic slider on the opposite side,
which can be moved to lock that first slider and
keep the gas supply on.
Once ignited and set to the hottest setting, it took
30 seconds for fresh solder to melt. We could then
turn the heat down and control the application of
solder more easily and manipulate it.
Other positive aspects of this soldering iron
include a removable soldering head and hot-air
nozzle, so they can be removed and cleaned.
There’s a choice of four soldering tips and a useful
heatshield. Whilst the tips are screwed into the end of
the soldering iron, leaving them off turns the soldering
iron into a heat gun. Stored in a plastic box, this kit also
includes a length of solder wire inside a tube-shaped
dispenser and a sponge for collecting excess solder.
The soldering iron is filled with butane via a valve
on the base and promises to last for between 80 and
100 minutes. A large inspection window on the body
helps to keep a check of the level.
If you want portability and heat control from
a soldering iron along with an assortment of
accessories, then this one from Sealey is worth a
look. It may not be the cheapest, but you get a lot
for your money.
IRONS
OLDERING
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