Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
This post will outline a few questions that we get asked on a fairly regular basis.
My Express soldering iron is not running as hot, or gas flow seems weak, as it once did, what’s wrong?
Most likely, the gas nozzle is clogged. After many months or years of soldering, the impurities from soldering will get into the piece which allows the gas to flow through the iron. This piece needs to be changed on a semi-regular basis depending on how often you use the iron. A quick explanation on replacing the gas nozzle by video.
My Slate Hammer broke, is there a lifetime guarantee?
We answer this question carefully as every situation differs. If you look at the shank of your slate hammer, there will be a number. This number represents the year the hammer was manufactured. If a hammer broke that has the number 15 on it, made in 2015, one year of use is not close to the life span of this tool and we would replace it if it wasn’t improperly used. If the number says 5, or 2005, a decade of use for $120+ product is getting your money worth. To ease your mind that our hammers don’t break often, we may field about 10 of these situations a year.
My Igniter piece is not working on my Express Soldering Iron. What should I do?
Piezo Igniter replacement – for model 700/700W/800 irons
The Piezo igniter distinguishes the 700-Premium Express Iron from the 600-Economy Express Iron. The push button ignition relieves the user of carrying a striker around to spark the torch. Over time, these ignition pieces can wear out or eventually fail to spark. The pictures below should give a clear image of how to replace the few pieces that are involved. It is not a complicated piece when you take a minute to look at it.
Start by opening the middle steel casing by unscrewing the two securing screws. The inside of the ignition should look like the picture below.
Make sure that the pieces are all connected and test the spark by pushing the red button while holding the chamber back together. There should be a blue spark showing when the button clicks. If any plastic parts are broken, it is time to replace the ignition kit. Be careful not to pinch the wire casing.
Will “this product” bend or cut thicker than 24 gauge steel?
Sheet metal gauge tool
The majority of sheet metal products that we sell will cut and bend up to 24 gauge steel sheet metal. If you are working with thicker material, you must have the presence of mind that its possible that the tool will fail if it is bending or cutting thicker than its limits. This chart shows exactly how thick material is and what gauge is corresponds to.
The rest of the world uses metric and America uses the Imperial system. This can lead to confusion in the conversion process. For example, the Wuko 2204 max bending capacity is .8mm for all common materials. Using the above chart, we can see that .8mm falls slightly higher than 22 gauge steel (cold or hot rolled sheet) and slightly above 24 gauge galvanized. Knowing what metal you are working with will increase the life span of your tools.
