Metcal wand continuity question

[avdude]

Hello,

Should the center conductor of a Metcal wand be continuous? I have a Metcal solder system which runs good for 10 minutes but then the temperature declines to the tip getting stuck to the work. Several tips have the same effect. The wand shield is continuous but the center conductor is not. Is there an air gap or capacitor in series in the wand? Seems strange that it works for a short while then fails. Thanks for any input whether it is the wand or the power supply. P.S. the internals of the power supply look like new and everything appears tight and corrosion-free.

 

[OperaHouse]

"The wand shield is continuous"

You just think that! The center conductor is not. I used to think about how that works internally, but haven't for years. The shield is broken at the wands end. That is what always happens. I used to have a procedure and pictures on how to disassemble the wand and repair this on an old computer. I think there was someone on ebay that repaired these cheap.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

For the cost of a new wand on eBay, it may not be worth your time to try and fix it.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[Comcokid]

Note - some model Metcal irons can be programmed to turn-off after a period of time. I;ve also experienced some tips becomming intermittent in heating.

The electrical connection in the cord and tip is continuous. However, the Metcal itself uses a high-frequency inverter as the power source for the heating element. It might internally to the base unit use a capacitor - I don't know as I've not tried to reverse-engineer one.

 

[avdude]

Thanks for the replies so far. The shield is okay on both ends of the cable. The center conductor does not ohm out low; the shield is continuous. I have desoldered the braid from the wand fitting but am now stuck on procedure. It looks/feels like the connector is swaged/pressed together. I can't get the center contact out of the connector. I suspect the cable is bad on the wand end as that's the end which is usually bent over while manipulating the wand, the power supply end usually doesn't experience any motion during use. I'm in the situation where I should buy another wand cable but have an immediate need for the Metcal to install several difficult multi-conductor ends on cables.