> That station is an excellent choice for through-hole and hand-wiring
> work.  The tips I'd recommend having on hand are PTA7, PTB7, PTC7.  I
> suspect that you will find the PTB7 the most useful - I do.
>
> The last digit on the tip is the rated operating temperature in hundreds
of
> degrees F.  The first 2 letters are the series, the 3rd letter is the
> size.  The tip you have is rated at 800F which is great for tinning
through
> solderable enameled wire but not much else.  Most electronics work is
best
> done with 700F tips.
>
> You can purchase tips at most MRO type electronics supply stores - look
for
> those stores that sell to radio / TV service shops and other electronics
> professionals (wholesalers).  You should also be able to get them via
mail
> order or Internet order from suppliers such as Digi-key, Mouser, Arrow,
> Pioneer, etc.
>
> The WTCPT station is not particularly useful for surface mount work.  The
> problem is that you can't get tips small enough -
<snip>

I haven't ordered them yet, but I've found them much smaller than the PTA
size.
http://www.cooperhandtools.com/brands/weller/index.cfm?model_list=1&att_id=WEL007&att1=Tips%20and%20Nozzles&att2=PT%20Series

(watch out for link wrap) lists many tips, including the PTS- a 0.015"
conical. And then I found http://www.platoproducts.com/page14.htm They make
some aftermarket tips for this station including the C-4794 a 0.012"
conical and the C-0551 SMD flow tip (I'm asuming this is simmilar to the
metcal "hoof" tip) Though I must admit, I haven't found a distributor for
the Plato tips yet.

I was mostly wondering which tips others found useful, and which temp range
is preferable. This tip is an 8 and I think it's way to hot for most
anything.

While we're on the subject, why do they choose to hard ground the tip?
Understandably static is an issue, but if a few mega-ohms is enough to
dissipate the static off the human body, why a 0 ohm connection to the tip?
Seems to me it just adds a new danger of potentially shorting something out
to it. (not that any of us would ever work on a live circuit :o)

Thanks,
-Denny

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