This is a related message, but not quite the same topic so I gave
it a related but different subject line.:-)

	For years, I have been using Wahl cordless soldering guns for
the smaller jobs in building projects.  The smallest tip they make is
good for safely soldering the pins on anything that is spaced .1-inch
apart or so.  As a person who is blind, using something like this is
handy because the tip isn't hot until you are ready to solder so you
don't burn up half of the board and one's fingers trying to get things
in to position.  The tip heats very fast and life is good except for
one thing:

	The guns use a pair of nicads that, like many cordless
appliances, go bad after 2 to 5 years and then you end up fighting 
a loosing battle for a while before either buying a new gun or
 going to the trouble of replacing the old cells.  it is kind of a 
waste especially when most of the time I am using that gun while 
standing within arm's length of a mains outlet.

	Is there any type of good soldering gun that is very tiny,
heats up fast, and doesn't use nicads or uses user-replaceable cells?

	The Wahl Isotips are the best I have seen except for the nicad
problem so that is why I am using that as the benchmark.  When the
cells are good and charged, the tip gets the work hot enough fast
enough to get the job done right.

	My usual construction technique for a one-of-a-kind gadget is
wire-wrap on IC sockets and soldering on external components because
the round leads will allow any wire-wrap wire to loosen rather quickly
and fall right off.

	I have had some projects built this way that are over 20 years
old so it isn't totally nuts.

	I have a Weller gun for the huge stuff and it works well, but
is overkill for close work.

	Thanks for any good suggestions.

Martin McCormick WB5AGZ  Stillwater, OK 
OSU Information Technology Division Network Operations Group
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