@Richie C. posted:

Of course, contrary to the above advice, my relatively new and pricey Weller WE1010 Digital Soldering Station came with a built-in sponge holder and sponge !

When I bought the Weller WE1010 Digital Soldering Station from Amazon, it did offer the same brass sponge as GRJ recommended but branded as Weller. Cost an additional $13. (Although the Hakko is a fine iron, I never liked its user interface.)

@Bruce Brown posted:

When I bought the Weller WE1010 Digital Soldering Station from Amazon, it did offer the same brass sponge as GRJ recommended but branded as Weller. Cost an additional $13. (Although the Hakko is a fine iron, I never liked its user interface.)

One of the reasons I really like the Hakko is the user can calibrate it for accuracy.  Using the companion Hakko FG-100 tip calibrator, you can be sure that when you set a temperature that the tip is really at that temperature.

@Bruce Brown posted:

When I bought the Weller WE1010 Digital Soldering Station from Amazon, it did offer the same brass sponge as GRJ recommended but branded as Weller. Cost an additional $13. (Although the Hakko is a fine iron, I never liked its user interface.)

The brass cleaner is really just an add-on that appears in the "frequently bought together" section of Amazon when you pull up the base station kit. It can also be bundled with the basic kit. I got mine a few years ago at a local electronics store after using an Ungar Race Station for more than 20 years that I could no longer get special Thermal Thrust tips for and they did not have the Weller mesh.

Now that I see it available, I'll probably get one in my next Amazon order.

My Weller has the sponge but I never use it. Plain steel wool is OK IMHO for day to day soldering. I'm not doing any sensitive electronic work like some members are. More important to have on hand is de-soldering wick.

I will pick up one of the brass wool holders that GRJ showed. Just cleaner and easier than anything else.

This is a metal stand with three alligators clips on the ends of three movable arms that swivel all around.  I use it mainly to hold wires I want to solder especially to make end to end solder joints of stranded wire to keep the joint small.  I often do this to three wire outdoor extension cords and staggered the joints.  I use shrink tube wire insulation of each wire and for the large whole cable.  I usually do not get this fancy with train wiring.

I also use this cheap Harbor Freight wire stripper.  It breaks at the top place shown on the right in the picture and is reinforced with an small piece channel and of course, J B Weld.

Charlie

Here's my test stand post on this forum about two years ago, FWIW:

Micromark rollers and new test stand

027 TRACK CUTTING JIG

This is a Track Cutting Jig to help cut short sections of 027 track.

The jig  is made from a scrap of 3/4"  wood 2" x 2 1/4 " with a same size 3/8" plywood glued on the bottom.  Three slots were sawed, with a jig saw, 1/4" deep and 1/8" wide at the spacing of the three rails of 027 track.  A 1/16" wide slot was cut at 90 degrees to the track slots to accommodate a fine hack saw blade.

A piece of 1/2" plywood was made to act as a Track Hold Down.  Shown at the top of picture.  Groove was cut to go over the track tie if necessary

Picture of clamp holding Track Cutting Jig, track to be cut with hack saw with a fine blade and Track Hold Down.  The Track Cutting Jig is held in wood working vise.

I use a fine tooth hack saw blade and find the Track Cutting Jig makes cutting shorter pieces of track and easy neat job.

Charlie

Priorities: Get track work done so I can make my own work bench area in the back room, so my wife can have the living room table back, which has been my work area! I have a scrap piece of plywood over an old tablecloth on the table so I don't damage the table by doing soldering, cutting insulation to separate wires, gluing, or anything else on it. I was smart enough to had known to cover it up and protect the finish on it!😇 The garage is too cold to work out there in winter in Western Upstate New York State or sleep out there if I damaged that table or anything else!

DIY Foam Cutter:

Requirements:  Soldering Gun (I have a Weller), 14/2 Household Copper Wire

1.  Remove Tip

2.  Cut a foot of one strand of 14/2 Solid Copper Wire used for 15 amp home wiring

3.  Insert ends into soldering gun in place of soldering tip.

4.  Bend the loop into a suitable shape

5.  Plug in - Press trigger - Cut Foam

John