Plug the Power Unit into the foot switch receptacle. Plug the Footswitch into a properly grounded 120v AC outlet. Depress and hold the Footswitch. The light on the Power Unit will come on, indicating that the unit has power. The light will go out when the Footswitch is released. After this test, unplug the Footswitch and continue with set-up below. Small and medium American Beauty® Resistance Soldering Handpieces are manufactured with taper pin quick connect terminals to connect to the taper pin receptacles on the front of American Beauty® Resistance Soldering Power Units (push in turning clockwise until snug). The larger, Heavy Duty Handpieces are manufactured with ring terminals, for connection to the posts on the front of the higher output Power Units. There is no concern for polarity since the power supply delivers alternating current. You may now connect your system through the Footswitch to the outlet. Metal Electrodes are stainless steel, or Nickel-Chromium, with a copper jacket. Only the core metal is to touch the work piece while soldering. If necessary, remove some of the copper jacket with a file to insure that it does not come in contact with the work piece. Metal electrodes can be bent, flattened, notched, milled or slotted to better accommodate an application. Carbon electrodes can also be notched, milled or slotted, however they are more brittle and can not be bent without breaking.

SOLDERING PROCEDURE

Determining the proper power setting will be dictated primarily by the work piece and then by your personal preference. It is strongly recommended that you experiment on scrap pieces until you become more familiar with the use of your resistance soldering system. In general, very small, or delicate items will require a lower setting. Larger items require a higher setting or longer dwell time. Trial and error, using test pieces that are the same size and material as the work piece, is the best method for determining the proper power setting. Set the power unit at 50% and solder, noting the time required for the solder to flow evenly in the joint. Work up and down the dial in 5% increments until you find the high and low extremes. You can then decide on your preferred setting between these points. Your goal is the fastest setting at which you are comfortable. A low power setting with excessive dwell time tends to allow heat sinking into areas adjacent to the joint. High settings can produce dwell times so short that you have little measure of control. Dwell times of less than one second are not recommended. Be certain the metal to be joined is bright and clean. Use steel wool, a file, emery cloth or sandpaper to clean if necessary. The actual soldering procedure is simple. Contact the work-piece with both electrodes of the tweezers. Make contact as close to the solder joint as possible. Depress and hold the Footswitch. Apply solder to the joint as it heats and release the Footswitch when the solder flows. Allow the joint to cool undisturbed until the solder sets. Use caution when soldering. Always wear protective gear and avoid inhaling any fumes that may be generated while using resistance soldering equipment. Do not touch parts until they have cooled. When you are soldering pieces of greatly different sizes, you may want to consider pre-tinning (applying solder to) each piece separately and joining them by reflowing the solder, adding just enough new solder to complete the joint. Trial and error may seem time consuming at first, but you will find that as you become more accustomed to the equipment you will be able to predict dwell times and output settings, with better accuracy and you will become more proficient with time and practice.

OPERATING PARAMETERS

Power Units that are set higher than 50% of their available output will require utilizing a 50% duty cycle. For example, if it takes 10 seconds (10 seconds on) for the solder to flow on an application and the Power Unit is set higher than 50%, you must let the Power Unit rest for 10 seconds (10 seconds off) before soldering again (15 seconds on, 15 seconds off, etc.). Never run the unit continuously on any power setting for more than 20 seconds. If you cannot get the solder to flow in that amount of time the Power Unit setting is too low, the work is too large for the unit or there is a problem with the set-up or approach. Check the electrodes and connections. Always ensure that the appropriate Handpiece and Power Unit have been selected for the application that you are performing.

MAXIMUM OPERATING PARAMETERS

The maximum wattage information shown on the front of this sheet is in accordance with the maximum allowable heating duration of 20 seconds. A higher wattage may be used when operating for a shorter heating duration. If you have questions regarding this information, please contact our technical support team at the factory.

OPTIONAL SINGLE ELECTRODE HANDPIECE

Plug your Single Electrode Handpiece into one socket on the Power Unit, and ground lead with clip into one of the other sockets. Attach the clip as close to the solder joint as possible. Touch the intended joint area with the tip of the single electrode and depress the Footswitch until solder flows. As with tweezers electrodes, keep the tip of the single electrode clean and free from burnt flux and solder residue.

BASIC TROUBLE SHOOTING

If you are experiencing any problems:
1. Check your power outlet to insure supply voltage is available.
2. Check the fuse, or circuit breaker in the Power Unit and, if necessary, replace it with the appropriate fuse, or reset the circuit breaker.
3. Check the connections. Handpiece to Power Unit and electrodes to Handpiece
4. Check to see if the electrodes are fouled with burnt flux. Clean them if necessary by dressing them with an emery cloth, a fine file or a small wire brush.
5. Check that the work piece is clean and free of oil and that the electrodes are making contact with the work surface.