Product Review

Heat set inserts are a great way to improve connection strength between 3D printed parts. However, if you have tried to set heat-set inserts in your plastic or 3D printed part with your soldering iron, you may have had the frustration of pushing the insert in only to have it come right back out stuck to your soldering iron and ruining your part in the process. Most soldering iron tips can catch on the rim of the insert causing it to stick on the iron when you pull the iron out. If you use the "horizontal method" it's hard to know the insert is straight. Our insert tips have a vertical wall that solves that problem. The iron pulls right out after pressing the hot insert. Because the shoulder is square it's easier to know if the insert is square in the piece, something that's harder to control with a conical soldering tip. The shank is much longer (0.75") and narrower than what you get with the McMaster-Carr insert tip (only 0.25" long), allowing you to set small inserts into corners of parts without melting the side of the part. This is especially useful if you're mounting a circuit board in a 3D printed box or doing a mounting that requires the insert to come close to the edge of the part. Compatibility with 1/4" Weller insert and set screw style and internal ceramic heating element units like Hakko hopefully will let you use the iron you already own. These tips are 1.6" (40 mm) long with the tip portion about 0.75" (19mm). There is a 5/32" internal cavity for ceramic heaters. On Weller irons for ST series tips, the 1/4" shank can be extended as far as the set screw will allow. On Hakko irons, the 0.75" is the reach with 1/4" clearance. Two tips included, one for #4-40 and M3 and the other for M5 inserts. ****Not tested with every possible soldering iron. Not all Wellers have 1/4" barrels, so measure yours first.**** Two tips included, one for #4-40 and M3 and the other for M5 inserts. This version comes with 20 #4-40x0.135" inserts to get you going.