Tacking irons

Does anybody have any experience with the Zone VI curved tip slender tacking iron sold through Calumet? My experience with the Seal tacking irons are that they are large and because they are completely flat, it is very hard to use just the tip for fine work. The Zone VI iron appears to solve this by being slender and with a curved tip for precision tacking and slipping under the corners of prints etc. Anybody out there using it??

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Scott

Scott: Yes, I have and use the Zone VI tacking iron. I got it second

hand in a photo store, basically because it was much cheaper than the

bulkier Seal irons. Anyhow, it works. I've had little trouble with

it. And, you're right, it's an advantage that the tip is so slender.

It gets kind of gunky, but I just sand the gunk off.... -jeff buckels

Scott, I asked a question about tacking irons some time ago. They are

very expensive here in the UK. I was advised to get a woodburning

iron. I filed one of the heads to the shape that I had seen on a

proper tacking iron and it works perfectly, i also have the best part

of a woodburning kit.

Pete.

Scott

for the last 30 years I have used the back of an old spoon heated up

on the stove.shape is great and it works perfectly.

Kevin

I've used the Zone VI one for many years. It works fine, and the

slender tip is handy for tacking the tissue to the board to position

the print for mounting. Other observations: (1) the no stick green

teflon tip does build up a layer of brown goo, which can be mostly

cleaned off with a damp towel; (2) the aluminum cradle which is

supposed to be the stand for the iron is awkward to use because the

slit in the stand doesn't really seem to match the shape of the

iron. But it sort of works.

I have used the Zone VI since starting to mount prints. Very

convenient and easy to use-shape/size etc as others have said. I tack

always using a small piece of silicone treated release paper between

iron and tissue/print-heat transfer is fine and avoids any gunk build

up.

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Alan

Scott,

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You can save yourself a whole bunch of money if you get a tacking iron

from your local hobby store. They have slim ones and broader ones and

are used to install the milar covering on model airplanes. They are

identical to the stuff sold by art suppliers, but half the price.