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??

Scott

-- Scott Jones (scottsdesk@home.com), July 09, 2001

Answers

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

-- Jeff Buckels (jeffbuck@swcp.com), July 09, 2001.

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.

-- Pete Watkins (pete_watkins@btinternet.com), July 09, 2001.

Household iron works just great. Pat

-- pat krentz (patwandakrentz@aol.com), July 09, 2001.

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

-- Kevin Kolosky (kjkolosky@kjkolosky.com), July 09, 2001.

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.

-- Kevin Crisp (KRCrisp@aol.com), July 10, 2001.

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.

Alan

-- Alan Barton (cherylann.schieber@worldnet.att.net), July 11, 2001.

Scott,

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.

-- Paul Mongillo (pmongillo@thurston.com), July 12, 2001.