Talk:Soldering iron

message: I am pretty sure sandpaper is very bad for electronics soldering iron tips.  Maybe on a different type of iron? — Omegatron 16:21, 14 June 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: You're quite right. I fixed this bit of bad advice. - Jax184 08:32, 30 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Sandpaper?? 

message: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Soldering_iron&action=history
History
"Other Names	Soldering Gun"
A soldering gun is not the same thing as an iron.
Tabby (talk) 03:26, 28 December 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: The should be separate articles. A soldering iron provides a constant, sometimes regulated heat source. Soldering guns provide a trigger to quickly turn the heat on and off. That's a difference big enough to justify keeping the articles separate. Shootthedevgru (talk) 03:33, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

text: They tools aren't used for the same things.  Soldering guns are generally a lot hotter than soldering irons and thus aren't used for electronics.  I suggest putting soldering guns and irons in the same article but making a section specifically about soldering guns.  Sjstones (talk) 03:01, 28 April 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Gun 

message: can i use heated nail instead of soldering iron  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.193.194.181 (talk) 02:56, 12 April 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Nail 

message: :"For best results, particularly in electrical work where good electrical contact is required, the iron should be used to heat the work piece, and solder applied to it: this helps to prevent "cold joints", where hot solder is applied by the iron to a relatively cold target, shrouding it in solder to look like a good joint, but without wetting it properly, and without forming a good connection.
:If the solder is applied to the iron first then the flux is rapidly burnt off (the wispy white smoke you get from the tip of the iron) and cannot serve its purpose on the joint"
This myth is very persistent. The truth is that applying heat to the solder rather than the component leg is every bit as reliable and much quicker, but takes more skill. Its not recommended to newbies because they tend to take forever over soldering joints, and this method is simply not compatible with such poor technique.
I've been applying iron & solder to cold metalwork for decades, its still the method I use most of the time, and with suitable technique the problems mentioned above simply do not occur. 
I'm well aware however that there is an army of people who've tried the method very briefly when they were beginners, didn't learn how to do it, and wrongly concluded that it can't be done successfully and reliably.
Perhaps one day I'll make a video showing the method.
Tabby (talk) 13:07, 2 November 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Applying heat to the solder

message: As there doesn't seem to be a health and safety section here I thought I'd better start one!
Regular use of a soldering iron may cause Colophany, an increasing sensitivity to the solder/flux fumes.
Lead free solders are common now, however you may come across old solder with lead still in it.
The best advice would probably be to use fume extraction when soldering, however proper extraction can be very costly!
PlymTech (talk) 11:37, 9 February 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Health and Safety 

message: How does it work?  Heating element like a nichrome wire but what controls the wattage?  Resistors? Transformer coil?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.154.214.52 (talk) 05:32, 21 April 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  How it works? 

message: I propose the merge of these two because both are used for soldering. I realize that soldering guns are usually hotter than irons, but they all work under the same principles; the two can have separate sections to outline the differences. After the two are merge, perhaps the article should be renamed soldering equipment. Wizard191 (talk) 21:45, 11 January 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Proposed merge from [[soldering gun]] 

message: "Solid iron tips are not used"
I've used an iron with a steel tip, extremely cheap piece of kit but it did the job without any difficulty. The tip was simply a sawn of nail. (Altai brand)
The downside isnt so much lack of conduction, I tihnk its more the tendency of rust on the sides of the bit next tot he element to block thermal conduction, and expand & break things.
82.31.207.100 (talk) 03:24, 14 December 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Steel tips 

message: What is the name of the dual tip for SMD, in the picture?  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bethjaneway (talk • contribs) 00:29, 7 January 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Types of tips 

message: Not mentioned once in 'cleaning' section.  I keep getting reverts from 'wizard'.  Another point is that some faqs say that wet sponges aren't good for tips causing thermal shock.   — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ericg33 (talk • contribs) 08:41, 28 April 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: I added the word cleaning for you. If you have a ref for not using a wet sponge, please add it, because that's good content. The stuff you were adding before wasn't. Wizard191 (talk) 16:00, 28 April 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Tip cleaning compound 

message: I have seen soldering irons used to cut plastic on many occasions. Could this me mentioned along with using them for pyrography and plastic welding?
They work quite well at cutting several different types of plastic although it can ruin a good soldering iron. I knew someone who kept a spare cheap soldering iron just for cutting plastic. 80.7.27.189 (talk) 21:00, 17 March 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  Cutting plastic? 

message: Picture  of an old-style unpowered iron. DancesWithGrues (talk) 14:53, 25 September 2021 (UTC)
replies: text: Thanks, a pitty it granted FAIR USE, unable to load at Commons.. Mcapdevila (talk) 07:13, 8 September 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  History