What Is a Soldering Iron Used For?
A soldering iron is useful in a number of home, craft, jewelry, electronics and workshop applications. A soldering iron is used to connect two objects so they may be permanently joined together by using solder. Some solders include flux, a joining material, which may be tin, lead, silver or some other type of metal. Other types of solder require a liquid flux to use in combination with the soldering iron.
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Types
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Soldering irons may be electric or wired, or battery powered. Less commonly, they may be powered by bottled gas or propane tanks.
Features
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Soldering irons typically have a handle which remains cool to the touch, and a hot tip, which conducts the heat to the objects being joined together.
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Applications
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Soldering irons may be used in creating stained glass panels or lamps, silver joining, piping, jewelry making, electronics, metal repair and home gutters and downspouts.
Sizes
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Soldering irons are typically measured in watts, which is a measure of heat output, and they may come in different sizes.
Warning
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Soldering irons are not interchangeable, and using them for different applications can be hazardous. For example, because lead melts at a different temperature than other metals, it should never be used in jewelry making or cookware repair.
Prevention/Solution
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Keep lead soldering irons only for jobs with lead, such as stained glass panels or lamps. Keep any lead soldering tools separate and active projects away from any other work and work surfaces.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Photographs Courtesy Of Melinda Rizzo
