Soldering Iron

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{{Infobox tool| name = Soldering iron| image = Soldering gun.jpg| caption =A plug-in soldering iron| other_name =Soldering Gun| classification = Metal joining| types =| related = Brazing
Welding-->A soldering iron is a device for applying heat to melt solder for attaching two metal parts.

A soldering iron is composed of a heated metal tip and an insulated handle. Heating is often achieved electrically, by passing a current, supplied through an electrical cord or a battery, through a heating element. Another heating method includes combustion of a suitable gas, which can either be delivered through a tank mounted on the iron (flameless), or through an external torch.

Some irons stay hot as long as they are turned on, while others heat up and cool down in a few seconds.

For electrical work, wires are usually soldered to printed circuit boards, other wires, or small terminals. A low-power iron is suitable for this work. In earlier days wires were frequently soldered to large chassis made of heavy metal, but this high-power requirement is now rare. Higher power is used for non-electrical metal-work.

Small battery-operated or gas soldering irons are useful when there isn’t a convenient source of electricity.

Some soldering irons have interchangeable tips for different types of work. Pyramid tips with a triangular flat face are useful for soldering sheet metal. Fine round or chisel tips are typically used for electronics work.

When not in use, soldering irons are often placed in stands to keep them away from flammable materials. Such a stand often also comes with a sponge and flux pot for cleaning the tip. Some soldering irons for continuous and professional use come as part of a soldering station, which allows the exact temperature of the tip to be adjusted, kept constant, and displayed.

A new tip needs to be coated, heated, and then covered with solder before its first use. This procedure is called "tinning". The tinning forms a liquid layer which facilitates the transfer of heat to the work piece. A dirty tip does not transfer heat well. The tip needs to be kept coated with a shiny layer of solder by occasional wiping and applying solder directly to the tip.

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. Electrical solder contains flux cores (the purpose of the flux is to clean the oxides off the metals to permit a good joint). 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. In heavier applications, including plumbing, flux is normally applied completely separately.

While soldering is used in plumbing applications, a soldering iron is not suitable for heating the large areas of heavy metal used, and a Oxy-fuel welding and cutting is the tool of choice.

Temperature-controlled soldering station A temperature-controlled soldering station is a complete unit usually used for soldering electronic components, and consisting of an electrical power supply, a soldering iron, and is different for lead-based and lead-free solders. Lead-based solder uses 250°C to 280°C or 300°C while lead-free soldering needs a higher temperature, about 350°C to 400°C.

Cleaning Many soldering stations come with a piece of sponge (tool), which when wet, is used to wipe the iron's tip clean. A small amount of fresh solder is usually then applied to the clean tip.As most soldering iron tips are plated to resist wearing down under use, abrasives such as sand paper or wire brushes should not be used to clean them. Tips without this plating may need to be periodicly sanded or filed to keep them smooth.

See also

Solder
Brazing
Welding
ColdHeat

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Soldering iron - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A soldering iron is a device for applying heat to melt solder for attaching two metal parts. A soldering iron is composed of a heated metal tip and an insulated handle.

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AskOxford: soldering iron
soldering iron • noun an electrical tool for melting and applying solder. Perform another search of the Compact Oxford English Dictionary . About this dictionary

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Soldering iron added to nano-toolkit - 28 April 2004 - New Scientist
The new device, which ferries molten metal, is made from carbon nanotubes just 20 millionths of a millimetre in diameter