A real soldering iron

[Possum]

...

Its from Roswell, alien heated anal probe, bend over please....

[jonson]

I wonder if that was meant for auto body work. Body men used to use hot lead, something like that could help you smooth it out before sanding.

Body leading requires a flame torch and a wooden paddle and Tallow.
That one of Joe's was developed in the American civil war for cauterising wounds. Big enough for a whole leg that one.

[David Schwab]

That one of Joe's was developed in the American civil war for cauterising wounds. Big enough for a whole leg that one.

Yeah and you should have seen the big steam powered generator they carried around to power the thing!

[Joe Gwinn]

Yeah and you should have seen the big steam powered generator they carried around to power the thing!

Hmm. The iron says only 120 volts, and does not mention AC or DC, which implies that it was made before AC power was used.

[Bruce Johnson]

Hmm. The iron says only 120 volts, and does not mention AC or DC, which implies that it was made before AC power was used.

It would probably run fine on either one. It's just a big old resistor attached to a copper block with a handle.

Where you'd usually see big irons like this would be in shops that made copper sheet roof flashing and trim. Another old lost art. There are still a few shops around that do it.

[jonson]

Iv'e got one a bit smaller than that with a length of ali pipe pushed over it for steam bending wooden bindings(purfling) but a non electric one with a bigger head that you stick in a gas flame or just use as a doorstop. real nice these things are still around.

[David Schwab]

Hmm. The iron says only 120 volts, and does not mention AC or DC, which implies that it was made before AC power was used.

I was joking of course, but would the cell batteries available at the time of the civil war be able to power that thing? What kind of plug does it have on it?

I would think that's from the 20th century. I had an iron very similar to that, but smaller. I have to see if I can find it. It was my dad's, so I assumed it from from the early/mid 1900's (he was born in 1900).

[Joe Gwinn]

I was joking of course, but would the cell batteries available at the time of the civil war be able to power that thing?

One could power it from batteries, but it would have been far too expensive to be practical.

It physically resembles the lump-of-copper on an iron rod with handle soldering irons used before electricity. Such irons were heated in a small coal or charcoal fire. One is reminded of the transition from horse-drawn carriage to horseless carriage.

What kind of plug does it have on it?

It came with the cord cut off. I put a regular US 2-blade power plug and old cloth and rubber power cord on it. I used some of the wire one used for heater appliances in the 1960s. I had some that had been sitting in my wire box for decades.

I would think that's from the 20th century. I had an iron very similar to that, but smaller. I have to see if I can find it. It was my dad's, so I assumed it from from the early/mid 1900's (he was born in 1900).

I'm guessing 1930s, but it's very hard to tell, as the design remained unchanged for many decades.

[David Schwab]

I'm guessing 1930s, but it's very hard to tell, as the design remained unchanged for many decades.

That's what I was thinking too.

I love old stuff from that era.

[David King]

You can still buy an iron that looks more or less the same.
[HAKKO] : Soldering iron : HAKKO MATCHLESS

Copper roofing and gutters are still very commonplace in some places that value longevity.

[Joe Gwinn]

You can still buy an iron that looks more or less the same.
[HAKKO] : Soldering iron : HAKKO MATCHLESS

Copper roofing and gutters are still very commonplace in some places that value longevity.

Yes. I have copper gutters. House (built in 1929) came with them, and I added some more.

Hexacon Applications Main

[kevinT]

If my memory is correct, we used an iron similar to that one (in joe's 1st thread) in metal shop class during junior high school around 1977-78. Might of been a wee bit smaller.

[David Schwab]

Here's another modern version:

American Beauty Tools



550 Watts.