Redesigning the soldering iron!

[tedmich]

Cold heat? My idea of hell, RoHS solder and a cold heat iron...

[Mick Bailey]

Cold heat? My idea of hell, RoHS solder and a cold heat iron...

I'd heard the name a few years ago but never thought anything more about it until today. I never bothered to find out how it heats. The graphite tips and way it works is quite a novelty but it looks like there were too many practical problems with the system. It must have convinced Weller enough to market their own version of it. Looks like one of those things that will reappear in the future.

Here's a demo;

Cold Heat Soldering Iron - YouTube

[tedmich]

I got one as a gift, it was battery powered and the element is gapped so the work completes the circuit (in theory) and heats, kind of a combo of the old resistance soldering gun and a spot welder. It did not work worth a damn but is intrinsically quite safe as flesh won't burn (nor solder melt in my hands)

Oh and Sawstop has made tablesaws idiot proof to some degree.

[the great waldo]

Hi Mike

I bought one of those cool heat irons years ago, went straight in the bin after 3 attempts to solder something/anything. I think it was the crappiest tool I ever bought (I'm pushing 60), or come to think of it ever will buy. It just amazed me that someone actually went and produced it.

Cheers

Andrew

[Mick Bailey]

Oh and Sawstop has made tablesaws idiot proof to some degree.

Anyone who tries to saw a board with their Wiener pressed against it is asking for trouble.

[the great waldo]

I always hold my solder iron just under the tip of my nose to see if it's hot, never made contact so far. Mind you I did try to see if an electric cooker ring was cold by touching it. Guess what, it wasn't. Won't do that again in a hurry.

Cheers

Andrew

Probably the most important thing with soldering iron safety is a good iron holder, or soldering iron cage.
I have been in guitar shops, where guys dangle or lay hot soldering irons everywhere.
Not only dangerous, it is a fire hazard.
My soldering station heats real fast, so I try to keep it off when not in use.
T

[David King]

A soldering station that holds the iron handle-out ought to alleviate most problems. When I get burned it's from soldering teflon insulated silver plated wire with my fingers too close to the joint. Thin nitryl gloves reduces that considerably.

Radio Shack used to sell a little pump-action solder wire feeder that clipped on to the side of pencil to free up your other hand. It sort of worked in a kind of a way and only cost about $9 as I recall.

[The Dude]

Give kids some credit, they have a central nervous system too. I started soldering when i was 8. I probably burn myself more often now than I did then.

I agree, David. That is why I specified no age in my post. Some kids are smarter than others and learn quicker, and some just have to. I live in a rural state where farming is the largest industry. There are farm families who have their kids driving tractors and doing field work at a very young age. They are perfectly capable because they are raised in that environment. It used to be that farmers would produce large families to help out with the farm and it was not uncommon to see families with a dozen children. Not so much any more. The point is, some kids have the aptitude to learn skills very quickly. Others do not. That is why I believe, as I said earlier, "If anyone, regardless of age, lacks the intelligence to keep body parts away from the tip of a hot soldering iron, they shouldn't be using one anyway.", meaning it's about aptitude- not age. That said, I don't believe any "special equipment" is necessary. Either you're smart enough to figure out a solder iron or you're not, whether you're 5 or 50.

[Justin Thomas]

I bet $5 that a child who is properly taught to RESPECT (not fear) a "dangerous" soldering iron injures themselves less than a child that is given a "safer" soldering iron... This from a kid whose father taught him how to light a blowtorch and sweat pipes at five - properly. Some of this has to fall on adults - it's amazing what kids can do if they're taught basic respect for things that l might hurt them if improperly handled, instead of fear of everything that might hurt them because it's "not safe." And they'll probably be a lot better off as adults, too!

Just my opinion... Stop with the "safety" stuff. Use good old fashioned (not-so-)common sense. Sheesh.

Justin

[eschertron]

I bet $5 that a child who is properly taught to RESPECT (not fear) a "dangerous" soldering iron injures themselves less than a child that is given a "safer" soldering iron... This from a kid whose father taught him how to light a blowtorch and sweat pipes at five - properly. Some of this has to fall on adults - it's amazing what kids can do if they're taught basic respect for things that l might hurt them if improperly handled, instead of fear of everything that might hurt them because it's "not safe." And they'll probably be a lot better off as adults, too!

Just my opinion... Stop with the "safety" stuff. Use good old fashioned (not-so-)common sense. Sheesh.

Justin

+1. I'll add my curmudgeonly 2C' worth that our culture has been making toys and candy out of serious things - at an increasing rate - in the last generation or so. Is it an attempt to make the environment for our kids safer? IDK, but turning multivitamin pills into gummy candies is ludicrous considering then we rail on about our kids being exposed to 'gateway' drugs, as if we weren't the ones to do it.

[Enzo]

it is all well and good to consider making our tools safer. But we also don;t want to diminish their effectiveness substantially. "Instant On" sounds more like a slogan than reality. I don't want to put the iron down after every joint, nor do I want to hold down a button. We could use a footswitch, but that leaves another level of complexity. And I don't always sit exactly the same when I solder: bench, turn to my cart, back to the bench, stand. even if it takes 3 seconds, I don;t want to have to wait every time I go in for a solder.

Yes, those little cold heat resistance solder things are worthless. Although I will admit that when the tip on my ancient Weller gun burns through, many times I have used it that way to finish what I was doing before looking for a new tip.


I used to carry a little Wahl Isotip in my kit. In field service I have a big old 50 pound tool kit, it flew all over the country with me. But I found I usually only needed simple things, so I got a little zipper clutch tool pouch, and the battery Isotip fit well. It was just OK for a few simple solder joints, but it lacks any thermal mass. I could change out a resistor or small transistor, and not a lot of them. The tips were fragile, so I couldn;t heat the joint with an iron tip and push it into the joint to move a wire for example. That would just bend the tip, or break it. it didn;t take terribly long to heat, and usually cooled fast enough, I could pack everything else up and it would be cool enough to put in the kit. But it was a compromise, not something I;d use in the shop.

Solder Iron, Butane Torches & Cordless Soldering Irons


I am not especially coordinated - limited motor skills. I can wield the iron pretty well, but that doesn;t mean it won;t slip, and while I rarely pick up the wrong end of the iron, I will occasionally have the tip escape my control and maybe touch the finger that is holding the wire.


I was at a trade show a while back, and was interested to see the hot air solder systems - used to change out those 100 leg little flat ICs. The thing worked great, the guy knew what he was doing, obviously an experienced pro solderer. But it took only a moment to notice all the angry burns on the poor man's hands.



I am reminded of one of my all time favorite moments on David Letterman.

Toy makers have to worry about safety all the time, so just to let off steam, they have annual competition to design the most dangerous toy they can. Dave had the top few on his show. Well, my fave was...

MY FIRST SAW BLADE SHOOTER

The guy had made a thing kinda like a spear gun, but it fired a 7" table saw blade. They set up a sheet of plywood, and he shot the thing at it, and WHAM, it imbedded the blade in the plywood almost to the center hole.

Now it was no Ed Ames tomahawk, but it was damn funny.

I can't find the saw blade on video, but at least heeeeeere's Ed:
Ed Ames Teaches Johnny Carson to Throw a Tomahawk - YouTube

[Nichesound]

Loved your story there. You also have great insight into the amp world, and always I look for your Flying Sumo Wrestler when I peruse the forums for info when I have an amp circuit question. Stay grounded.
Johnne in Seattle...Go Hawks

[Mick Bailey]

The OP seems to have left the room....

[Enzo]

I think the OP just wanted to post his invite on as many web pages as he could.


And you never know, his real project might be exploring online communication patterns and group dynamics.

[Chuck H]

Bottom line... Give a kid a soldering iron and they'll figure out both how to burn themselves and how not to really quick. The whole process will take about sixty seconds and render the need for any redesign moot.