Soldering Iron With Solder Feed

[Jazz P Bass]

I have always thought that it would be nice at times to have the solder fed from the iron.

I came across this today: https://www.hakko.com/english/produc...tml#One-handed

A little pricey but nifty.

[Mick Bailey]

Ever find yourself with a length of solder in the same hand as you have your iron and curving it just right so you can do a one-hand solder job? Feels like the first time you used chopsticks. It's not often, but I have found myself in that situation. I recall Weller doing a self-feed unit with a little spool of solder but it looked a little clumsy by comparison.

I'm getting to the stage now where I'm thinking anything I buy that's expensive would need to be something I take to the afterlife. Maybe buried alongside me like Pharaohs and their grave goods.

[xtian]

Ever find yourself with a length of solder in the same hand as you have your iron

Rarely. But I often hold parts with pinkie and ring finger of left hand, solder with three remaining fingers (chopstick action) and iron with my right hand. While my mouth remains free to cuss.

[Chuck H]

That's nifty. But I think it's best for flat PCBs without much in the way of larger components or flying leads. That is, anything but a guitar amp. In tight quarters it might be cumbersome.

Regarding "chopsticks" and other things that we do to make tricky soldering easier, I have a nifty tool that has four jointed limbs with alligator clips at the ends and a magnifying glass on another limb. I can assemble three dimensional configurations and solder them while the thing holds it in place. For simpler holding jobs I keep rubber bands at the bench. Wrap a rubber band around any plier handles and now it can hold stuff. Most pliers have enough ballast to keep things in place for soldering. I also keep a hemostat for when I need more grip.

[g1]

While my mouth remains free to cuss.

That's where you hold the solder. Isn't that what the whole 'lead free' thing is all about?

[Dave H]

I'm getting to the stage now where I'm thinking anything I buy that's expensive would need to be something I take to the afterlife.

I'm thinking I should start buying solder by the metre. I'll never get through another 500g reel

[mozz]

I do the "hold parts in right hand and feed solder with same hand" while left hand holds the iron. Or place iron on bench and bring parts and solder to the iron. I'm half lefty so i set my benches up opposite from most people. Have 3 sizes of solder handy. .031 is my favorite. Could roll joints with 1 hand but that was 30 some years ago.

[g1]

Or place iron on bench and bring parts and solder to the iron.

I like that, never occurred to me to even try it. In a similar manner, I sometimes bring the iron and the parts to the solder.

[Chuck H]

Or place iron on bench and bring parts and solder to the iron.

I sometimes bring the iron and the parts to the solder.

Ok, yes. Both of these too. Sometimes you just have to invent the method as it occurs to you For both of these I have sometimes found it necessary to weight down or otherwise stabilize the iron or solder roll and I guess I don't actually have any consistent way of doing that as I just wing it with whatever is close. But it shouldn't be hard to come up with something that can stationary an iron or standard size solder roll for these occasions. I'll be considering that the next time either of these comes up

[galaxiex]

I have always thought that it would be nice at times to have the solder fed from the iron.

I came across this today: https://www.hakko.com/english/produc...tml#One-handed

A little pricey but nifty.

It's the MIG welder of soldering irons!

[Chuck H]

I actually think the inventors missed a potential aspect... If they ran the solder feed strategically close to the heated element they could pre heat the solder feed to a temp close to the melting point. This would allow for faster solder melt and less stress to the components being soldered due to iron contact. Just thinking out loud though. The logistics are probably way too variable to make it a consistent feature.

[tedmich]

who here hasn't held the solder in their mouth and used one hand for iron, one for part?
Just me? Doh...

(I clench it in my front teeth and spit afterwards, I'm only a partial idiot but probably getting dumber with the practice...)