[Noisebridge-discuss] new soldering irons for Crucible? - DITCH THE SPONGES

L E lexein-esc at yahoo.com
Mon Jul 4 19:35:04 UTC 2011


Gah. Please don't tap soldering irons.  And don't teach beginners to tap them. That does not result in assured destruction.

Tapping or banging only cracks the ceramic, and isn't very fun.  What you really want to do is get some pliers, or better yet long-handled slip-joint pliers, or a vice, really get a good grip on the heater section, and bear down with all your might so you can really hear the ceramic break up completely into smithereens. Mmm, crunchy goodness.
Unless you completely crush the ceramic, some heat might still be passed to the soldering tip, and the heater element might not short to the surrounding metal parts of the iron. This would be a fail.

From: Zach . <organic_unity at yahoo.com>
>To: noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net
>Sent: Monday, July 4, 2011 11:28 AM
>Subject: Re: [Noisebridge-discuss] new soldering irons for Crucible? - DITCH THE SPONGES
>
>
>I agree.  I myself never, ever use sponges either.  It is super confusing since they come with
soldering irons.  What I like to do is use a small x-acto knife to
gently scrape off excess solder...this has been very effective over the
years.  We could use more x-acto knives at the space
anyway...............  especially name brand, which you can get very
nice sets of for ~$10 and replacement tips (5 packs) are only $2
something.  This is at the art stores too, I'm sure it's much cheaper
online.
>
>Obviously that idea won't be best for kids learning, but
like Jake says, you can just tap the iron.  or use anything flat n
metal really.
>
>Zach
>
>--- On Mon, 7/4/11, Zach . <organic_unity at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
>>From: Zach . <organic_unity at yahoo.com>
>>Subject: Re: [Noisebridge-discuss] new soldering irons for Crucible? - DITCH THE SPONGES
>>To: "Jake" <jake at spaz.org>
>>Date: Monday, July 4, 2011, 6:28 PM
>>
>>
>>I agree.  I myself never, ever use sponges either.  It is super confusing since they come with soldering irons.  What I like to do is use a small x-acto knife to gently scrape off excess solder...this has been very effective over the years.  We could use more x-acto knives at the space anyway...............  especially name brand, which you can get very nice sets of for ~$10 and replacement tips (5 packs) are only $2 something.  This is at the art stores too, I'm sure it's much cheaper online.
>>
>>Obviously that idea won't be best for kids learning, but like Jake says, you can just tap the iron.  or use anything flat n metal really.
>>
>>Zach
>>
>>--- On Mon, 7/4/11, Jake <jake at spaz.org> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>From: Jake <jake at spaz.org>
>>>Subject: Re: [Noisebridge-discuss] new soldering irons for Crucible? - DITCH THE SPONGES
>>>To: "noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net" <noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net>
>>>Date: Monday, July 4, 2011, 4:21
 PM
>>>
>>>
>>>The reason your soldering irons, and those at noisebridge, keep wearing 
>>>out, is because we keep teaching people to use a wet sponge to treat their 
>>>iron-coated tip.  This is a lot of fun for people and especially kids, 
>>>because it makes a cool sound and steam, but it is very bad for the iron.
>>>
>>>I never, ever use a wet sponge.  Sometimes I tap the iron on the holder to 
>>>shake off excess solder, and sometimes if there is junk floating in the 
>>>solder on the tip of the iron, i wipe it off on an edge on the holder.
>>>Remember, stuff "sticking" to the iron is only floating in the liquid 
>>>solder, so it's no more stuck than a poppy-seed to a wet coffee-mug.
>>>
>>>My advice:  hide the sponges forever.
>>>
>>>-jake
>>>
>>>Lee Sonko lee at lee.org wrote:
>>>
>>>The Kinetics & Electronics department at the Crucible has several $12 
>>>Stahl soldering irons 
>>><http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=374-100>, some 
>>>still new in the box, but they sure wear out quick. Kids take their toll 
>>>on an iron pretty quick. Do you think we'd get 4 times the value out of 
>>>the new $40 Hakko 936 knockoff from 
>>>Sparkfun<http://www.sparkfun.com/products/9672>? Better temperature 
>>>control might keep the tips and units alive longer. Might you have any 
>>>other suggested
 irons?
>>>
>>>Lee
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Noisebridge-discuss mailing list
>>>Noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net
>>>https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss
>>>  
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