Soldering iron

A soldering iron is a device for applying heat to melt solder for soldering two metal parts together.

The device comprises a metal tip which is heated in some way, and a means of holding and positioning the iron, typically a hand-held handle. Heating of the tip can be electrical, passing current from an electrical cord or a battery through a resistive heating element; by burning a suitable gas, usually delivered from a tank which is part of the iron, without a flame; or the tip can be heated by an external source of heat (e.g., flame).

Some irons are designed to stay hot during a session of use; others heat up and cool down in a few seconds.

For electrical work, wires are usually soldered to printed circuit boards, other wires, small terminals, etc. 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 required for non-electrical metal-work.

Small battery-operated or gas soldering irons are useful for occasional use where an electricity supply is not conveniently available, and where not much power is needed.

Soldering irons may 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 useful for electronics work.

Soldering irons which are permanently hot are often used with a stand to hold the iron with the tip kept away from anything it can burn; the stand may have 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, which may be made of a metal such as copper, needs to be coated with solder while hot before first use, a procedure called "tinning". The tinning forms a liquid layer which facilitates the transfer of heat to the workpiece: 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 workpiece, 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.

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

Temperature-controlled soldering station

A temperature-controlled soldering station is a complete unit used usually for soldering electronic components, and consisting of an electrical power supply, a soldering iron, and circuitry for sensing the tip temperature and keeping it constant. The required tip temperature can be set by the user, and there may be a display of actual temperature, Power rating for electronics work is 18 to 60 watts: the actual power drawn will be larger when in continual use to heat many joints. Temperature can be set in the range 280°C to 480°C or 200°C to 600°C, depending upon the type of soldering process.

The temperature setting is different for lead-based and lead-free solders. Lead-based solder uses 250°C to 280°C or even 300°C while lead-free soldering needs a higher temperature, about 350°C to 400°C, but lead free solder is safer.

Cleaning

Many say a sponge works well and is all you need
Sand Paper is good for more heavy duty jobs

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Temperature-controlled soldering station

Cleaning

See also