Use of Soldering Iron.

Use And Care Of Handtools And Measuring Tools
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(2) Nonelectric Soldering Iron. A nonelectric soldering iron (figure

56 above) is sized according to its weight. The commonly used sizes are the

1/4, 1/2, 3/4, 1, 1 1/2, 2, and 2 1/2 pound irons. The 3, 4, and 5 pound

sizes are not used in ordinary work. Nonelectric irons have permanent tips

and must be heated over an ordinary flame, or with a blowtorch.

c. Use of Soldering Iron.

(1) Tinning. Before any soldering iron can be used, the faces of the

tip must be filed smooth and tinned (coated with solder).

For ordinary

work, a soldering iron is tinned on all four faces. For work where the iron

is held under the object to be soldered, as when soldering wire splices,

only one face is tinned (figure 57 on the following page). Molten solder on

a tip with all faces tinned will not remain on the upper face, but will run

to the bottom, forming a drop.

When only one face is tinned (that face

turned up), solder melted upon it will not drip off.

Tin an electric

soldering iron as indicated in (a) through (d) below.