We're getting old, folks...

They offer a heavy duty unit now and there are several
different tips available, at comparatively high price. But
it is very handy when you need to solder a wire splice and
can't bring the work to the bench. If you're trying to
solder very light wires, back them up with a wooden stick, a
clean popsicle stick or buy some at a hobby shop.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


"George Patterson" wrote in message
news:yLkuf.16244$yW1.321@trnddc05...
| Morgans wrote:
|
| Anyone have one, or seen one in action?
|
| Ok, just tried it out. Here's how they work. The tip is
actually two electrodes.
| When you touch the tip to the work, the work makes the
electrical contact, and
| it heats up like a light bulb filament. The tip doesn't
heat up much, but the
| work does. I tried to tin some 26 gauge stranded copper
wire, and it brought the
| flux to a boil much more rapidly than a hot soldering
pencil iron does.
|
| Here's the problem. You have to keep both electrodes in
contact with the work.
| In my case, this proved to be impossible; the wire was
just too flexible. I can
| see that there might also be problems heating up both
pieces when soldering two
| items together. Failure to get both pieces hot results in
what's called a "cold
| solder joint."
|
| There's a little light on top that tells you when contact
is being made. You
| really have to keep this light in sight. The tip has only
one flat surface, and
| the only way it works is to press this surface against the
work. Fortunately,
| the tip can be inserted in the iron in either of two
directions, so it shouldn't
| be much of a problem.
|
| Anyway. Imagine. There you are under your panel trying to
solder a wire to a
| lug. You hold the wire firmly in place with your left hand
and manipulate the
| soldering iron into position with your right hand. Wiggle
things around to keep
| the little red light on. When the joint gets hot, you
apply the solder with your
| third hand.
|
| Don't have a third hand? Then maybe this thing isn't for
you.
|
| George Patterson
| Coffee is only a way of stealing time that should by
rights belong to
| your slightly older self.

Anyway. Imagine. There you are under your panel trying to solder a wire to a lug. You hold the wire firmly in place with your left hand and manipulate the soldering iron into position with your right hand. Wiggle things around to keep the little red light on. When the joint gets hot, you apply the solder with your third hand.

And this differs from regular soldering how?

Jose
--
You can choose whom to befriend, but you cannot choose whom to love.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

On Tue, 03 Jan 2006 02:14:09 GMT, Jose
wrote:

Anyway. Imagine. There you are under your panel trying to solder a wire to a lug. You hold the wire firmly in place with your left hand and manipulate the soldering iron into position with your right hand. Wiggle things around to keep the little red light on. When the joint gets hot, you apply the solder with your third hand.

And this differs from regular soldering how?

With the soldering gun you are far more likely to be injured from a
burn.

With this device you are far more likely to be injured from the chain
reaction of 1. Getting frustrated, 2. Getting ****ed!, 3. Throwing
something due to item #2, 4. Hitting hand/fingers while in act of
throwing, 5. Hitting head on underside of panel hard enough to require
stitches while instinctively raising up to cuss at full volume in
reaction to hand damage, 6. Damage to back requiring more stitches,
caused while flailing about trying to get out from under panel with
precious bodily fluids running in eyes from step 5 caused by step 4
caused by step 3 caused by step 2 which came from step one, which was
due to being too cheap the hire someone qualified to do the job in the
first place.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

Jose

With the soldering gun you are far more likely to be injured from a
burn.

With this device you are far more likely to be injured from the chain
reaction of 1. Getting frustrated, 2. Getting ****ed!, 3. Throwing
something due to item #2, 4. Hitting hand/fingers while in act of
throwing,


As a lad I worked part time at a TV repair shop (they were cost effective to
repair at one time . I remember the shop owner telling me how dangerous
CRTs and power supplies were to the hands; often resulting in broken bones
and bad cuts. "How does shock cause that?" I asked. "Oh, it's not the
shock - that's usually harmless. It's your reaction causing you to slam your
hand on sharp objects."

Jose wrote:

And this differs from regular soldering how?

Yeah, I see the smilie, but I'll answer anyway. With a regular iron or soldering
gun, you can get a bead of solder on the tip. Just get the joint hot, and the
bead flows right into it. The tip on these things doesn't get hot enough for that.

George Patterson
Coffee is only a way of stealing time that should by rights belong to
your slightly older self.

"George Patterson" wrote

Yeah, I see the smilie, but I'll answer anyway. With a regular iron or
soldering gun, you can get a bead of solder on the tip. Just get the joint
hot, and the bead flows right into it. The tip on these things doesn't get
hot enough for that.

Plus the fact that the dot of solder on the tip will deform around the
object you are working on to aid in rapid and efficient heat transfer.

It also seems like the cold solder gun depends on having the object you are
soldering having about the correct resistance to make the appropriate amount
of heat.

Thanks for the review, all. I thought there would be major problems, and it
looks like I was right. I'll stick with my soldering gun/iron/butane torch.
--
Jim in NC

"Morgans" wrote in message
...


Then they need to get those new "cool" soldering irons, they advertise on
TV all of the time.


Anyone have one, or seen one in action?
--
Jim in NC
Yes, a co-worker's son gave him one of these irons for Christmas in 2004.
He gave it to me to tryout. Yes, I could get it to solder, but getting a
good joint was very difficult. Plus, since the tips are made of carbon, the
iron leaves small carbon particles in the joint. Not good. Also since the
unit actually passes current through the wires to be soldered, it is quite
possible to get small wires too hot. All told, I'll take my transformer
operated, bench Weller, thank you...even if I have to run an extension cord
for off-bench use.

John Severyn
KLVK

"Jose" wrote in message
.. .
Probably the same way you make motorcycling more feminine.

Have fly-ins at Sturgis?

On 25 Dec 2005 14:56:35 -0800, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

So what's the solution? How do we make flying more feminine? How do
we attract females to the airport?

My wife, Mary, is living proof that flying is NOT an all-male
pass-time, but I know she likes to hang out at the hangar entertaining
friends nearly as much as she likes the flying. So how do we make the
airport more SOCIAL?

I'm not sure there is a solution Jay. Women aren't men. On the
whole, they don't enjoy the same things men do and don't think in the
same way. Where men might see flying as a terrific way to get a good
view, despite the cost, the women might see only the danger and/or the
cost.

I'm generalizing a great deal, but women really are different from
men. We can't change that, not sure we would want to.

Corky Scott

In article ,
wrote:

On 25 Dec 2005 14:56:35 -0800, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

So what's the solution? How do we make flying more feminine? How do
we attract females to the airport?

My wife, Mary, is living proof that flying is NOT an all-male
pass-time, but I know she likes to hang out at the hangar entertaining
friends nearly as much as she likes the flying. So how do we make the
airport more SOCIAL?

I'm not sure there is a solution Jay. Women aren't men. On the
whole, they don't enjoy the same things men do and don't think in the
same way. Where men might see flying as a terrific way to get a good
view, despite the cost, the women might see only the danger and/or the
cost.

I'm generalizing a great deal, but women really are different from
men. We can't change that, not sure we would want to.

Corky Scott

The following comments are derived from long association with various
glider clubs, some of which had little or no feminine/spousal/family
participation and one of which (Caesar Creek Soaring) had a very high
level of participation by female pilots/spouses/family. In order of
importance:

1. Toilets

Bathroom facilities are the number one issue. I am absolutely serious.
To get women to come to the airport and enjoy it, one must have
convenient, clean, comfortable and private toilet facilities. Stepping
around the side of the hangar is just not acceptable to females and
males should be sensitive to that. Porta-potties aren't much better.

2. Comfort

Assuming that appropriate toilet facilities are available, one needs to
look to providing relief from environmental extremes. Standing around
sweltering or freezing or being consumed by insects is fairly
off-putting to most females (and males as well). Ever been below the
"gnat line" in south Georgia in the summer? Guaranteed to repel the
fairer sex. A relatively tidy and comfortable heated and air-conditioned
lounge or clubhouse is desired. The wealthier glider guys buy motor
homes to keep the spouse comfortable and happy.

3. Sensitivity

Cookouts at the field on sweltering summer days or holidary "parties" in
a freezing hangar are not appropriate "spouse appreciation functions".
Especially if said spouses have to do all the work to put on the BBQ or
party.


Fly safe,

Wallace