Soldering Iron Introduction

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Revision as of 20:41, 23 May 2018 by Lukas (talk | contribs) (→‎Dangers: repeated the part about lead)

This is the content required for an introduction to our soldering irons - reading this does NOT replace the mandatory session with a tutor! It will make it even quicker though ;-)

Let's begin! First off, make sure you have read the tool's manual, if available.

Safety

Dangers

  • the tip gets very hot (over 300 °C)
  • toxic fumes are be generated when soldering or overheating neighboring components
  • hot flux can squirt towards you during soldering
  • the solder may contain poisonous lead

Precautions

  • only touch the handle, rest the iron in its stand when not using it
  • take care of good ventilation and don't inhale the fumes, use a fume extractor with carbon filter
  • protect your eyes with glasses
  • get familiar with the type of solder you're using - for instance, does it contain poisonous lead?
  • wash your hands after handling solder