Soldering Iron Introduction
From CoMakingSpace Wiki
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
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? and wash your hands afterwards