Soldering iron

The secret of joining materials by soldering has been known to people for a long time. At that time, small metal parts were joined by melting them under the influence of high temperatures. Jewelers, blacksmiths, and gunsmiths used this method widely. Ancient soldering tools were hand-made devices with a narrow metal tip that was heated over an open fire. At the beginning of the last century, a special electrical tool called «soldering iron» appeared.

The electric soldering iron converts electrical energy into heat and transmits heat to the soldering area. The heating element inside the soldering iron inflates the working part - the torch. When the hot tip is applied to the surface being treated, it melts with a solder, and the connecting parts are melted. When the molten metal and the filler are stuck, the parts are fixed.

A soldering iron is used to heat the connections to be soldered.

For electronic circuits, you should use a 25- to 40-watt (W) soldering iron.

Higher-wattage soldering irons are not necessarily hotter; they are just able to heat larger components. A 40-W soldering iron makes joints faster than a 25-W soldering iron does.