We're getting old, folks...

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.