What are 'solder fingers'?

bumblebee · Post by **bumblebee** » 18 Jan 2008, 03:04

you dont have solder fingers do you?

s.r.v. · Post by **s.r.v.** » 18 Jan 2008, 04:35

solder fingers? yeah i'm new at all this

bumblebee · Post by **bumblebee** » 18 Jan 2008, 22:53

i mean,your fingers have held hot things so long it no longer burns.lol

s.r.v. · Post by **s.r.v.** » 18 Jan 2008, 23:21

ill work on that

R.G. · Post by **R.G.** » 20 Jan 2008, 15:27

Back when I was a newly minted engineerling, we had a lab at work where us solder sniffers would go to try stuff out. The benches had soldering stations, rolls of new, shiny Kester rosin core solder, and a protective covering of last week's bright ideas.

One day it struck me that the diameter of the Kester solder was about the same as the wire in a paper clip.

I uncurled a paper clip, bent it out to straight-ish but still random looking, and carefully tinned the end of the paper clip. Once tinned, I heated the end really hot and touched it to the end of the solder from the spool. Took a few tries, but I got a good, straight solder joint bonding the paper clip to the solder on the roll.

I put it back on the bench, and I waited...

Sure enough, not long after, one of my compatriots was trying out THIS week's bright idea, and was very upset when he burned his fingers trying to get the @#&*@^%$&( solder to melt. He gave up when he noticed several of us rolling around in the floor laughing out in the hallway.

Dirk_Hendrik · Post by **Dirk_Hendrik** » 20 Jan 2008, 15:46

Brilliant!!!

bumblebee · Post by **bumblebee** » 21 Jan 2008, 21:32

wow,didnt think my solder fingers comment would lead the a thread of its own.lol

RG,thats hilarious man.

sosodef · Post by **sosodef** » 21 Jan 2008, 21:43

1 finger is very burnt. sucks

seniorLoco · Post by **seniorLoco** » 22 Jan 2008, 04:35

i spit solder

soulsonic · Post by **soulsonic** » 22 Jan 2008, 22:29

My guitar playing callouses come in very handy.

chris_d · Post by **chris_d** » 22 Jan 2008, 23:02

soulsonic wrote:My guitar playing callouses come in very handy.

Big +1. I have absentmindedly rested the iron on a fingertip many a time when working in tight spaces. It toasts the skin(goes immediately white and flaky) but doesn't hurt or "burn" the finger, just the callous. Not a great smell though.

Of course early on in my soldering exploits i did get myself good a couple of times. Ow.

-chris

s.r.v. · Post by **s.r.v.** » 23 Jan 2008, 23:35

oddly enough the cheap radioshack "safety" stand (that little metal + plastic stand) is what always gets me. I always reach for something and it gets me. So much for being safe

soulsonic · Post by **soulsonic** » 24 Jan 2008, 00:43

chris_d wrote:Not a great smell though.

Smells like burning hair.
Which reminds me... watch your bangs while soldering!

earthtonesaudio · Post by **earthtonesaudio** » 19 Feb 2008, 02:59

Only burnt myself once while soldering, but the regular victim has been the soldering iron's power cord... it's just barely hanging on to life.

briggs · Post by **briggs** » 20 Feb 2008, 09:29

earthtonesaudio wrote:Only burnt myself once while soldering, but the regular victim has been the soldering iron's power cord... it's just barely hanging on to life.

I'm on my third iron