If you use one of these cheap soldering irons be aware there is no insulating material between the outer metal tube and the heating element.

If you damage the metal tube and it touches the heating element it could be nasty

This is mains voltage and could be lethal.

A public service announcement

Normally I hold on to the handle (made of plastic) when I do some soldering, as plastic is not conductive.

Normally I hold on to the handle (made of plastic) when I do some soldering, as plastic is not conductive.

Very useful information. Thank you, I wouldn't have thought of that !!

Yermanee

Normally I hold on to the handle (made of plastic) when I do some soldering, as plastic is not conductive.

Very useful information. Thank you, I wouldn't have thought of that !!

Yermanee

Well, now you know.

Normally I hold on to the handle (made of plastic) when I do some soldering, as plastic is not conductive.

And most will have a roll of solder in the other hand making contact with the iron and likely also with there fingers.

Normally I hold on to the handle (made of plastic) when I do some soldering, as plastic is not conductive.

And most will have a roll of solder in the other hand making contact with the iron and likely also with there fingers.

Your be OK with rubber flip flops on.

Normally I hold on to the handle (made of plastic) when I do some soldering, as plastic is not conductive.

And most will have a roll of solder in the other hand making contact with the iron and likely also with there fingers.

Good point.

Your feet are often not the only possible contact with ground.

Your feet are often not the only possible contact with ground.

Surely It can't be that long/big.

Edited January 23, 201214 yr by Semper

I found using the brother-in-laws iron similar mentally to the game you play at the fair where you try and get the ring to the end of a crooked wire without it buzzing, except it's you earthing out amazing what you can call a 99baht piece of junk.(have bought a safe one now )

Normally I hold on to the handle (made of plastic) when I do some soldering, as plastic is not conductive.

Yes me, too but on this occasion I was holding a circuit board on one hand while tidying up some bits with the iron when I got a shock from the board.

Apart from the shock it also fried the circuit board :-(

Normally I hold on to the handle (made of plastic) when I do some soldering, as plastic is not conductive.

Yes me, too but on this occasion I was holding a circuit board on one hand while tidying up some bits with the iron when I got a shock from the board.

Apart from the shock it also fried the circuit board :-(

I thought that circuit boards were made of some sort of non-conductive material.

Normally I hold on to the handle (made of plastic) when I do some soldering, as plastic is not conductive.

Yes me, too but on this occasion I was holding a circuit board on one hand while tidying up some bits with the iron when I got a shock from the board.

Apart from the shock it also fried the circuit board :-(

I thought that circuit boards were made of some sort of non-conductive material.

Never sure when you are joking or not but PCBs have copper traces which are obviously conductive. The board itself is usually fiberglass or epoxy resin with the copper on the surface(s).

If Sempers lips are moving he is joking... where did you find a quality soldering iron? I have gone through a few of the cheapies...

Never sure when you are joking or not but PCBs have copper traces which are obviously conductive. The board itself is usually fiberglass or epoxy resin with the copper on the surface(s).

Indeed, that's the point with circuit boards. You don't need cables to make the connection between the tiny components. But in op's case there was obviously a short in his soldering iron, and he had his fingers on the uninsulated copper traces.

Normally I hold on to the handle (made of plastic) when I do some soldering, as plastic is not conductive.

And most will have a roll of solder in the other hand making contact with the iron and likely also with there fingers.

Your be OK with rubber flip flops on.

And if you don't have any flip flops, a couple of the TrueVisions TV Guides (one under each foot) would come in handy. As they don't have any other practical use.

Normally I hold on to the handle (made of plastic) when I do some soldering, as plastic is not conductive.

Very useful information. Thank you, I wouldn't have thought of that !!

Yermanee

Me neither.

Reminds me of the time when I had this vacuum cleaner that was equipped with 2 holes that fit the

2-pin socket which was connected to the electrical cord with the other end going into the mains (220).

Power full machine and I was happily vacuuming away from living room till bed room where it ran out of cord and unplugged itself from the machine.

Found out the hard way that it’s not really wise to pick up a 2-pin socket with your fingers while the other end is still connected to the mains

Edited January 23, 201214 yr by meom

Normally I hold on to the handle (made of plastic) when I do some soldering, as plastic is not conductive.

Very useful information. Thank you, I wouldn't have thought of that !!

Yermanee

Me neither.

Reminds me of the time when I had this vacuum cleaner that was equipped with 2 holes that fit the

2-pin socket which was connected to the electrical cord with the other end going into the mains (220).

Power full machine and I was happily vacuuming away from living room till bed room where it ran out of cord and unplugged itself from the machine.

Found out the hard way that it’s not really wise to pick up a 2-pin socket with your fingers while the other end is still connected to the mains

Learning from mistakes is the only way.

Normally I hold on to the handle (made of plastic) when I do some soldering, as plastic is not conductive.

As some have yet to learn this.

One of the few things I brought from home was my trusty Blue Point soldering iron, I love it and the only harm it could possibly do to me if it was inserted into my bum backwards, would burn my fingies trying to remove it (assuming it was ignighted and someone else did the insertion with the intent to cause harm).

Edited January 23, 201214 yr by Spoonman

If Sempers lips are moving he is joking... where did you find a quality soldering iron? I have gone through a few of the cheapies...

I saw Hakko irons for sale at the Rangsit IT mall, but I didn't have time to stop and examine them closely. Could they have been cheap fakes? The Hakko707 was one of my favorites but that was 15 years ago.

now it's getting kinky.....

now it's getting kinky.....

but a hot topic

I saw Hakko irons for sale at the Rangsit IT mall, but I didn't have time to stop and examine them closely. Could they have been cheap fakes?

That is what I have at my office and what my technicians use. I've had this one for several years now and works very well.

I saw Hakko irons for sale at the Rangsit IT mall, but I didn't have time to stop and examine them closely. Could they have been cheap fakes?

That is what I have at my office and what my technicians use. I've had this one for several years now and works very well.

Just make sure you get rid of the reflex to grab that kind when it drops. THe burn across the hand takes weeks to heal and is very very painful.

I saw Hakko irons for sale at the Rangsit IT mall, but I didn't have time to stop and examine them closely. Could they have been cheap fakes?

That is what I have at my office and what my technicians use. I've had this one for several years now and works very well.

Just make sure you get rid of the reflex to grab that kind when it drops. THe burn across the hand takes weeks to heal and is very very painful.

Sorry to hear that. Must admit, I have got close to doing just that. Do have a scar on the top of my hand due to working recently in close corners and crossed my hand over to the other side to juggle a wire ... a tad too close. Oddly, there was no pain at that moment but I knew I screwed up. Only later when the skin started sliding off did it get 'uncomfortable'.

At the lab in the US always had Weller temperature controlled stations but they are pretty expensive at 10k Baht and upwards to 100k+.