5 Home Uses For a Soldering Iron

Soldering irons are great tools to keep around the house even if you never plan on doing electrical work. Soldering irons have many applications that can be useful around a house – from simply repairing small holes in metal items to fixing certain automotive issues.

Soldering irons are familiar to most jewelers, metal workers, roofers and electronics technicians as they frequently use solder to join pieces of metal together. Depending on the job different types of solder is used. Jewelers use solder with a high silver content while electricians usually use metals with a high tin content. Roofers and metal workers tend to use a 50/50 blend of lead and tin to affix two pieces of metal.

More information about the traditional uses of soldering irons can be found on handtoolsforfun.com. However, there are many nonelectrical uses for irons that can be quite helpful around the home and garage.

Roofing Repairs

Soldering irons are great for making repairs to a roof. Specifically, they are used to fuse galvanized metals for flashing as well as for joining sections of metal gutters with one another. Many times, due to the windy nature of roof repairs, the type of soldering irons that are used are gas assisted but really any broad tipped iron will do the trick.

 

The best part is that wherever the solder is applied on the roof or gutters it will become waterproof the moment the solder cools. This can be especially helpful if repairs are needed to be made during the rainy season.

Artistic Endeavors

A great way to put a soldering iron to good use is to create stained glass windows or mosaics.  All that is needed is a large flat surface to create the design on top of and a 100 watt soldering iron to join the separate pieces of colored glass together.   

Traditionally artisans used lead-based solder in stained glass windows but with lead having been found to be toxic artists have moved towards using lead free metals in their mosaics and windows.  It goes without saying that in addition to creating stained glass windows, soldering irons are the perfect tool for performing quick repairs where a piece of glass may have become loose.  

Auto Repairs

While most metal joining performed on automobiles involves acetylene torches and more traditional welding methods, soldering irons can be useful for smaller tasks. The metal used in soldering is too soft for any lasting engine repairs that could be affected by the pressure built up in an engine.

However, soldering metal is a great way to fill in any irregular cavities, tighten joints and smoothing out any rough edges. Of course, these tools can be used for making repairs to the electrical systems.   

Plumbing Repairs

A soldering iron can be useful when needing to make quick repairs to copper and other metal pipes. Plumbers will use lead free solder to avoid exposing the residents to any toxic materials.  

Typically, plumbers will use a torch for making repairs to pipes but for pipes that are located in spots with little room to maneuver then a soldering iron or pen is the right tool. Roofer’s soldering irons and guns are what are used for this type of repair due to the tip not heating up until the trigger is depressed.   

Bottom Line

A soldering iron isn’t just a tool for making electrical repairs. While it is the best way to join wires and multiple pieces of metal, there are many other uses for a soldering iron around the house. With a little creative thinking it is possible to come up with any number of new uses for a traditional soldering iron.