On top of the iron tube from which the flame issues there is a rest for
supporting the soldering iron with the copper part in the flame. Place the
iron in the flame and allow it to remain until the copper becomes very hot,
not quite red, but almost so.
A new soldering iron or one that has been misused will have to be "tinned"
before using. To do this, take the iron from the fire while very hot and
rub the tip on some flux or dip it into soldering acid. Then rub the tip of
the iron on a stick of solder or rub the solder on the iron. If the solder
melts off the stick without coating the end of the iron, allow a few drops
to fall on a piece of tin plate, then nil the end of the iron on the tin
plate with considerable force. Alternately rub the iron on the solder and
dip into flux until the tip has a coating of bright solder for about half
an inch from the end. If the iron is in very bad shape, it may be necessary
to scrape or file the end before dipping in the flux for the first time.
After the end of the iron is tinned in this way, replace it on the rest of
the torch so that the tinned point is not directly in the flame, turning
the flame down to accomplish this.
_Flux._--The commonest flux, which is called "soldering acid," is made
by placing pieces of zinc in muriatic (hydrochloric) acid contained in a
heavy glass or porcelain dish. There will be bubbles and considerable heat
evolved and zinc should be added until this action ceases and the zinc
remains in the liquid, which is now chloride of zinc.
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