It's not a wrench

[p_toad]

Just had to rescue this at the local Restore.   Ordered a new cord today.

[oldgoaly]

Is it a Silver Beauty?
Have you seen the webpage? https://stevenjohnson.com/soldering/index.htmlI have talked to him on several forums about old radio test equipment.

[p_toad]

American Beauty 3178 330 watts.   New cord on order but it's not cloth any more; guess some of the old ones had asbestos in them and they caused cancer in California.

[Bill Houghton]

American Beauty?  Made by the same people who make those expensive dolls?

I've got a 200 watt and a 400 watt; not sure who made them.  The 200 watt has turned out to be enough for architectural flashing soldering (24 gauge galvanized metal), so I haven't cranked up the 400 watt model.

My introduction to sheet metal soldering involved a fire pot and coppers, and I've gathered some coppers over the years, but this 'lectrical one is so convenient that I doubt I'll miss the fire pot.

[EVILDR235]

I see electric soldering irons at our local habitat and have bought a few, but have never used any of them. I do grab every soldering cooper I find. I also have to have every Weller soldering gun with the bakelite housings.

EvilDr235

[p_toad]

Put the new cord on today.   Plugged it in and let it get up to about 385 F before I pulled the plug on it.   The old cord had a small wood plug right up by the handle.

[Analog]

There are fewer and fewer people out there that know what coppers and soldering irons are used for. Back in the day I'd help my Dad hang gutters or do flashing. I remember hauling the hot pot out and exchanging the coppers when they would start to cool down. I didn't follow that path but went into the electronics field, starting with large radio chassis and ending with replacing components on PC's.  Today, even that is "old school". Now a days you just pitch the bad card or unit. or pay to have it recycled.
Another  thing you don't see too much any more are the bars of solder used with the coppers. Probably due to lead issues.

[Bill Houghton]

I still find, and buy, bars of 50/50 solder when I find them, at estate and yard sales.  Hard to beat a good solder job on architectural sheet metal.

But stores don't sell lead-based solder much anymore.

[p_toad]

Ditto to buying the old solder up.   Regular 1 pound roll is usually 20 bucks and up at most of the stores around here and back when i needed a bar of lead-free for a project one of the sprog was working on i had to order it online.   I have purchased a lot of lead and lead-free at the local Restore.

[skipskip]

I have started saving the bars. Turns out they stamped them with company info, like advertising.

One of the half ones in the pic is from a local hardware distributor, Albany Hardware and Iron.

I assume you could have them made with your company name on them if you bought enough.

I had one that said NY tel, but I cant find it.

the Alpha Vaculoy is 10/90

dec330a by Skip Albright, on Flickr

[lptools]

Hello, Skip. Those are neat, I like the company names. What do the numbers represent, as in 10/90 , or, 40/60? Thanks, Lou

[skipskip]

Hello, Skip. Those are neat, I like the company names. What do the numbers represent, as in 10/90 , or, 40/60? Thanks, Lou

percentage of tin / lead

more lead is softer and melts at lower temps, but has other issues

I wikied  solder and learned waaaay more than I expected

its a lot more science than when I was using it

[lptools]

Thanks for the info!!! Regards, Lou

[Yadda]

I know I've seen bars like this before and never realized what they were.

[EVILDR235]

For soldering sheet metal I have always been a big fan of Kester Metal Mender acid core solder. It is hard to find anymore, so I buy any I find. I have also bought a lot of solder at my local Habitat Restore. I make sure to keep my acid core solder and rosin core solder it two different places. I have a bunch of lead stashed. I have my friend at his scrap yard save me tin that he gets out of very old refrigerator coils in the freeze part of the refrigerator.

EvilDr235