Martin McCormick wrote:


As a ham who happens to be blind, I have been soldering for
near 40 years. Yes, it certainly can be done, but it works best if
one does a few things differently.

One thing that helps a lot is if the soldering appliance such
as a soldering gun heats very fast. This lets you position everything
safely without burning either fingers or the work before applying
heat.

The first soldering I ever did was with a Weller gun. They do
heat relatively fast and let you put the tip where it needs to be just
as you pull the trigger.

My all-time favorite soldering tool for small work is the Wahl
cordless gun with the smallest tip they sell. I believe it is called
the Wahl Isotip.

This brings me to my question. Is there anything else which
has come along that heats a small tip rapidly, the faster the better?

I have even tried one of Radio Shack's butane-powered
soldering irons. They certainly work, but the experience is similar
to a continuously-on electric iron except one must be mindful of the
little flame inside the screened-in area at the tip base.

Martin:

It works more along the lines of a regular soldering iron in that it
is intended to be turned on and then left on during a single soldering
session. But it does have a rapid heat up time and may be able to be used
in the way that you are speaking.

The device is a Metcal soldering station. The tip will go from
cold to hot and useable in about five seconds. The tip has the temperature
regulator built into it and the tip can be easily changed to different
types and temperatures that would be most suitable for the particular job.

Maybe you could use it with a foot switch to turn it on much as you
turn the sodering gun on now. The benefits would be to have a much lighter
hand piece. Easily changed tips. And more stable temperature at the tip.

Good luck and I hope this helps.

Al
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