this post was submitted on 20 May 2024
669 points (98.3% liked)

Cool Guides

4743 readers
3 users here now

Rules for Posting Guides on Our Community

1. Defining a Guide Guides are comprehensive reference materials, how-tos, or comparison tables. A guide must be well-organized both in content and layout. Information should be easily accessible without unnecessary navigation. Guides can include flowcharts, step-by-step instructions, or visual references that compare different elements side by side.

2. Infographic Guidelines Infographics are permitted if they are educational and informative. They should aim to convey complex information visually and clearly. However, infographics that primarily serve as visual essays without structured guidance will be subject to removal.

3. Grey Area Moderators may use discretion when deciding to remove posts. If in doubt, message us or use downvotes for content you find inappropriate.

4. Source Attribution If you know the original source of a guide, share it in the comments to credit the creators.

5. Diverse Content To keep our community engaging, avoid saturating the feed with similar topics. Excessive posts on a single topic may be moderated to maintain diversity.

6. Verify in Comments Always check the comments for additional insights or corrections. Moderators rely on community expertise for accuracy.

Community Guidelines

By following these rules, we can maintain a diverse and informative community. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to the moderators. Thank you for contributing responsibly!

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Oh, is this why my old soldering iron had the tip explode?

Good to know.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Wow, that's a thing that can happen!?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago (2 children)

When I say explode, I mean the tip shot bits in a 1-2 inch radius after I put pressure on a thick copper wire. It nearly hit my non-dominant hand which was holding the circuit board on the floor tile I used to isolate my soldering shit from the ~~now singed~~ table

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

If you're trying to make me less terrified of soldering now, it's not working.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

Would it help you to know it was the soldering iron my dad got when he finished his electrician apprenticeship in the early 80s, which was probably a decade old at that point

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

This kind of sounds like whatever was on the tip had oxidized severely over the intervening 40 years. So when you applied heat it couldn't conduct very well, so it got hotter and hotter until it had an uncontrolled thermal expansion. This just comes down to especially with older equipment, making sure the device is clean, and if you apply heat be careful especially on the first startup.