Just 'soldering' on!

[bob adams]

As I was thinking about early steel guitar builds and the old basic ways we used to do things; in a clean up the other day I came across a dirty old tool behind the bench... and decided to give it a makeover!

The attached is what I learned to solder with when the old chap taught me at probably 9 year old! It had much use when he was repairing cars.

How things have moved on ........ now we use 0.5mm wire!

Perhaps others here have similar such 'blasts from the past'

I got a steel from a local chap last year whose father had built it in Glasgow in the 70s, I must get some pictures taken .... it has bicycle chain and all sorts on it but it does work, the same man made a 15 string lap with solid brass pickup etc! I have used it .. it's a cracker... I'll get pics up soon.

[RonMc]

I think I've still got one of those somewhere. It was a project at the school metalwork class.

[Willie Gamble]

I came across a dirty old tool behind the bench... Thank God you have found Donny

Asleep at the steel

[Ken Byng]

I remember using one of those irons Bob. I used it for soldering sheet metal together, mainly copper but sometimes zinc - very dodgy practise. But - I also used it for soldering basic wiring!! The smell of the tub of flux and the thin long bars of solder. Had to use a paraffin blowlamp to heat it up. God that must be all of 50 plus years ago. The only soldering iron that I use these days is one of these. A butane gas iron with interchangeable heads. How times have changed.