I have always been told that one should heat the joint with the gun or iron 
and then let the joint heat the solder.  That to let molten solder fall on a 
not-hot-enough joint would make a "cold solder joint".  Hence, I have always 
tried to heat the joint from underneath and place the tip of the solder on 
the upper surface of the joint keeping all parts of the joint in firm 
contact.  The solder would move as it melted and flowed over the joint. 
Then remove heat and solder and let the new joint cool naturally.  All this 
is why God gave me four hands.

The Other Howard, WA9RYF

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Clarence Williamson" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2012 10:39 AM
Subject: Re: Soldering


> Hi Dan and the group,
> Well, it is certainly easier to solder if you can position the gun and =
> the solder while they are cold.
> But, like most things, there is a drawback.  It usually takes around 30 =
> seconds for the gun to heat up.  During this time, the components are =
> exposed to the heat.  If you use a soldering pencil, it is already hot =
> and melts the solder almost instantly.
> But, I still use a gun for most connectors and wires.  It is easier to =
> grab a soldering gun, instead of waiting for the pencil to heat up.
> I hope that this helps.
> 73s,
> Clarence
>
> On Feb 22, 2012, at 8:26 PM, Dan Gistenson wrote:
>
>> Would using an instant heat gun or iron make the use of tubing, gloves
>> and mitts unnecessary?
>> Dan