Soldering iron I forget it's on

[HowardGWR]

Apart from wasting electricity, to leave a soldering iron on is a clear fire and safety risk. It also shortens the life of the tip. I arrived in the 'workshop' this morning to a very sorry looking brown tip of my iron which now needs retinning.


Unfortunate therefore, that my memory is like a sieve and unlikely to improve as I advance in age.

Does anyone have a good way of preventing this potential disaster, some visual reminder?
Regards, Howard

[Paul Willis]

Apart from wasting electricity, to leave a soldering iron on is a clear fire and safety risk. It also shortens the life of the tip. I arrived in the 'workshop' this morning to a very sorry looking brown tip of my iron which now needs retinning.


Unfortunate therefore, that my memory is like a sieve and unlikely to improve as I advance in age.

Does anyone have a good way of preventing this potential disaster, some visual reminder?
Regards, Howard

I can't cope with complex issues, so a straightforward one from me. I have an anglepoise lamp above my workbench. It's fed off the same plug socket as my soldering iron (and pillar drill, controller, etc...) through a multiple distribution strip thing...

I don't switch the lamp off itself on its base, but switch it off at the wall socket. Lamp is off = soldering iron is off. Particularly easy to check last thing at night when it is dark!

Simples!
Flymo

[David Thorpe]

I have an anglepoise lamp above my workbench. It's fed off the same plug socket as my soldering iron (and pillar drill, controller, etc...) through a multiple distribution strip thing... I don't switch the lamp off itself on its base, but switch it off at the wall socket. Lamp is off = soldering iron is off. Particularly easy to check last thing at night when it is dark!

You beat me to it - that's exactly what i do.

DT

[martin goodall]

When in the railway room I am liable to have several things switched on. These can include a desk lamp, soldering iron and the transformer for the layout.

I always make sure that everything is not just switched off at the end of the evening (or other session) but is actually unplugged.

It is the last thing I do before switching out the lights as I leave the railway room. So it has become a habit, and checking that everything has indeed been unplugged is part of that habit. This is not something to be done 'automatically' - I consciously note the fact that I have done it. If after leaving the railway room I cannot remember having made that final check, I go back and re-check.

Maybe Howard would find it helpful to follow the same routine.

[HowardGWR]

Many thanks all. I think my problem resulted from the fact that I had the soldering iron and anglepoise plugged into different banks of points fed on opposite sides of the room. At the moment I would also be cutting off the Internet modem, etc, if I did what Martin does.

My other problem is my working method and this relates to Martin's excellent advice.

I don't model in the modelling room. I model on the dining room table and 'nip out' to the spare room (desktop computer, library, workbench) when I need to drill or solder something. It'll be the same thing with the lathe when I have figured out how to use it!

Your points give food for thought though. Oh,to be methodical. Regards, Howard

[Terry Bendall]

If you look far enough you should be able to buy a 13 amp plug that has a red neon indicator built into the top. Replacing the plug that is fitted to the soldering iron already with one of these would be a visual indication that the soldering iron is switched on. I have one of these that I bought a long time ago but they don't seem to be very common. The alternative is to replace the socket outlet with one that has neon indicators built into the front panel. This of course needs some skills to fit which not everyone will have and if you are not sure then it is best to employ someone who does.

Terry Bendall

[HowardGWR]

Thanks very much Terry. My wife has come up with something I had forgotten. Somewhere in the shed I have a couple of plugs that you can set a timer on. In other words if I set it to go off at, say 2300 then at least it will not be on all night. I believe they have two periods possible to set too. Just like the CH thermostat timer.

This would solve my plugs array problems. I think I wil also get a few 'lit up' plug devices too. That sounds a good move for other items like the transformers, which don't need to be on, warming themselves but nothing else..

[Tim V]

Suggest that isn't a good idea, as it will come on again next night.

It is possible to find one hour timers as part of 24 hour timers, might be a better idea.

I personally have all power arranged through one extension, so a four way socket on a long lead would supply the anglepoise and soldering iron. As a matter of course though I make a point of only putting the iron on when it is needed and immediately turning it off again, it only takes seconds for my iron to warm up. There are also instant on irons with triggers that could be worth looking at.

[steamraiser]

When I had my railway room in the loft wired, I had a master switch for all the sockets bar the lectric heater placed next to the light switch on the loft ladder frame work.
When I leave I turn both switches off, which only leaves the electric heater, which has it own thermostat, to be occsionally forgotten.

Gordon

[JerryO]

Another suggestion would be to use a Pneumatic Time Switch which are available from most DIY outlets. These switch off after a preset time, adjustable by user, and will not switch back on unless pressed again. You will need to couple this with a dedicated socket.

[Andy W]

I left an Antex 25w iron on loo long and the tip became blacked and pitted. Is there a way to nurse it back to health? In days of yore I know we could file down the tip and re-tin, but I don't think that's advisable these days. Is this so?

[grovenor-2685]

Tips are not solid copper these days but are plated, I think on top of iron, whatever if the plating is damaged its only fit for scrap. New tips are readily available for Antex.
Regards
Keith

[Andy W]

Thanks Keith

[allanferguson]

I have the same problem as Howard, being of failing mind . My solution was to spend 0.99 in Maplin, then spend 15 minutes dismantling my soldering station to wire a neon into the mains switch. At least I won't miss it when I take a quick look around before leaving the room.

Solder Stn 2.JPG

Allan F

[Terry Bendall]

A good ideal Allan and fine for those who know their way round inside the power supply unit. I don't like to spoil good ideas because of 'elf 'n' safety but anyone who fancies doing the same thing needs to be sure that they understand what is involved or find someone who does.

Terry Bendall

[allanferguson]

......anyone who fancies doing the same thing needs to be sure that they understand what is involved or find someone who does.

Terry Bendall

Quite right Terry, and I should have made the point -- don't mess with the mains unless you really know what you're about

Allan F

[frizby]

If you look far enough you should be able to buy a 13 amp plug that has a red neon indicator built into the top. Replacing the plug that is fitted to the soldering iron already with one of these would be a visual indication that the soldering iron is switched on. I have one of these that I bought a long time ago but they don't seem to be very common. The alternative is to replace the socket outlet with one that has neon indicators built into the front panel. This of course needs some skills to fit which not everyone will have and if you are not sure then it is best to employ someone who does.

Terry Bendall

Usual 1st stab!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1-x-SWITCHED-Whit ... 1e5a814a1c

Andy

[Philbax]

Here is a solution that does not need an electrician.
Use an adapter in the socket and run the soldering iron off it. At the same time run an standard lamp of if you are like me a worklamp. if the lamp is on then it is likely the soldering iron is too. As I do this I find I have the lampp on all the time, so when I switch the lampo off at the socket of course then everthing is off

rgds Phil

[paulwoodward]

I had the same concern, and found a simple and inexpensive solution in a local diy store (Wickes or Homebase I think) which is called a countdown timer.

It is like an adaptor plug which fits into the normal socket, and the soldering iron simply plugs into it.

There are buttons for setting a time for the iron to be on, in 5 minute segments up to an hour, and indicator lights. It will automatically switch off after the selected time. You can override the setting if you need more time or want to switch off manually. Cleverly, it memorises your last setting when switching on, which is helpful if, like me, you usually use the iron for relatively short periods of ten to fifteen minutes, for example.

From memory, about £10 or so.

Apologies if this has already come up in posts anywhere, but it certainly does the job.

[HowardGWR]

I forgot to reply to Tim V to say my Philips timer plugs have the ability just to turn off. The method is mechanical as a little plastic doofer (either green for go and red for stop) fits in to the time you want. They are different in operation as the red trips off and the green trips on. If you just want to make sure the thing goes off, you just put only the red doofer in at the time you want it to (say 2230). So even if you go away it will never come on again, as you have not put a green doofer in the timer plug. The plug can be turned on manually instead by twiddling the thing that is tripped by the green doofer instead of using the latter. My photo shews the green one set to come on after dinner but as I said, you don't need that.

I hope my technical explanation was not too difficult to follow. I tend to get gratuitously scientific I am afraid.

[frizby]

One will now forget the timer and spend some time wondering why the soldering iron doesn't work!
Been there -Done that!