_Material:_ A piece of 1/2-in. round copper, 3 ins. long, a piece of
No. 8 wire, 18 ins. long, or a piece of light telephone or telegraph
wire will do. Some soft solder. Resin and sweet oil. Small piece of
clean tin. Manufactured fluid for soldering (used sometimes in place of
muriatic acid).
_Tools:_ Punch, vise, file, hammer.
[Illustration: Soldering iron]
Place the end of the copper rod in the fire and heat it red-hot. Take
it out of the fire and punch a hole about 1/2 in. from the end of the
rod, large enough to allow the No. 8 wire to go through. Push the wire
through this hole until half is on one side and half is on the other.
Bend the wire close up to the sides to form the handle. In order to
make this rigid, place the rod into the jaws of the vise and pinch the
wire into the copper rod. This prevents any swinging motion. Take hold
of both ends of the wire with the pincers and twist them close to the
copper rod. This makes a good handle. Heat the copper end of the rod
red-hot, and with a hammer flatten it to a four-sided tapering end
about one inch long and ending in a blunt point. (See picture.) Cool
off in water and file the end of soldering iron smooth.
Now it must be tinned. On your piece of tin place some soft solder,
oil, and resin. Heat the soldering iron hot enough to melt the solder,
rubbing it up and down on the tin, mixing all together. Do this on all
four sides, and in a little while you'll find the solder has covered
the end of the soldering iron. When this is done the iron is ready to
be used.