Blow Torch and Soldering Iron

 

Soldering is an ancient art.  Used mostly in the production of jewelry, samples of soldering in Roman gold jewelry date back to 5000 B.C.  Early examples of soldering in Mesopotamia dates to 4000 B.C.  Lead solders used to join copper have been found in that area dating to 3600 B.C.  Solders were found in King Tut’s tomb that date to 1350 B.C. 

 

So, it is not surprising that tools for soldering were brought by settlers to America.  The above photo shows a fairly recent set of soldering tools.  The blow torch pictured above carries a label, “Clayton & Lambert Mfg. Co.  Detroit MI   Pat'd Jan 4, 1921.”  This kind of blow torch took advantage of gasoline or similar petroleum products as a fuel.  Liquid gasoline from the tank was forced through a hot barrel where it vaporized and mixed with air to yield a high temperature flame. 

 

A soldering iron soaked in the hot flame of the blow torch was heated to do the actual soldering.  In the above photo, the soldering iron is laying over the barrel of the blow torch with the wooden handle in the upper left corner of the picture.  The business end of the soldering iron, which is made of copper, is the light colored object in the upper right of the picture.

 

Photo taken July 2005

 

Provided by Dorothy Bayes

 

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