[Jewelry making - Article 00642] - Re: [Orchid] Soldering station

[Donna Hawk]

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    My 'bench' is a table in the dining room, with a second table for
    the pickle pot and magnetic finisher. The tiny galley kitchen houses
    the ultrasonic and the bicarb pickle neutralizer. I only began
    soldering last year, and have no place for a permanent, vented
    soldering station, so I came up with the following workaround to
    address my health and safety concerns... 

    I use the stove vent hood, which is NOT a recirculating vent and
    have stainless covers for all the stove's burners. I originally
    balanced my large base soldering pad on the front two burner covers
    but have since gotten a three wheeled rolling laptop table that is
    adjustable in height and allows me to sit comfortably. When not in
    use I clean up the debris, move everything to the middle of the table
    surface, cover it and roll it into the pantry. Since I am working in
    the kitchen I am absolutely obsessive about cleaning up before AND
    after to revent cross-contamination and/or poisoning. I use a strong
    (food grade) citric acid pickle for the same reasons - and it does a
    fine job on the silver I currently work in. I queue up my soldering
    jobs so that I get the most bang for my soldering time. 

    Steamer Stand-In For those who need an occasional blast of steam to
    clean out pieces but just can't justify the $$$ for a REAL steamer,
    you might check to see if you have a 'Tuesday Morning' closeout
    center in your area. They are currently running Eureka Handy Steamers
    for $40 (original list is $79). It takes 3 - 5 minutes to warm up and
    I wouldn't recommend leaving it on for extended periods of time, but
    the steam pressure it puts out with the small nozzle attachment is
    impressive. I use a small velcro strap (designed to tame excess
    length in various chords) to hold down the thumb button that releases
    the steam. 

    Personality Tests Along with Meyers-Briggs testing, I'd love to know
    where everyone shakes out using the Enneagram, which I've found to be
    most useful in allowing me to communicate with customers and/or
    decipher what they are REALLY after vs. what they ASK for! 

    Thanks for the great threads we've been having lately! 

Donna Hawk
www.donnahawkdesigns.com 



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