So what does it mean when your soldering iron goes blue?

[Herr Masel]

i think your iron is set too high, I have a Weller solder station.  If you put the variable control on 5(max) the iron turns brown, same as yours, if i turn i todwn to 3, it is perfect.  I turn the iron on, with the control on 5(max), in about 30 seconds it is heated to melt solder,  i then quickly tin it, it runs perfect and tins the tip uniformly, with no globs or anything hangin(unless you apply too much solder), i then put the iron in the holder and then turn the control down to 3, it stays tinned, and is hot enough to solder with, actually perfect for wires, switch, and i turn it down to 2 1/2 for resistors an caps, etc,... so that when i'm done with heating the joint it cools quickly, and it doesn't stay too hot, and move, on me,...

The radio shack irons are junk, and they turn brown like this easily, becuase you can't adjust it, they are mainly for light hobby work i think,....

So, try tunring the temp/watts down a little,... 

Gotcha, I should of had known that the cheap iron would end up shooting me in the back. I have a volume problem on the tremolo I re-did yesterday that is probably due to cold soldering joints. I won't mistreat my minio..er components this way again. Thanks!

[formerMember1]

look around on the forum if you are gonna get a new iron, i like my weller, but there was a thread from peter snowberg, or paul perry frostwave, i can't remember which one, and they talked about what variable irons are good,

the only thing i wish my iron had differently was a grounded tip, but otherwise i like it, and i don't even know if i am gonna need a grounded tip for the pedals i build though,..

good luck,... 

[gaussmarkov]

the only thing i wish my iron had differently was a grounded tip, but otherwise i like it, and i don't even know if i am gonna need a grounded tip for the pedals i build though,..

hmm. funny you should mention that.  i didn't even know there was such a thing.  but i know that it can be useful!  according to craig anderton's book, musical projects, the cd4049ube is easily zapped by static electricity.  he advises you to unplug your iron every time you solder this chip with it.

the cd4049ube is in the red llama, the hot harmonics, and the 3 legged dog--some very tubish pedals.