Blog / Beginners

I just went to the retail display where we keep pliers.  There were 7 different ones.  So many pliers—so many uses!  Or just a little difference, like the width of the jaws that someone might prefer.  

Your first plier should be a breaker/grozer. Double duty! Their primary function is to grasp the glass securely on one side of a score when breaking it apart. Both jaws have serrated teeth to assist in their second duty, grozing.

Second pair you should buy is probably a running plier. This plier is designed to apply pressure under a score causing the break to follow (run) along the score line. Metal ones have the advantage of being adjustable for the thickness of the glass you are working with. Plastic also available.

Breakers. These have straight jaws and are designed to grasps the glass to assist in breaking long thin pieces of glass. The wide jaws meet only at the tip and not serrated.

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Plugging a soldering iron into a rheostat (or temperature controller) does NOT reduce the temperature. It reduces the amount of electricity coming in but doesn't change the temperature the iron will heat up to. It will just take longer to heat up. It's the same as the tap on your sink. Turning the tap down will make the water come in slower, but the water will still fill up your sink. It'll just take longer to fill up.

1. Basic Concept of a Rheostat:

• A rheostat is a variable resistor. It adjusts the resistance in a circuit, which in turn controls the current flow.
• By increasing the resistance, the current flowing through the circuit decreases, which reduces the power delivered to the soldering iron.
• Conversely, reducing the resistance increases the current flow, increasing the power to the soldering iron and therefore the temperature.

2. Operation with a Soldering Iron:

• Input Voltage: When a soldering iron is plugged into the rheostat, the device controls how much of the mains voltage reaches the iron.
• Power Control: Turning the rheostat's dial changes its resistance, altering the amount of current flowing through to the soldering iron’s heating element.
  • Higher Resistance = Less Power = Lower Temperature.
  • Lower Resistance = More Power = Higher Temperature.

The most popular iron right now is Hakko Fx601.  It comes with an internal thermostat.  A thermostat automatically maintains a set temperature.  That makes it way easier to learn to solder with a nice line.  If you don't have to constantly adjust for your temperature you will have an easier time.  

Not that there are not reasons for an iron with a rheostat.  One is price.  Not everyone wants to pay over $100 for an iron when they are first learning.  This person can buy an inexpensive 100-watt iron and hook it up to a rheostat and find out if they like the hobby. 

100 Watt Pro Soldering Iron – Stained Glass Express

Stained Glass Express