Avoid the need to cool a soldering iron before placing it wherever it is kept, through the use of a hollow sheath that would protect the contents of your toolbox from the hot iron as it slowly dissipates its heat through several poorly heat-conducting alternating layers of ceramic and foam.
-- dsm, Oct 01 2002

I've successfully managed to burn holes in the carpet of two apartments now with my crappy soldering iron. You'd think I'd learn.
-- RayfordSteele, Oct 02 2002


Dunk in water. It's a good idea to unplug it first.
-- Mr Burns, Oct 02 2002


My Hakko portable soldering iron (battery-powered, not fuel-powered) came with a plastic sheath. I haven't actually had occasion to use the thing yet (in the ~4 years since I bought it), so I don't know how protective the sheath is against the residual heat. It clips onto the iron's body and doesn't touch the tip. IIRC, it has some vent holes in the end, like a pen cap, but much larger. The heat that escapes there, by convection and radiation, is probably not significantly dangerous even to tissue paper held against the holes.
-- notexactly, Jan 05 2019


This is an OK idea, but the sheath would get lost easily. Make it a retractable sheath - like a telescope tube.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jan 05 2019


One of those "Nobody's done this before?" moments. I've had lots of soldering irons and never seen it. [+]
-- doctorremulac3, Jan 05 2019


I'd just retract the heated tip. There's already an insulated part so you wouldn't really need to add anything except the slidy bits.
-- doctorremulac3, Jan 05 2019


No, because that means flexible cabling, as the element is usually inside, or underneath, the tip. Much better to have a cylindrical ceramic-lined sleeve that slides forward over the tip, and clips in place.

When retracted, it forms part of the handle.
-- 8th of 7, Jan 05 2019



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