Lobster wrote:

I ordered the cheapo one, since from the picture it looks just the same
as my old one. But having unpacked it I find a label which states:

"Do not place this soldering mat onto surfaces which can be damaged by
heat, eg nylon carpets, painted surfaces. The intended purpose of using
this soldering mat is to prevent small drops of solder coming into
contact with other surfaces. It will not act as a heat barrier for much
larger items such as nozzles from gas torches"

So I'm puzzled. Is this warning for real, or is it just a disclaimer to
stop me from suing when my house burns down?.... is my new mat likely to
be just the same as the old one and can I carry on using it in the same
way?

How does it compare in construction to the old one? It will almost
certainly give some protection to the surrounding areas, but not being
padded like the posh one you will still get a significant temperature
rise behind it. I have managed to scorch things through the thin mats in
the past. The padded ones do control the temperature better.

Or is there a different mats which I should buy to use in this way? (I
note that Screwfix's dearer mat is still described as a 'soldering mat'
BTW.

The page title on the cheap one describes it as a drip mat rather than a
soldering mat.

--
Cheers,

John.

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