On Wed, 22 Sep 2010 23:15:47 -0700 (PDT), Michael
wrote:

Will wonders never cease... ok, I'm taking half of my wife's
dishwashing sponge then...

Don't do that. It's probably a plastic immitation sponge. It will
melt or burn nicely, even with sufficient water. The real soldering
iron sponges are cellulose and cost about $1 online. You can find
cellulose sponges at the market if you read the label carefully.

The other problem is that the household sponges are too thick. After
a few minutes, the water will dribble back into the base of the
sponge, leaving the top of the sponge quite dry and easy to burn. Too
thin is also a problem as you don't want to submerge the soldering
iron tip into a puddle of water. I'm too lazy to walk downstairs and
measure the official Weller sponge thickness, but try to get it close.
For a holder, I find glass ashtrays to be perfect.


--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558