Is it safe to use a damp sponge when cooling the tip of a soldering iron?
If I used said sponge without unplugging the soldering iron by mistake, is that still safe?
Almost every [u]soldering station[/u] includes a sponge for cleaning excess solder & flux from a hot iron.
If I'm changing a tip when it's hot, I'll usually drop it on the sponge to cool it.
But of course, if you leave it in contact with the sponge for a long time the water will evaporate and "bad things" could happen.
Clefsphere:
Is it safe to use a damp sponge when cooling the tip of a soldering iron?If I used said sponge without unplugging the soldering iron by mistake, is that still safe?
Use the damp sponge or damp rag to clean the tip just BEFORE making the solder connection. Leave any excess solder on the tip to protect the plating on the tip.
Paul
Damp sponge Good 
Soggy sponge Bad 
I clean my soldering iron tip between my finger and thumb. I've yet to meet anyone else that does this. No, it doesn't burn if you do it quickly enough.
PerryBebbington:
I clean my soldering iron tip between my finger and thumb. I've yet to meet anyone else that does this. No, it doesn't burn if you do it quickly enough.
You can do this because you are God.
I clean my soldering iron tip between my finger and thumb.
I just wipe it off on my forearm. It doesn't hurt much but makes a funny smell...
You can do this because you are God.
I just wipe it off on my forearm. It doesn't hurt much but makes a funny smell...
ROFLMAO! ! ! !
++Karma;
++Karma;
You can do this because you are God.
(God member)
raschemmel:
(God member)
Post 41
https://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=627286.msg4260542#msg4260542
For some reason I am a God member. Why a God member? What has God got to do with electronics and God? Oh well, this post brings me one step closer to 1000.
ROFLMAO! ! ! !
When you have a bad board that you can't fix, you start praying ...
Oh well, this post brings me one step closer to 1000
You think you're going to get a 1K patch or something ?
PerryBebbington:
I clean my soldering iron tip between my finger and thumb. I've yet to meet anyone else that does this. No, it doesn't burn if you do it quickly enough.
You mean noone else cleans their iron between your finger and thumb?
PerryBebbington:
I clean my soldering iron tip between my finger and thumb. I've yet to meet anyone else that does this. No, it doesn't burn if you do it quickly enough.
Did you know there's some footage of you doing that ?
The photographer who took that shot should be fired.
You mean noone else cleans their iron between your finger and thumb?
;D
Fired or fried?
Tells you more about the model perhaps. 
Clearly never actually used a soldering iron. My granddaughter would have picked that fake if she were here. Show and tell (tell at least): "I've been soldering with Grandpa!"
I guess it's safe to say it wasn't plugged in ?
raschemmel:
I guess it's safe to say it wasn't plugged in ?
Unless she is a God member.
Okay, enough is enough.
Looks like we have started a whole new meme.
NEW PEOPLE, S T O P ALREADY!
We were just kidding!
Reminds me of the TV series Blake's 7, with the 'Intergalactic Communicators', or solder suckers to people on here.
I once worked 27 hours straight to finish a project with a 'drop dead' deadline. It was for an event that had
been scheduled and if your equipment didn't pass the Fire Marshal pre-test at 12 noon on the day of the event scheduled for 7pm (vip awards banquet with William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy as guest speakers).
The lighting controller, (the same one that I used the gallon of yellow paint for) wasn't finished. At 2:00 in the morning (in Paramount Studios Sound Stage 13, the same one the first Star Trek movie was filmed in) I dozed off with the hot soldering iron in my right hand. My left hand happened to be palm up as my right arm drooped down when I fell asleep and the hot tip of the iron came down in the middle of my left palm. Because I was asleep, there was nothing to stop it from moving so it remained pressed against my palm until my brain woke me up and jerked my arm away. I woke up immediately and was strangely wide awake enough to finish my controller. I connected the last wire 15 minutes before the pre-test and it worked perfectly. At 12 noon the Fire Marshall signed off my equipment and we were officially approved to stay for the event. Anyone whose equipment did not work in the pretest was ordered by the Fire Marshal to immediately remove all their equipment and vacate the premises , no questions asked. No extra time was
given. You either passed with flying colors or you were evicted with extreme prejudice (dragged kicking and screaming as it were) from the premises. What's the moral of the story ? "Sometimes it's good to be burned by your soldering iron..."