I thought Wikipedia would have the answer, but it does not.
I'm guessing it predates soldering - as we have clothes "irons" (which
may have actually been iron (wikipedia again deficient)) and the
phrase "strike while the iron is hot" - which I take to mean a
branding iron and they usually are iron 'cos that's what guys on farms
have handy.
Just a generic phrase for hot metal from back when there weren't many
around?
It's also just occurred to me that you'd want the handle to be iron
because it doesn't transfer heat well, and it's probably a bit hard to
fuse iron and copper manually.
PG
On 16/10/2009, at 7:38 PM, Stefan Trethan wrote:
> BELL SYSTEM PRACTICES
> Plant Series
> SECTION 075-160-301
> Issue 2, August, 1961
> AT&TCo Standard
> SCREWDRIVERS
> SELECTION, USE AND MAINTENANCE
>
> <http://www.telephonecollectors.org/DocumentLibrary/BSPs/075Division/075-160-301.pdf
> >
>
> Quote:
>
> <Do not stick a screwdriver in either the
> flame of a furnace or torch, or a pot of hot
> solder, as this will destroy the temper of the tool.
> Never use a screwdriver as a substitute for a
> soldering copper.>
>
> This is the only reference to a soldering copper I have ever seen, but
> it immediately caught my eye since I always thought iron is the wrong
> name.
> Anyway, it's just odd that they would use a name that doesn't appear
> to exist anywhere else.
>
> ST
>
> On Fri, Oct 16, 2009 at 9:54 AM, AD5VJ Bob <rtnmi@...>
> wrote:
> > No not sure, it has been a while. Could have been copper though I
> know it heated up really fast and stayed that way for quiet a
> > while.
> >
> > Bob AD5VJ
>