3) The Soldering Iron and the Bowl

Prepare the heating element by using a hack saw to cut the plastic handle of the soldering iron in half. (cut perpendicular to the length of the handle.) It will cut through the wire too, but you'll clean it up afterward. Unscrew the soldering tip from the iron. Unfasten the wires so it looks like what's pictured here. About soldering irons: The soldering irons come with either a 1/8" or 1/4" screw-in tip. This 30-watt iron has a 1/8" tip, so I bought a brass adapter with a 1/8" end to screw into it. If you have a 40-watt soldering iron, you'll need a 1/4" brass adapter. The name of the brass adapter I got from Home DePot says, Hose Barb to MIP Adapter 1/8" x 1/4"