Heat proof mains cord

[Shrek]

I'm probably not the only one to put divots into the mains cord of my soldering iron; anyone know where I can find heat resistant mains cord?

 

[caroline!]

I believe you're looking for silicone insulated wiring.

PVC insulation should be fine though, unless it's directly in contact with the heating element.

 

[droid-I]

A cord for this is called ironing cable or wire.

 

[Shrek]

That's the problem, the cable can come into contact with the soldering tip

Silicone rubber might be exactly what I am looking for.

Ironing cable seems to have nylon braid these days and that melts too easily.

 

[droid-I]

I have used soldering irons of many a size and the cable sometimes hinders precision work.
There are battery powered soldering irons, but have no experience how well they work in home use.

 

[caroline!]

Clothes iron cable has silicone insulated wires but the exterior is indeed nylon or other syntethic fibre, you shouldn't expose that to direct heat as it'll burn.

Getting a stand or simply making sure the tip doesn't comes in contact with the cable ought to be enough tho.

 

[Shrek]

You are so very right; but life happens.

 

[Wirko]

Clothes iron cable has silicone insulated wires but the exterior is indeed nylon or other syntethic fibre, you shouldn't expose that to direct heat as it'll burn.

I think that's because silicone rubber has poor mechanical strength, which makes it unsuitable as outer insulation in mains power cables. It's very easy to cut through it with a knife or another sharp object.
I did have a soldering iron with a silicone rubber cable but it was a a part of a soldering station, operating at 24V/2A. Great cable, didn't get in the way because it was so flexible, and thin too as it only needed thin insulation for low voltage.

 

[qubit]

That's annoying when it happens and thankfully, it's never happened to me.

I don't think it's possible to get mains cable that can withstand the 2-300 centigrade temperature of a soldering iron - that's extremely hot by any measure - but it's possible to get tougher cable. I Googled "heat resistant mains cable" and got quite a few hits, so perhaps try that. At least you'll be able to replace the cable when it gets too damaged so you don't have to live with those unsightly and possibly unsafe melted spots.

Changing your working practice can help, too. Try to route the cable well away from the work area, perhaps by taping it down to the desk at a suitable point to help with this. This way it's less likely to get in the way of your movements when working.

 

[caroline!]

The cable on my soldering iron was too thick and stiff so I replaced it with one that's flat. Now I can work without twisting the cable to make the tip of the iron reach a certain spot. Not silicone rubber btw.

Exactly like this (alibaba pic)

 

[elghinnarisa]

You could probably find yourself some decent high temperature rated silicone hose you can thread over your mains cable, or a smaller piece/cutout from a larger benchmat to run the cable under. Not one of those PVC rubbish ones but a proper rubber ESD workbench mat, which will be burn proof.

 

[ThaiTaffy]

Silicone cables come in all types, finding 240v capable cable should be easy enough we use it for wiring sockets and lighting in high heat industrial areas such as forges and smelters. I'm also in the same situation at the moment and need to find some for my soldering iron.

You could probably find yourself some decent high temperature rated silicone hose you can thread over your mains cable, or a smaller piece/cutout from a larger benchmat to run the cable under. Not one of those PVC rubbish ones but a proper rubber ESD workbench mat, which will be burn proof.

The proper ESD workmats are silicone also

 

[elghinnarisa]

The proper ESD workmats are silicone also

They most certainly are not. ESD safe workmats are dissipative. Silicon mats are not dissipative, they insulating. A insulating mat can however be useful as well but for other reasons. I did mean rubber, because anti static mats are indeed rubber for the most part, 2-3 layer. SCS 8800 series, TS-TM06-12B as example. The only place you find silicon mats sold for ESD safety is amazon and aliexpress.

Either way, a silicon mat is great for heat protection, from a soldering iron as example. But so is a proper workbench mat which is also dissipative. What is easier to find where OP lives I do not know, but they are some alternatives if the cable cannot be finagled in to a position where it cannot be poked at.
A piece of silicon hose to thread over the lead can also work just fine as a way to protect it and should not be hard to come by.

 

[ThaiTaffy]

They most certainly are not. ESD safe workmats are dissipative. Silicon mats are not dissipative, they insulating. A insulating mat can however be useful as well but for other reasons. I did mean rubber, because anti static mats are indeed rubber for the most part, 2-3 layer. SCS 8800 series, TS-TM06-12B as example. The only place you find silicon mats sold for ESD safety is amazon and aliexpress.

Either way, a silicon mat is great for heat protection, from a soldering iron as example. But so is a proper workbench mat which is also dissipative. What is easier to find where OP lives I do not know, but they are some alternatives if the cable cannot be finagled in to a position where it cannot be poked at.
A piece of silicon hose to thread over the lead can also work just fine as a way to protect it and should not be hard to come by.

Sorry I stand corrected not actually comprehending what I was reading and just thinking about soldering personally I use a silicone mat for soldering and any real ESD sensitive work I do on my marking and measuring table, a grounded inch thick peice of hardened plate.

 

[caroline!]

You guys are using mats? That's some premium stuff, I've been using the same old wooden cutting board ever since I got my first iron ^^ has some battle scars on the sides from accidental contacts with the tip but you gotta consider I was a kid when I got that first iron so it was... expectable, I guess.