soldering with a lighter
 

Many of you probably figured this out already, but it was a revelation to
me. I recently had to do a quick field repair out of my car. I had a
voltage inverter and a small iron, but it didn't do very well. That iron
has always been wimpy, and between possibly low voltage and cold ambient
temperature it didn't work out. I then thought about how much my new
Scripto wind resistant long-necked lighter (the kind you use to light a
grill) looked like a small blow torch. It really puts out a good strong,
tight flame. It wasn't as precise as I would have liked, but it was plenty
hot and got the job done with only a few charred edges on the connector that
I was repairing. I tinned the free wire away from everything else, left a
small mouton blob hanging, quickly got it close to the multi-pin connector
where it had to go, and hit the connector very quickly with the flame. It
makes me wonder if a decent-quality little torch wouldn't be good for more
soldering jobs, especially on thick parts.