Hey Old!

[moonlite 37]

We Missouri fellows need to stick together. I remember you needing a bigger soldering iron to solder a terminal into a starter. I remember when I was a kid a fellow had a carbon soldering iron he had made and I went home and made one like it.It was hust a short piece of 3/8 copper pipe with a wood handle on one end and a stick of carbon in the other end. I made my carbon from the center of a flashlight battery but such sticks are to be found at a welding supply house.
There was an insulated wire attached to the copper pipe near the handle with a heavy alligator clip at the other end. The alligator clip was attached to a 6 volt battery as that was the only size at that time. The work was grounded to the other post of the battery. We both used our carbon soldering irons to solder battery cable ends. Would be better now with an electric welder. No need for a big soldering iron.

 

[CENTAUR]

The one I made out of carbon arc rod.I used a5/16inch compression type fitting,split on one side with the hacksaw as the rod was less then the 5/16inch copper tubing I used and made a handle by lots of tape.That thing would heat up right now when put across a 6 volt battery.When they went to 12volt I made one a full rod length to control it. CENTAUR

 

[GeneMO]

I have found quite a few soldering coppers at antique stores and flea markets. The biggest one I found was about 1 1/2' X 4" with a handle about a foot and a half long. Of course these are made to be heated in a forge or with a torch.

I think I only paid $8 for the big one, but that was probably 25 years ago.

Gene