How to keep soldering iron cords neat?

[JGAN]

Anybody got a good way of keeping your soldering iron cords from getting caught and tangled on things? Mine keep snagging on my armrest and fly around whenever I move my chair. Not fun having hot irons flying around or bending $60 tips when they fall off the desk.

[John Coloccia]

Look what JBC does. Get the wires in the air instead of dangling...use a hook, string, whatever. I have a JBC station and I can tell you that's quite effective.

[Ian.M]

Get rid of the armrests!

[Kilrah]

+1, don't need them anyway

[Cerebus]

First thing I've always done with a new soldering iron is to replace the flex with top quality silicone rubber flex. It makes handling *much* easier. The high flexibility means that it doesn't drag or fight back when you're moving the iron around. It doesn't tangle too and has a slight self straightening quality which means it doesn't remember the kinks from being folded away in the tool box or a drawer. It's highly heat resistant too - the best stuff won't melt if you leave your iron resting on it by accident but it's best not to push it too far deliberately. The best stuff I ever had was specifically rated for wiring fire alarms.

[KL27x]

If his tips cost $60.00, I hope the iron has a good cord on it, lol.

Anybody got a good way of keeping your soldering iron cords from getting caught and tangled on things? Mine keep snagging on my armrest and fly around whenever I move my chair. Not fun having hot irons flying around or bending $60 tips when they fall off the desk.

I use a 2 piece station + holder, and both pieces sit directly under my bench surface when not in use. Front right. I just let the cord dangle, but it's recessed a little from the front edge of my bench surface. When using the iron, I move the soldering iron stand to the top of the bench and then put it back when I'm done. The only thing the cord ever catches on is my right knee, occasionally, while soldering.

The hot air station is the bigger bother. I have that set on my bench a little further to the right, with a slot cut into the bench where the hose dangles, so it is also recessed. And there's room to temporarily set/stack work in front of the station.

This is all carefully arranged so that I can use these tools under the microscope. The soldering iron has a lot of reach, but the hot air station doesn't. If I can't bring the work to this exact spot, then I have to get creative.