What kind of soldering iron should I use for this project?
I’m working with thin aluminum sheets and I need to find a way to join the craft wire to it. I don’t want to resort to a torch because I’m a beginner and frankly, the thought of working with a torch makes me nervous. So, I think a hand held iron would be my best bet but where can I buy one and what are the best types?
I heard about ColdHeat but I read that it had gotten a lot of bad reviews. Are there any other brands out there that I can order from online?
Oh, I was mistaken, it’s tin, not aluminum. Yeesh, I’m such a newb at this. 
Does that help?
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I dont know of any solder that will stick to aluminum… could be wrong I dont think silver solder will work…
use acid core solder and you may need to use flux
The type of soldering iron depends on how large and what gauge material you are working with.
The ‘Best Types’ are a matter of opinion, and what you feel comfortable with.
I suggest a ‘dual heat’ soldering ‘gun’ with a high heat of 1500 watts.
That will get most materials hot enough to solder in a reasonably short time, as long as you use regular solder.
If you use ‘Silver solder’, you are going to need an acetelyene/oxygen torch, as it has a much higher melting temperature. I DON’T recommend this type solder for general craft work.
Also, for craft work I recommend acid core solder or solid solder and acid flux.
Hope this helps.
Check your melting temperatures on your metal and your solder. If I’m not mistaken, tin melts at a fairly low temperature–you may not be able to solder it at all (and definitely not with silver solder or traditional torch soldering techniques). You may want to consider cold joining it, either with a rivet, or by creatively bending the wire (if you flatten out the end of the wire, all sorts of possibilities open up).
Home depot or a craft store will have iron’s….