: I'm kinda concerned about using wet strips with both hands around
: those exposed electric contacts at the thermostat. That iron is
: probably drawing 10 to 12 amps at 110 volts--plenty of juice
: going through that to do some spot welds in sheet metal, or to
: stop your heart.

: See what kind of a heat-resistant, waterproof, cover you can rig up
: to cover the electrical parts. If you are getting the iron hot
: enough to scorch wood it is getting over 400 degrees F, so you
: may need a really-high-melting-point plastic, metal, or ceramic.

: Here's a thought: An artist's terra cotta modeling clay doesn't
: need to be fired in a kiln. cover the guts of your COLD iron
: with some plastic wrap, or foil to keep the guts clean, and form
: a blob of clay over it. Let the clay harden a day, remove it
: from the iron so the inside can dry completely, remove your
: plastic wrap, and after a few days you can reinstall the
: hardened shell over your iron. Cycle the iron for a few minutes
: at a time until you are sure the clay is bone dry.

: Other ceramic options might be plaster of paris, sand mix concrete,
: or refractory cement like they use for cementing firebrick
: together in kilns, foundrys, etc.

: You can spray-paint it with a high-temp paint such as used on
: woodstoves or BBQ grills to keep it from absorbing any water
: drops that might drip on it.

: Good luck and stay safe.

: PGJ

At the very least, run this setup on a GFI plug for safety. The electrician in me cringed when I saw that pic.

Kirk