Soldering instrument safety improvements

It is an object of the present invention to make soldering instruments safer and easier to use. According to one aspect of the present invention, a non-heatsinking, protective shield is provided around the soldering tip of the solder iron. This heat shield covers the iron`s hot tip throughout the soldering process with the exception of the time needed to perform an actual solder connection using the tip. The shield protects the user or nearby personnel from harm when the soldering iron is at elevated temperatures (500{degrees}F to 800{degrees}F).Moreover, the shield is capable of preventing fires which might result if the iron`s tip inadvertently comes into contact with an object that can be easily ignited, e.g. paper. In addition, an air vacuum system is incorporated into the shield to remove the solder smoke