Using Carbon Steel Woodruff Keys as Soldering Assistants

By Helen I. Driggs

I love my old-fashioned town hardware store as a go-to source for unique and useful parts to repurpose in my shop. Recently, I came across a small plastic pack of Woodruff keys in the hardware aisle, and my curiosity was piqued. These small, curved steel “keys” are typically used in machinery to prevent metal parts from sliding around when mounted on a metal shaft, such as in auto engines or other machines. To me, they looked like great solder station helpers specifically because they were made from carbon steel, meaning a non-stick solution under the flame.