I've always wondered why soldering gun tips like this work so well:

http://www.cooperhandtools.com/brands/CF_Files/model_detail.cfm?upc=037103478818

The material appears to be made of the same alloy all the way through,
and it doesn't get thinner near the tip, so why is the very tip of it
the part that gets really hot?

Is it because the tip is somewhat equidistant from the fat connections,
so it starts off a little hotter, but then the temperature/resistance
coefficient causes a "thermal runaway"? Is that why when you are
soldering something big that's hard to heat up it helps to get the gun
hot first before plunging in?

Cheerful regards,

Bob




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