Without soldering, today's day-to-day life would be very different. Most types of consumer gadgets, including televisions, mobile phones, MP3 players and computers, contain electronic circuit boards that rely on soldered joints to function. The origins of soldering date from about 3000 B.C. when metalworkers in Mesopotamia melted lead to join pieces of copper. Since then, jewelers, artists, scientists and tradespeople have adopted the techniques in pursuit of their crafts