Solder bath apparatus

Solder bath apparatus comprising an open vessel for containing molten solder, a movable lid for covering said vessel, drive means for sliding said lid between an uncovered and covered position relative to said vessel in a plane that is substantially parallel to the surface of the molten solder in said vessel, a slag stripper fixed to said lid to be movable therewith and depending rigidly therefrom to extend at least partially into said molten solder so that said slag stripper will remove slag skin from the surface of the molten solder when said lid is moved from said covered to said uncovered position relative to said vessel, a ladle, ladle carrying means actuatable by said drive means for carrying said ladle into said vessel and the molten solder therein upon each movement of said lid to said covered position and out of said vessel upon each movement of said lid to said uncovered position.