Electronics > Beginners
Homebrew soldering iron.
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joeqsmith:
I mentioned that I wanted to run it from a 24V supply.  This was not some arbitrary number but dictated by my bench supply which is an old 24V, HP 6285A.    I also mentioned I could get almost 120 Watts with the heater I selected but that I would not use it, except when I wanted to heat the tip up from cold quickly.   

Now that the insulation can handle some fairly high temperatures, I tried to tune the startup.  It still needs a little work but this is about a 20 second ramp to reach 650F.   It's quicker than my old Pace.   

You can see, like any project, there is a bit to consider.   I doubt I will do anything more with it but again, if you decide to roll your own, I am interested in seeing what you come up with. 
vk6zgo:

--- Quote from: cdev on January 20, 2019, 07:30:12 pm ---There are countries where people who make >$2 a day are considered to be middle class. There, a $14 USD item costs an average worker a weeks wages. Plus there may be value added taxes.

:o

And if they go cashless, as some are pushing for (!!!) additional fees will likely apply.

--- End quote ---

Greybeards like myself can remember being paid wage rates like that.

Any useable soldering iron in those days would definitely have knocked a pretty savage hole in our pay packet.

From memory, back in 1959, when I was getting 5(A)Pounds ($A10) a week, a "Scope" brand iron was  "Two Pounds ten shillings" ($A4.50) "on special".

james_s:
Stuff was a whole lot more expensive back then. The upside though is that people could earn a decent wage building it. Now we borrow from our future by outsourcing manufacturing in order to be able to buy goods at far below the value of our own labor that would be required to build them. Then we complain about a lack of jobs.
Cliff Matthews:
Ah! core memories.. in the 70's I got over $2 an hour working for AEG Telefunken (2.65/hr slaving for my Pioneer SX-1010 :)
IanMacdonald:
I picked up a Hakko-style iron from a Chinese Ebay seller for £1. It was for some unspecified soldering station and I didn't have the right connector or control board, but it was easy enough to adapt it to work with a SMPS module as the temp control. Mainly wanted it for when two irons are needed on SMD work. Suppose I'd have been just as well getting a complete 'Yihua' or whatever station seeing how cheap they are, but sometimes there's satisfaction in achieving something at insanely low cost.  :-+
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