Add automatic tip power off to soldering station

[thomasa88]

I have a soldering station bought at a local reseller which I think is a Zhongdi white label station. It was bought 2020.

It works quite well, but I tend to sometimes start thinking and then forgetting the iron on for some minutes before I solder the next joint and I tend to have to use tip cleaner on the tips quite after a few soldering sessions. I have seen that more expensive stations automatically lowers the temperature when you put the pen in the stand. Do you think it would be possible to mod my station to have the same feature?

Ideas:
Add a long-tongued switch to the stand, that is pressed when the pen is put in it which
* cuts the power to the whole circuitry,
* cuts the power to the heater (I guess this will make the regulation try to raise the temperature),
* indicates a very high temperature to the temperature sensor (If I see temp 500C, I know that the heating is paused),
* makes the + and - temp buttons be pressed for x seconds when pen is inserted or removed.

Ideally, I think I want the heating to not turn of completely, just lower the temperature to a "safe" one.

Thoughts?

[Teledog]

JBC irons do that, ..but horrendously expensive.
For a low-buck unit, .. I use a wind/clock timer mechanism in an electrical box for my hot glue guns  (I always seem to leave them on)
ie: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32950908666.html
Add an indicator light & input/outlets & good to go
Note: This is for OFF-ON only though! ..no warm state
G'Luck!

[JustMeHere]

I'd put this and a wall socket in an out door electrical box.

https://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-RPLS730B1000-7-Day-Programmable-Switch/dp/B004SOZHXY

Get an appliance replacement cord.

And make this: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71QzvlwE9PL.jpg

[inse]

Additional sensing idea: a contact spring or brush that touches the metal sleeve of the iron in the stand. Assuming the iron is grounded, you should be able to check a ground loop being closed.
Without modification on the base unit, maybe a ‚time relay‘ circuit switching the entire unit on for a couple of seconds and off for a couple of more seconds to achieve the desired temperature reduction.
And completely off after x cycles, so microcontroller required or logic gates…