Do-it-yourself soldering iron at home in different ways. Homemade miniature low-voltage soldering iron How to assemble a soldering iron

Now in stores you can buy soldering irons for every taste and color. However, sometimes you want to create something with your own hands, especially if you have enough free time. Today's step-by-step review, which to the editorhomius sent by Leonid Vladimirovich Orenburkin from the city of Tver, he will talk about how to make a 12 V soldering iron from what almost every home craftsman has at hand.

Having worked for a long time as an electrician in the RES (regional power grids), I was forced to quit for health reasons, so there was more than enough free time. At first, I didn't know what to do with myself. And then one day the idea came to equip a small workshop. This is where my passion for DIY started. I would like to describe the manufacture of one of these in my article in the hope that it will be interesting to someone.

To begin with, a wooden handle was taken (it is better to take a birch or maple), turned "under the arm" and sanded. Any form can be given to it, but for the first time I did not do extra work. It should also not be made too long, although this is a matter of taste.

Next, a drill with a thick drill entered the work, on which, with the help of electrical tape, I marked the hole limiter. A depth of 2-3 cm for a 12 V mini-soldering iron was quite enough. A hole made in the center of the handle from the end will serve to install the power socket and pull wires to the heating element.

An identical hole was drilled on the reverse side, which will serve to install the soldering iron tip.

Preparation of grooves for the supply wire

At a distance of 2-3 cm from the edge where it is planned to install a socket for the power plug, we make markings for two holes (on opposite sides). For the convenience of measuring the distance, you can use the same drill with a depth marked with electrical tape. Having determined the location of the holes with a marker, we again take up the drill, but with an already thinner drill.

Drilling under the wires should be done at a slight angle - so it will be easier to stretch them later. As a result, it should turn out so that the wire enters from the end and, under a slight kink, is laid further, to the opposite end of the handle, on which the soldering iron tip will be located.

Now you need to make sure that the wires stretching from the power socket along the handle do not interfere when working with the soldering iron. To do this, from the holes to the edge where the sting will be located, I cut grooves. This is easy to do with a regular clerical knife. Of course, if the handle was made of pine, it would be much easier to cut through the fibers, but such material was “marked” immediately. The reason for this was that an additional coating of the handle was not planned, which means that there was a possibility that hands could get dirty in resin during work.

When the grooves are cut, it is advisable to work them out a little with a regular round needle file. Indeed, despite the handicraft production of a 12 V soldering iron, they are supposed to work, which means that accuracy here will not be superfluous at all. As a result, we got a handle with holes on both sides and grooves for the wire, which is ready for further work - assembling the filling of the device for soldering wires.

Mounting the soldering iron power socket, pulling wires

To the usual socket, suitable for the adapter from the old TV, I soldered 2 wires - red and black, which were first pulled through the center, and then spread out on both sides of the handle through thinner holes. The socket for connecting the plug from the power supply was immersed in the handle from the end, after which it was fixed with hot glue. It cools down quickly, after which, the connection becomes quite rigid.

Of course, it was possible to immediately stretch the wires from the adapter by cutting off the plug, but I decided that the option with a detachable power supply would be much more convenient not only during storage, but also during operation. And, looking ahead a little, I can say that I did not lose.

Choosing a copper core from a cable for a soldering iron tip

The sting should not be too thick so that the power of the adapter is enough to warm it up. However, too thin will be out of place here - it will bend at the slightest pressure, which is completely unacceptable. The optimal thickness was chosen by trial and error. In my case, it was 2.7 mm in diameter.

Having cut off a piece of copper wire of a suitable length, I installed it in the hole prepared in the handle (on the side opposite from the power socket). Previously, it was filled with building plaster. This material, in addition to rigid fixation of the sting, plays another important role. By absorbing heat, it will not allow the wood to burn out under the influence of high temperatures during the operation of the soldering iron.

Choosing a power supply with a 12 V output for a soldering iron

All adapters have differences in output current, so the length of the heating element in each case will have to be measured empirically. In my case, the output was 12 V / 1 A. In fact, a larger current for a miniature soldering iron is not required, so I was quite satisfied with such a power supply.

Measurements of the length of nichrome sufficient for the soldering iron

The thin nichrome wire that was used to make the heating element had to be connected to a power supply to figure out what the length should be. To do this, I screwed 2 screws into the bar, between which it was stretched. Further, with the help of "crocodiles", which gradually shifted, I determined the size at which the soldering iron will be heated to the melting temperature of the solder. In other words, nichrome should be red-hot.

Preparation of the sting, installation of the heater

Now it was necessary to isolate the sting from the nichrome. For this, fiberglass cambric was used. He was dressed on a copper core approximately to the middle, after which he was fixed along the edges with a thin copper wire. It is worth noting that it is not necessary to remove its ends - they should stick out by about 4-5 cm. In further work, this will come in handy for us.

A thin nichrome wire was wound over the fiberglass, measured in length earlier, its ends twisted with copper veins located at the beginning and at the end of the cambric. The result was a full-fledged heating element capable of raising the temperature of the sting to the required temperature.

It is worth noting here that the greater the length of the tip from the heater to the working edge, the longer the temperature will rise. With a low power supply and a soldering iron tip that is too long, it is possible that the device will not reach operating temperature at all. But here you can experiment and calculate everything in such a way that you end up with a kind of soldering station, which has lower operating temperatures for working with microcircuits and other SMD elements.

Final Assembly of the 12V Soldering Iron

For the final stage of assembly, 2 more pieces of thin heat-resistant cambric were needed. They were dressed on the "whiskers" of thin copper wires, to which a heating element was attached. Their free ends were twisted with wires coming from the power socket. After that, I thought that it would be nice to install a small toggle switch on the handle, which will allow you to turn off the voltage supply to the heater without pulling out the power supply from the socket or socket in the soldering iron handle. But this is particular. If any of the readers will collect such a device, you should keep in mind this possibility.

Final touches: we ennoble the appearance of a homemade soldering iron

In general, here you can get by with two pieces of electrical tape wrapped around the handle, which will fix the power wires. But here it is a matter of taste. Someone wants to completely wrap the handle with electrical tape or use other materials that will give the product an interesting appearance, this will not affect the performance of the soldering iron in any way. In any case, all electrical work has already been completed. You can proceed to the first inclusion of the soldering iron in the network and check it.

What happens when you turn it on for the first time: some nuances to consider

When a ready soldering iron powered by 12 V is first plugged into the network, and the nichrome heats up, the fiberglass under it begins to smoke heavily. This should not be scared - the insulating layer will not be able to burn out. I mentioned this because one of the "masters" tried to tell me that the soldering iron, assembled according to my method, is inoperable. And he made such a conclusion only on the basis of the appearance of smoke after the initial power supply to the heater.

After just a minute, the fiberglass will stop smoking. After waiting a bit, you can try to melt the solder. And here there is another nuance. If the power of the soldering iron is not enough to melt a thick bar of tin, this does not mean that the soldering iron made is inoperable. Such material requires high power and temperature. It is worth taking thin tin wire as solder. She makes work more fun.

Many people use homemade soldering irons. There are a lot of implementation options, since these tools are sculpted from what is at hand or easily found. The most time-consuming process of manufacturing a soldering iron, similar to the factory one, but of low power. Here is an example of what and how to make a miniature at home. It is assumed that the soldering iron will not receive power directly from the network, but through a 220/12 V transformer.

You will need the following materials:

copper wire with a diameter of 1.5 mm - about 40 mm long
copper foil - a small rectangle 30x10 mm or slightly larger
nichrome wire 0.2 mm - 350 mm
tin tube or piece of tin to make a casing for the heating element
silicate glue (liquid glass)
talc for manufacturing with the addition of silicate glue of the insulating layer
heat-resistant plastic handle
electrical cord with plug

You will also need some auxiliary things:

heat source (electric or gas oven)
standard tools (nippers, tweezers, pliers, file)
non-standard fixtures (something in the form of a narrow small spatula - wooden or plastic)
a lot of rags (remove very sticky insulating mixture from hands and tools)

Tool assembly sequence

The description of the process is given schematically, since the implementation usually does not cause difficulties.

Important! The finished soldering iron can be connected, as already mentioned, to the network through a transformer or to a 12-volt power supply rated for a current of 1 A.
Such a soldering iron can work with microcircuits, but care should be taken to protect against static electricity.

An alternative to such a soldering iron is of interest to those who are unpretentious about the appearance of the device, which will have to work. The feature of this solution is that a PEV-10 or PEV-7.5 resistor is used as a heating element. It remains to insert the sting, which is fixed in a copper tube tightly inserted into the resistor, and take care of good fixation of the resistor contacts, which do not withstand certain mechanical loads.

Video on how to make a mini soldering iron with your own hands

How to make a homemade mini soldering iron will help you figure out the following video:

The variety of modern soldering stations is amazing. Silicon, impulse, gas ... And you can make a traditional soldering iron (with a heating thread) with your own hands. This will be discussed in the material presented.

For any radio amateur, a soldering iron is the number one tool. Of course, in stores you can pick up an electrical appliance for every taste. However, it costs some money, and any master is interested in putting his hands on the manufacture of such a useful device. In addition, if you need a specific tool, only a home-made device can help out.

First, let's look at how the soldering iron works.

The basis is made by the case which mechanically protects a heating element. A two-piece handle is put on the body. Its task is to protect hands from high temperatures. Power wire runs through it.

The heating element (usually nichrome wire) is wound around an insulator, such as mica. Inside is a sting, which is fixed in the body with a screw.
There are also pulse devices, their principle of operation differs from the considered option.

How to make a simple soldering iron at home

First of all, you need to define the functions. The selected project will depend on this. You need a soldering iron for SMD elements, or for car maintenance. You can choose from several options.

Soldering iron for garage made of ceramic resistor C5-35V

Such resistors withstand high temperatures, have a power dissipation from 3 W to 150 W. The body of the element is made of heat-resistant ceramics, the working element is a nichrome thread.
We make a typical car soldering iron for emergency repair of wiring in the garage. Of course, the power will be from a 12 volt battery.

A C5-35V resistor with a resistance of 20 ohms and a power of 7 watts is suitable.

The handle is most convenient to make a pistol type. The material is textolite or ebonite, the main thing is good heat resistance and poor thermal conductivity.

We have a heating element (actually a resistor), now we will make a working sting and a conductor for heat transfer. It is necessary to pick up two copper rods. One is installed inside the C5-35V case and will serve as a thermal energy accumulator. The second bar, thinner, will be a working sting.

IMPORTANT! A thick bar must be fitted as tightly as possible to the inner diameter of the resistor, to reduce heat loss.

You can take the rod a little thicker, and grind it with sandpaper, rotating the drill in the chuck.

A soldering iron is an empty phrase for many, but for most men it is an indispensable tool in everyday life. And it doesn’t even matter if you are repairing electronics, or just an inquisitive mind does not give rest to your hands. In this article we will talk about creating a soldering iron with your own hands from improvised materials. But we’ll make a reservation right away that it’s easier to buy, it will be more reliable and safer for your health.

1 ) How to make a soldering iron with your own hands - a schematic diagram of a soldering iron

As you can see, the soldering iron is very simple in terms of design and everything you need to assemble it yourself at home is quite found in every home.

How to make a soldering iron with your own hands - what you need

Our current model soldering iron will run on a 12-14 volt battery. This is much safer than using 220 volts in a homemade soldering iron.

Li-ion rechargeable battery (quite suitable from a power tool or an old laptop).
A piece of single-core copper wire with a diameter of about two millimeters and a length of five to six centimeters. We will need it to wind the spiral.
Heat-resistant fiberglass tubes with different diameters of 3.8 and 1 mm to isolate the heating element from the metal casing (you can take it from an electric kettle).
Nichrome wire with a diameter of 0.3 mm (you can take it from an old hair dryer). The length of the wire will be selected empirically, depending on the power of the soldering iron and battery.
A segment of a telescopic antenna from a radio receiver with a diameter of 4 millimeters and a length of 3 centimeters.
A piece of copper single-core wire for a sting, with a diameter of 3.8 mm.
Wire for connecting power to the soldering iron.
Wooden or plastic tube for the handle.

How to make a soldering iron with your own hands - assembly

To begin with, we will manufacture the heating element.
We wind a nichrome thread on a piece of wire and, by selecting the length of the spiral, we will achieve heating in the aisles of 300 - 450 degrees Celsius.

Let's take the same piece of single-core copper wire and put a heat-resistant tube on it.
We wind the segment of the spiral selected by us on the tube.

We put thinner tubes on the ends of the spiral and place the whole structure inside another, thicker tube. Let's take out the copper wire (it has fulfilled its role and we don't need it anymore).

Everything, the heating element is ready. Now it remains to insert it inside the copper tube from the antenna and place our sting in it. We fix the sting in the tube with a self-tapping screw.

Our soldering iron is almost ready. It remains to attach the power wire to the ends of the spiral, insert the entire structure into the handle and connect to the power source.

Important: some non-combustible material must be placed between the handle and the antenna tube to avoid a fire. ZMP for this purpose is quite suitable.

Let's summarize all of the above. To create a soldering iron, you do not need any special knowledge and expensive components. But such homemade products should be done only when you need to solder something, but there is simply no soldering iron at hand. And there is simply no time for shopping trips with the aim of acquiring it. In all other cases, it is easier to buy it, especially since it does not cost a lot of money. But in terms of safety, the factory one is much more reliable than any kind of homemade products.

A soldering iron is an attribute of any radio amateur, from a professional to those who have just started. Today on sale you can find soldering irons or even soldering stations of any size. But they all have one big minus - they are quite rough and they have a large distance from the end of the sting to the edge of the handle. Such dimensions are convenient when soldering large parts, but when working with small elements, such devices are inconvenient, due to the fact that they are very heavy. position. Having looked through the schemes of miniature soldering irons on the Internet, I found that many of them have some design flaws: a non-replaceable tip, lack of grounding, and much more. So I decided to try to create more modernized“assistant” for a beginner radio amateur based on several instructions. The features of our future soldering iron include: a small distance from the end of the tip to the edge of the handle (~ 30 -40 mm), handle diameter (~ 15 mm), the ability to replace the tip and heating elements (reserve), ease of manufacture, which does not require any special knowledge.

Homemade miniature low-voltage soldering iron - drawing

As a handle, an ordinary brush was used, which was preliminarily polished and lacquered.
For a good fastening of the wires in the handle, I used such a homemade knot: I made a thread in a hollow rivet and glued it into the handle. Here you can easily fix the cable using the locking screw.
Then I moved on to the manufacture of mounts for the heat shield. They were also made from hollow rivets, but with a smaller diameter. M1.6 thread was created in them and glued into the handle holes.

The heating element was taken from an ordinary inexpensive Chinese soldering iron, after some manipulations with the dimensions, it fit perfectly with our device.

This element has a power of 7 watts and a length of 6.5 mm. Power is supplied by an adjustable power supply unit - from 0 ... 18 Volts. At the same time, the heating temperature can reach 280 degrees.
In the back of the pen was glued a regular spring, which can be borrowed from a regular ballpoint pen. This part is necessary to protect the power cable from breaking.
The ground and power wire is threaded in cambric. A socket for grounding is pressed into the main opening of the plug, which is designed for the cable, and the power cables are led out through an additional hole.
As you can see in the picture, the resulting home-made miniature low-voltage soldering iron in its dimensions barely casts from an ordinary fountain pen.