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Step 7The element and ceramic tube
This is essentially the operating end of everything.
OVERVIEW: First off, I needed a heating element. I figured I could down size the broken heating elements rated for 240 volts AC to fit inside the ceramic tubing and have it run quiet well on twelve volts. The amperage was an issue to worry about and could be fixed by varying the length of coil to get the desired heat output. Too much coil and I will need to use more volts and/or amps...too little and I overheat the coil and snap the link. I experimented with a few lengths of coil using power from my small 12 volt lead acid batteries and found a length that gave off enough heat (145 degrees centigrade) as a starting figure. I inserted the coil into the ceramic tubing, ensuring I had no sharp bends and sufficiently long lengths of straight wire running from the coil. The long lengths were to give me enough room to play with when I go to fit this baby inside the shaft of my soldering iron. Also the long lengths enabled me to place the heating element further away from the handle of the iron. It would seem that the entire solder iron was made to be reverse engineered for use with hot air flow. I notice other people on the web have had similar thoughts.
OVERVIEW: First off, I needed a heating element. I figured I could down size the broken heating elements rated for 240 volts AC to fit inside the ceramic tubing and have it run quiet well on twelve volts. The amperage was an issue to worry about and could be fixed by varying the length of coil to get the desired heat output. Too much coil and I will need to use more volts and/or amps...too little and I overheat the coil and snap the link. I experimented with a few lengths of coil using power from my small 12 volt lead acid batteries and found a length that gave off enough heat (145 degrees centigrade) as a starting figure. I inserted the coil into the ceramic tubing, ensuring I had no sharp bends and sufficiently long lengths of straight wire running from the coil. The long lengths were to give me enough room to play with when I go to fit this baby inside the shaft of my soldering iron. Also the long lengths enabled me to place the heating element further away from the handle of the iron. It would seem that the entire solder iron was made to be reverse engineered for use with hot air flow. I notice other people on the web have had similar thoughts.
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