Introduction: Build a Cheap Soldering Iron Holder
This is a soldering iron holder that I built for less than $10. It will hold multiple soldering irons or desoldering irons, and it supports the iron by the handle, so that the iron's heat is not wasted by heating up the soldering iron holder itself.
Step 1: Materials and Tools Needed
List of materials:
1. Metal electrical box. You can pick this up at a hardware store. The one I am using is a square, deep-well galvanized box. It is a 2-gang size, 4 inches square, meaning that you could fit two standard switches or outlets inside it. The deep well holds the soldering irons at a steeper angle, but you don't necessarily need it for the holder to work. A 2-gang box means that I can have two (or even three) soldering irons stored in it, so if you only need one iron at a time, a smaller electrical box can be used.
2. A piece of scrap 2x4 wood, 3 or 4 inches long. This will elevate the soldering irons so that the tips don't accidentally touch the worktable.
3. A larger piece of scrap wood for the base. Mine is a piece of 1x10 pine.
4. Wood screws. The ones used here are one and a half inch deck screws. They just have to be long enough to go through your base wood and into the 2x4.
You will need a hammer and screwdriver to assemble this. In addition, I recommend a drill fitted with a screwdriver tip to speed up assembly.
Step 2: Assemble the Base
Place the scrap of 2x4 onto the center of the piece of wood serving as the base.
Flip the whole thing over and screw the base to the 2x4 using 2 screws. When finished, the base assembly should look like the one in the third picture.
Step 3: Install the Electrical Box
Open up some of the holes in the electrical box. Place the screwdriver tip onto one of the knockout holes and tap it with a hammer to loosen it, and then bend it back and forth with your fingers to break it off. Give the resulting metal disk to your kids for use as play coins.
Use a few screws to attach the box to the 2x4.
Step 4: Finished!
My base scrap of wood is not quite big enough to mount the damp sponge on it, so if you want your sponge nearby, use a larger scrap of wood than I did. Still, this meets my soldering station needs, and it was dead easy and cheap as chips to build.
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4 Comments
7 years ago
I use the box from a PC power supply withe guts removed.There are a lot of convienient openings that cradle both ends of the iron,and the lattice pattern helps keep the metal cool.The one they show here looks dangerous.Why buy when you can scrap it together?
13 years ago on Introduction
I need that! Thanks!!
13 years ago on Introduction
Nice, I would still think you need to put a "cage" around the hot end sticking out. Maybe a piece of stiff coathanger wire in a stretched spring shape screwed on to the opening. There are a few times I've caught the cord and dragged the iron across the workbench. Your idea would be good for hot glue guns too.
There may be sharp burr from breaking out the punchout coins. Make sure you file them smooth so kids don't cut themselves, let them make mini ninja stars if they want to do that.
13 years ago on Introduction
Cool idea. I do a lot of wood burning art. This is neat.