Introduction: Make a Soldering Iron!
Hello! This is my first instructible so please excuse any mistakes I may have made. This instructible is on a diy soldering iron! Why spend an upwards of 20 dollars when you can make one for about 4 dollars!
Step 1: Materials
2 jumper cables,
6 volt battery( 4.5Ah),
Pencil,
Solder!
Step 2: Tools
Gloves(optional, as the alligator clip gets very hot),
A set of safety or welding goggles,
Pencil sharpener,
Your hands,
And an open imagination!
Step 3: Putting It Together
First, you want to put the green(or black) cable on the negative terminal of the battery.
The next step is to place your yellow or red jumper on the positive terminal.
Place the graphite(taken from a sharpened, broken pencil graphite) in the alligator clip on the green cable.
Lastly, place the solder in the yellow clip.
Your done!
Step 4: Using the Iron!
To use the iron, just touch the graphite to the solder and the solder will melt!
Now use your imagination for the uses of this iron!(hmmmmm..... maybe a micro welder...)
12 Comments
6 years ago
mine isn't melting solder. im using 11.5v. whats wrong
7 years ago
this looks very easy to make ill try it
9 years ago
I actually do have a soldering iron. This just might work in a great emergency, but you could just go to radio shack with 10 bucks and pick up the soldering iron that I have(It's a great starter iron, but the tips degrade slowly over time, which is why I bought a higher quality soldering gun)
10 years ago on Introduction
Be careful what you solder with this, as the voltage from the battery can easily be applied to the components you are "soldering". 6v will easily kill TTL and LV TTL items.
Before you say "but it's 0v, as they are shorted together". Yes, mostly. It's the tiny little OOPS moment when it's not.
And as for temperature control, there is non. That's why spend $20 on a real iron. A decent soldering iron is an investment, yes: this is more what MacGyver would do in an emergency :)
10 years ago
That is right. This iron is only good for use in a short period of time
10 years ago on Introduction
Hello there,
Just a quick question. Does the Graphite degrade or mix with Solder at all?
I'm pretty sure that Graphite has a high insulation factor. If so, when mixed with solder it'd be constantly exposed to a current and produce a lot of heat, Right?
I know soldering doesn't specifically apply to electronics, but is this safe to use on them?
P.S. I don't mean to shoot down your first Instructable, as I'm curious just to see if this works well. Could be a nifty portable Iron, and really useful :)
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
Err.... no. Graphite is an excellent conductor. On the other hand, graphite in solder does create other problems regarding the crystal structure of the metals. But if you have to solder in this MacGyver style, that's probably your least concern.
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
Apologies, i was thinking of how you can create a "light bulb filament", or a substitute, and Graphite's reactiveness in that specific scenario.I really don't know all that well.
I may pick up a 6v on my next trip to town, i think i will try this.
10 years ago
This could also be titled " how to blow up a battery by making a dead short" in a situation where being able to solder something could save your life, this is worth knowing about; otherwise it's asking for a quick trip to the ER.
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
+1 - Good for MacGyver, bad for soldering.
Why spend 20$ instead of 4$? Because nothing can blow up, you don't burn your fingers, you can produce high quality joints ...
Btw. It's not the job of a soldering iron to melt solder. The job is to get two pieces of metal so hot that the solder melts around them and creates a metal-metal connection. (but not so hot that any component breaks)
10 years ago
The graphite does degrade slowly over time. I also think that this is more of a metalwork and wire soldering iron than a electronics soldering iron. Also, a word of advice. The iron does work, but don't use it for long and have a set of safety goggles on.
10 years ago
I have just added a set of safety goggles to the tools step