OLD HARD DISK AS a SOLDERING BASE

Intro: OLD HARD DISK AS a SOLDERING BASE

The idea is to have a solid and a heavy soledring base, with all we need when we work. We need an old and nonfunctional 3,5' hard disk. Also we need a star shaped screwdriver special for hard disk screws. Here in Greece i found the TB X 50 but i don't know if it's the same elsewhere.
So, we take them off all six on the top and we remove the upper cover. We will need the under cover so we have some work to do. With the same screwdriver we remove the circuit from the bottom, and the rotor with the disks . The purpose is to get the undercover only .

STEP 1: The Undercover

Now after hard work we got the black under cover of our hard disk. Now before we proceed i will so you the general idea of our project.

Something like that in the image below. The hard disk undercover give us a lot o space to put some extra things like the sponge, the soldering gel (i know there's a hole there!!!) and some soldering wire, and the same the soldering gun.

STEP 2: Building the Solderin Base

Ok, now we need a long spring for our soldering gun. We have two options. 1. We make it using a havy duty steel wire of diameter 2mm.or 2. we buy it ready from our local electronics supply store.

I know the image is blur (i sould use the tripod) but you get the whole idea.

Now we need the screws to hold the soldering holder to the hard disk under cover.

I used the screws like the image below. The butterfly shaped screw goes on top.

After the mouning of the soldering holder our solderin base looks like the image below.

STEP 3: Some Extra Things to Make the Perfect Job.

Now our soldering base its done .But we need to add some extra things to make it working better...:)))

Ok, first we need the sponge. You can buy it or make it from mam's old sponge. There's plenty room in our soldering base to place the sponge but i gave an idea in the previous steps. What else we need? Oh yes the soldering gel. i use it a lot, so was annoying to open the box and close it again and again.
So i took the aluminum case from a small candle and i put the appropriate amount of soldering gel and i put it in the hole of our soldering base like i so you in the first step. Now i work fine, and always i have my soldering gel in use....


I hope enjoy it this easy project as i do. The purpose was to get a solid soldering base.
Thanks all you read this...

also my excuses for my bad English...
bye Agis

Comments

[magic eye]

As i told you in other posts of your instructables....every instructable shows how smart you are....you have the ability to turn simple things to other useful items...Greate idea....still loving you man!!!

[agis68]

Thanx...woman? Yeap Iam smart i guess. Thanx ...for loving me...hahaha have a nice day my love!!! ;))

[profpat]

Now why i didnt think of that? ingenious! i do have lots of defective hard disk in my shop, will just transfer my soldering iron coiled holder to one them...

[agis68]

thanks dude.... send me your project image to have it here!!!

[Patented]

Hey,  thanks for this idea, I was using a wood base, but it was to light so I screwed some weight but this will be better , and I have couple of hard drive lying !

[agis68]

 This is much better than a wooden base. Its heavy enough and solid  and has enough space as I said for the solid gun and all the items we use with it (like the sponge. the flux etc) And i tested with many different kind of soldering guns and all are fitting ok....

[jpmartineau]

In case you were wondering, that "star shaped" screw is a Torx screw.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_10664)

[nf119]

I looked at the first picture in step 1 and I was like this is stupid and then I scrolled down to step three and marveled to the final masterpiece. Good job! It look really nice. I suggest that you move your final photo to the intro for people like me who judge an instructable by its first few pictures.

[agis68]

Hahaha....ok no offense, Some pics are really blury but you got the image. The idea came to me when my wife brought to me as a gift the usual one soledring base from the local store. I use a lot of the soldering gun and that base wasn't enough for me. And the suddenly i had this idea. Also i had an old 40Gb western digital witch worked pefect.....

[GorillazMiko]

Awesome, and simple! Great job, this is just incredible! Might try this out with all those dead harddrives lying around..

[mikedoth]

This is a great idea. I think i'm going to also remake the helping hands one I did using a heatsink.

[shooby]

Awesome idea, looks like it work's perfectly