Soldering Iron to Soldering Tweezer Conversion

by IgorM92

14K12018

Intro: Soldering Iron to Soldering Tweezer Conversion

Hi.

In nowadays, lots of electronics are using SMD components, repairing such details with no specific equipment is tricky. Even if you need to replace the SMD LED, soldering and desoldering could be challenging without a heat fan or soldering tweezer. In my case, purchasing such not cheap device is not sensible. After some time of thinking, I decided to use only the stuff that already has.

Many of us have a couple of soldering irons and often they're identical, in my case, it's the same situation. I took a couple of soldering irons and created and hinge, with a tension spring in it. Now I can snap a couple of soldering irons and get a soldering tweezer, with separate temperature adjustment for each tip.

In this instructable, I'm delighted to share my implementation of such conversion with you.

STEP 1: Hinge Models

When I've started designing this hinge, decided to add some features. One of them is a range limit grove, it prevents moving solders on a huge distance and makes the tweezer handier. Another one is a grove for the spring, with its help spring will never slip and doesn't require extra materials or tools to fix it in place.

Models are ready for printing and could be printed with 0.2 mm layer thickness. Better to print with supports.

STEP 2: Assembling the Tweezer

This step is very easy and could be understood by images only.

#1 Install nuts in the inner hinge

#2 Install the spring on both hinges

#3 Place the screws on their places and tight them a little bit

#4 Snap the soldering irons on their places

STEP 3: Test!



After assembly, I've made a test recording that shows the soldering and desoldering process of the SMD components on the broken motherboard from a 3D printer and some other parts.

If you like it, please vote.

Thank you for reading!

15 Comments

jorbe 1 year ago

Hi, how long is the tension spring? I'm not talking about the diameter 4 o 5 mm. Many thanks.

JulianoS12 3 years ago

HELLO, WHERE DID YOU BUY THIS WELDING IRON? COULD I SEND THE LINK WHERE TO SELL? THANK YOU

Yonatan24 3 years ago

How do you deal with the tips oxidizing? Or is this not an issue?

IgorM92 3 years ago

It's not an issue, using high-quality tips and bras wool.

xenoscientific 4 years ago

I rarely comment on instructable, but this is the coolest idea I have seen in a long time! Desoldering is such a chore -- this looks like it could reduce my swear word count considerably.

IgorM92 4 years ago

Thanks for such words.
This conversion idea helps a lot.
After installing soldering tips like 900M-T-K series, you'll be able to work even 4-8 pin components, like desoldering buttons, diode bridges and other elements in SO-8 package. :)

ronopotomusjones 4 years ago

Welp... you're pretty much my bff now. That's genius and I'm probably going to tell my friends and family that I designed this. Just joking. Wow. I'm a fan.

IgorM92 4 years ago

Ha! Thanks, for the most positive comment I've ever got.
Enjoy this thing. Happy to share interesting ideas.

samcpt 4 years ago

Nice idea, I had the same problems with the Anet A8 board. Latelly I've resoldered it 3 times (X endstop and Extruder thermistor)

IgorM92 4 years ago

Thank you for the comment.
Sad to hear that you also had a problem with your board. This one, which I've used had a problem with bed temperature monitoring (incorrect temperature was displayed and jumped a lot during printing) and skipped steps. After some investigation, I figured out that the board has a crack somewhere.

ajoyraman 4 years ago

Good idea for desoldering, any thoughts for soldering?

IgorM92 4 years ago

Hi!
Great question…
Soldering could be done in the same easy-peasy way, just recorded a video
https://youtu.be/SLrGismX2_c
(also updated the last step in instructable)
Kind regards, Igor

IgorM92 4 years ago

Thank you for the comment and for a vote!
Your idea also cool.