How to connect a soldering iron from a soldering station

Setting up soldering stations with a hair dryer - Welding Profi

20.03.2019

A DIY soldering station with a hair dryer is a fairly simple but very useful device. With its help, you can repair radio components and other products at home. This device will be a worthy replacement for expensive equipment, the purchase of which is not always advisable.

A soldering station is a special device that has a wide range of applications in electrical engineering. Using this unit, you can carry out individual or group soldering of parts.

Soldering gun circuit

A homemade soldering station is capable of heating metal leads and plastic to high temperatures. It has a very simple design and operating principle, so you don’t need to be a professional to make it.

Softening of materials occurs by blowing them with hot air. To do this, a special heating coil is included in the process. Such devices are characterized by high precision in the direction of air masses. Therefore, a DIY soldering station with a hair dryer can be classified as semi-professional equipment.

Design features

If you decide to create a soldering station with a hair dryer yourself, you need to understand its design. Its main components are called:

Control block. Controls all the main operating parameters of the unit;
soldering iron Directly takes part in the soldering process;
tweezers. Necessary for assembling and disassembling parts that are installed on a printed circuit board;
hairdryer An important device that heats the assemblies that are assembled;
heat source. Produces thermal energy necessary for the efficient operation of all technological processes;
device for removing unnecessary tin;
various auxiliary items;
bracelets to relieve static tension.

The most structurally simple soldering units are a set of a soldering iron, a control device and a stand. With the help of such specialized stations, it is possible not only to perform soldering, but also to optimize this work process as much as possible. They contain parts that improve productivity and ensure high safety during operation.

Technology for making a soldering station from improvised means

A person who has basic knowledge of electrical engineering will be able to assemble a soldering station with his own hands. To do this, you need to follow the simple instructions below.

General requirements for homemade equipment

There are specific requirements for a homemade unit with a hairdryer. It must ensure the creation of an air flow heated to 850°C. The power of the heating element should not exceed 2.6 kW.

When choosing components for the station, you must give preference to those that are available or are of low cost.

Therefore, it is advisable to make a manual or stationary unit with a hairdryer. The latter works in such a way that the thermal energy emitter is stationary, while the part itself moves.

This operating principle creates certain difficulties when performing soldering.

To increase the efficiency of the work performed, it is advisable to use a manual unit. It is small in size and weight, which makes it easy to use.

Switching power supply circuit for powering a miniature soldering gun

Features of creating a heater

Experts recommend making your own heater using nichrome wire. It should have a diameter in the range of 0.4-0.8 mm. It is necessary to understand that the large size of the wire will give it a huge margin of strength, but will make it difficult to achieve the optimal temperature. Therefore, it is not advisable to use too large a thread for this.

The outer diameter of the formed heating coil should be 4-8 mm. To fix the created part, a special base is used that is resistant to high temperatures. Experts recommend giving preference to ceramics. This base can be removed from a regular household hair dryer.

Drawing for making a heating element with your own hands

Hot air blower formation technology

In order for the created homemade station to work effectively, it is necessary to equip it with a small fan. It can be removed from an old hair dryer or other unnecessary household appliance. The fan should provide an air flow of 20 l/min.

It is possible to use an air compressor, which is usually installed on aquariums. To make the unit work more efficiently, it is supplemented with a receiver. For this purpose, you can take a regular plastic bottle.

Forming the body of the station with a hair dryer

To create the body of the soldering station, it is necessary to use heat-resistant materials. This can be done in several ways using the following options:

ceramics. An excellent, but very expensive solution for ensuring security;
partial thermal insulation of the channel through which air heated to high temperatures moves;
old housing from any household appliance. Must be voluminous and not subject to destruction from high temperature.

Assembly and maintenance of equipment

In order for the created soldering station to work efficiently, a switch and a device for adjusting the main operating parameters are added to its design. The last unit must set the optimal air temperature and speed of its movement. To achieve this goal, rheostats are included in the equipment. With their help, you can smoothly adjust the power.

The creation of a station must begin with the formation of a spiral. It is wound on a high-quality insulator and covered with fiberglass on top. As a result, the ends of the spiral should come out. The resulting part is placed in a housing with ready-made thermal insulation. The spiral is subsequently connected to the power wire to which the switch is connected. An air blower is mounted on the rear side of the housing.

DIY soldering iron and hair dryer assembly

What mistakes can be avoided during the assembly process?

In order to increase the heating temperature, there is no need to reduce the fan speed and the diameter of the outlet. This will only lead to melting of the housing and failure of other components of the equipment.

A simple DIY soldering station with a hair dryer

Source: https://fgpip.ru/drugoe/ustrojstvo-payalnyh-stantsij-s-fenom.html

DIY soldering station diagram

DIY soldering station circuit - a simple digital soldering station assembled on ATtinyl3.

At one time, a soldering iron similar to the branded Hakko, but at a ridiculous price, caught my attention on AliExpress. Without going into a description of the design of the soldering iron, we note only one significant point.

The temperature sensor is a thermocouple, not a thermistor, which apparently determines its price. The soldering iron turned out to be reliable, quite suitable for work (if the tip was replaced with a copper one) and earned itself the corresponding electronics, a description of which is given below.

In [1], an LED indicator module with a two-wire interface, called DDI by the author, is described.

The use of this module as the basis of a soldering station (SS) made it possible to make a simple device. However, the DIY soldering station circuit has all the necessary capabilities.

The operating temperature range of the soldering iron is set from 140 C to 380 C and can be easily changed by the values of the Tmin/Tmax constants in the program. Adjustment using the “more/less” setting buttons. The third button switches display modes.

In the “RealT” mode (the large “C” is lit in the right position), the indicator displays the real temperature of the heater; in the “Tsetp” mode (small “c”) - the set value.

Soldering iron heater

The fourth button turns the soldering iron heater on/off, which is convenient when the soldering station is connected to a common power source. Reaching operating temperature takes about two minutes. Forced heating is not used for reasons of reliability, since it brings the heater temperature to 500 C without significantly reducing the time for heating the tip to operating temperature.

The do-it-yourself soldering station circuit (Figure 1) contains a thermocouple signal amplifier on an op-amp, a microcontroller, a power switch on a powerful field-effect transistor (FET), an mED44 indicator module [1,2] and a 24/5 V step-down stabilizer as which recommends an affordable and inexpensive module called “Mini-360 DC-DC Buck Converter” [3]. You can use the well-known 7805, taking into account the power dissipation of 1 W.

Source: https://usilitelstabo.ru/shema-payalnoy-stantsii-svoimi-rukami.html

Soldering station diagram

I’ve been dreaming about a soldering station for a long time, I wanted to go out and buy it, but somehow I couldn’t afford it. And I decided to do it myself, with my own hands. I bought a hair dryer from Luckey-702 and began to slowly assemble it according to the diagram below. Why did you choose this particular electrical circuit? Because I saw photos of finished stations using it and decided that it was 100% working.

Schematic diagram of a homemade soldering station

The circuit is simple and works quite well, but there is a caveat - it is very sensitive to interference, so it is advisable to add more ceramics to the microcontroller power circuit. And if possible, make a board with a triac and an optocoupler on a separate printed circuit board. But I didn’t do that to save fiberglass. The circuit itself, firmware and seal are attached in the archive, only the firmware for the indicator with a common cathode. Fuses for MK Atmega8 in the photo below.

First, disassemble your hair dryer and determine what voltage your motor is set to, then connect all the wires to the board except the heater (the polarity of the thermocouple can be determined by connecting a tester). The approximate pinout of the wires of the Luckey 702 hair dryer is in the photo below, but I recommend disassembling your hair dryer and seeing what goes where, you understand - the Chinese are like that!

Then apply power to the board and use variable resistor R5 to adjust the indicator readings to room temperature, then unsolder the resistor to R35 and adjust the motor supply voltage using trimmer R34. And if you have it at 24 volts, then adjust the 24 volts.

And after that, measure the voltage on the 28th leg of the MK - there should be 0.9 volts, if this is not the case, recalculate the divider R37/R36 (for a 24 volt motor the resistance ratio is 25/1, I have 1 kOhm and 25 kOhm), the voltage is 28 leg 0.4 volts - minimum speed, 0.9 volts maximum speed.

After this, you can connect the heater and, if necessary, adjust the temperature using the R5 trimmer.

A little about management . There are three buttons for control: T+, T-, M. The first two change the temperature; by pressing the button once, the value changes by 1 degree; if you hold it, the values begin to change quickly.

Button M - memory allows you to remember three temperature values, standardly these are 200, 250 and 300 degrees, but you can change them as you wish.

To do this, press the M button and hold it until you hear the beeper signal twice in a row, then you can use the T+ and T- buttons to change the temperature.

The firmware has a cooling function for the hair dryer; when you place the hair dryer on the stand, it starts to be cooled by the motor, while the heater turns off and the motor does not turn off until it cools down to 50 degrees. When the hair dryer is on the stand, when it is cold or the engine speed is less than normal (at the 28th leg less than 0.4 volts) - there will be three dashes on the display.

The stand should have a magnet, preferably a stronger one or neodymium (from a hard drive). Since the hair dryer has a reed switch that switches the hair dryer to cooling mode when it is on the stand. I haven't made the stand yet.

The hair dryer can be stopped in two ways - by placing it on the stand or by turning the motor speed to zero. Below is a photo of my finished soldering station.

soldering station operation

Source: https://radioskot.ru/publ/mk/skhema_pajalnoj_stancii/9-1-0-809

How to solder with a soldering station? Tips for beginners from Electronoff

So, the moment has come when you decide to purchase your first soldering station. You're already excited, you've cleared some space on your desk, you've received it, and you're getting ready to experience zen and move on to the next level of ham radio. But don’t rush, because it is somewhat different from ordinary soldering irons, and therefore requires compliance with some rules when working with it.

What types of stations are there?

There are several types of them, which differ in the principle of operation. The simplest ones are with a conventional contact tip heater. There are also hot air stations that have a special hot air gun installed. There are also mixed types, with two specified tools. There are also infrared soldering stations, but novice radio amateurs practically do not use them, since some such devices can cost as much as an inexpensive car.

Without going into technical details, all such devices are similar to each other:

The basis of the simplest is the control unit , which is essentially the body of the soldering station itself. It contains the transformer and control electronics. Cheap stations have analog control components, while more expensive ones have high-quality digital components.
Contact stations are equipped with contact collapsible soldering irons, which contain a removable heating element, and often their tip can be replaced. Most are produced for more experienced users, therefore, with certain accessories, such a device can be adapted for a variety of types of work.
As for hot-air soldering stations, their control unit may contain additional elements - fans or compressors. The blower can also be installed directly in the hair dryer itself. When soldering, the solder is heated by a stream of hot air. This allows you to uniformly heat not just one contact of the part, but all of it at once. Thus, a hot air gun is very convenient for desoldering multi-pin components, which are otherwise quite difficult to desolder.
Many manufacturers produce mixed stations . Some may include a voltmeter and a laboratory power supply. Naturally, they cost a little more than regular ones.
Infrared stations . Instead of everything listed above, they have an IR heating element installed - a preheater for printed circuit boards. These usually cost much more than the ones listed above, as they are designed to handle complex elements.

Tips for beginners

Now let's look at a few basic rules for handling a soldering station.

In general, it is not difficult to use. But working with her is more convenient and comfortable. Here are several types of work for different types of equipment:

Conventional contact stations can be used both for surface mounting and for working with tiny SMD elements. And all thanks to the fact that they can change the tips, as well as accurately regulate the heating temperature.
Hot air can also be used for surface mounting, but they are best suited for SMD mounting. There is no need to warm up individual terminals of the component, since you can warm everything up at once, and then quickly and easily dismantle it.
Combined ones are a comprehensive solution. They combine the best qualities of the previous two types. They are often purchased by service and repair centers.
Infrared are used for complex repairs of various expensive devices. Need to remove the chip from the surface of the motherboard? This can only be done with an infrared station without harm to both the board itself and the element that is being soldered.

Well, a few simple recommendations for soldering . It is worth immediately highlighting one general thing: never set the maximum heating temperature unless necessary! The tip will simply overheat, causing it to quickly become unusable, just like the heating element. Overheating is also dangerous for a hot air gun, as it can damage the heating elements.

Use only high-quality consumables. In principle, this advice is relevant when soldering with any soldering tool, since, for example, low-quality flux can be harmful to health, and will also destroy an expensive tip over time. By the way, experts recommend not saving on flux and using it as much as necessary or even a little more. Also, don't skimp on solder.

It is not recommended to turn on the heat gun at maximum power unless necessary. Why is that? It's simple - the air flow can blow some particularly small elements off the board.

Some radio amateurs modify their devices. But if you have little understanding of equipment and technology in general, it is better not to fantasize so as not to cause harm.

Drawing conclusions

Working with soldering stations is simple, convenient and comfortable. Well, following the basic rules of work is not so difficult. The main thing to remember is one basic thing - do not use the maximum heating temperature unnecessarily. Such an extreme operating mode will not benefit the heating elements.

And, of course, it is not recommended to modify it without the need, much less the appropriate skills and knowledge.

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Source: https://electronoff.ua/academy/post/kak-payat-payalnoj-stanciej-sovety-novichkam.php

Do-it-yourself soldering station: 3 simple ways to make it - Website about

30.11.2019

Modern parts for the manufacture of electronic devices are extremely sensitive to overheating, so to solder them, many DIYers think about how to make a soldering station with their own hands. You can purchase a ready-made soldering station, but the price of such a product is high. This encourages you to start making a small installation yourself.

The designs offered by craftsmen vary in complexity of execution. Some experts offer such complex designs that only a very skilled craftsman can replicate their work. Most users need designs that are inexpensive in terms of components and easy to implement.

Purpose

To create a modern gadget or other product based on microcircuits, you need to make high-quality seams in a limited space. Soldering of some parts is carried out under significant amplification, even under a microscope. Only the presence of a soldering station makes it possible to achieve satisfactory performance characteristics.

Purchased stations necessarily include several main components:

Control and control module. It helps the user navigate operating modes: current strength, voltage, tip temperature, air flow and a number of other indicators.
A soldering iron capable of melting a specific type of solder. Overheating much higher than the specified values causes the formation of slag, which does not allow achieving acceptable quality.
Tweezers with an internal heater can help in the installation and dismantling of microelements and SMD components.
A hairdryer with a thermostat for warming up a local space and soldering groups of contacts (microcircuits) will help in difficult spaces.
Infrared heat source for heating a large area on boards, as well as group installation.
A directed heat emitter for spot heating of a space will help to perform miniature work.
Devices for sucking out solder after desoldering parts.
Auxiliary fittings, holders, special devices for spatial connection of parts. Antistatic devices for the master, as well as mats for placing parts and components.

In addition to the above, the stations are equipped with racks for placing tools with spring holders. Depending on the complexity and configuration, the installation price varies.

Purpose and objectives of application

Soldering stations are used in radio engineering and related areas of production and creativity. Users use the tool to perform different types of work.

Pyrography is the making of drawings using thermal devices. By heating individual sections of the workpieces, the position of the thermoplastic elements is changed. Compositions are created from plastics of one color or multi-color compositions.
Weld plastics in the manufacture of cases, boxes or other flat and spatial products.
Carrying out installation, repairs and other targeted work. Some types of work are only possible with the use of hair dryers that melt plastic particles without overheating it.
For assembling electronic devices and instruments.
Soldering and installation of electronic circuits in electronics.
Tinning and preparation for complex installation of massive parts and assemblies connected by melting solder.
For welding in confined spaces.
Soldering SMD components, mounting and dismantling them on boards.
For shrinking heat-shrinkable insulation upon completion of work.

Review of soldering station designs

Soldering stations vary in purpose, as well as in the configuration of the equipment included in them. They are classified according to basic parameters.

Contact stations

Such soldering stations are equipped with soldering irons that interact with molten solders. They contain soldering irons themselves with replaceable tips, as well as control units that maintain a given temperature regime.

The most advanced designs are automatically turned on only when the position of the soldering iron in space changes. If it is placed on the rack, the power is turned off and heating stops.

It's not just the tip that can be heated. The air flow, which is used to warm up the space, also heats up. They are equipped with a fan (some can even be considered a compressor) and a heater.

Such a tool is capable of group installation and dismantling. Several contacts of the microcircuit are soldered at all points on the board. Similarly, if replacement is necessary, the part is dismantled.

The presence of such tools allows for efficient use of space in the manufacture of compact installations.

Infrared devices

For instruments with quartz and ceramic heaters, soldering is performed using a non-contact method. The tool itself is only used to heat the soldering area. The tip does not touch parts or solder.

The IR emitter is located at a distance from the soldering area. It only heats a limited area in a given location.

A modern soldering station combines several types of equipment. The main difference from household soldering irons is heating to the specified parameters. If necessary, it is easy to change the spaces being treated and the heating level.

Industrial soldering stations are not only made to be universal. Some have a narrow scope of use:

for installation at a remote location of parts;
for dismantling elements;
combined devices;
repair installations.

The most developed designs are equipped with digital regulators.

Analogue installations

Analog soldering stations are equipped with devices with feedback. Their operation is regulated by specified temperature intervals. When receiving a signal that the limit mode has been reached, the device automatically turns off.

Some users believe that such devices help to perform quick and high-quality installation of electronic circuits and installations.

Making a homemade soldering station

For a homemade soldering station you need to purchase:

Socket for connecting a soldering iron.
Dimmer is a device for regulating the power of connected electrical appliances.
Set of wires and hardware for installation.
Laminated fiberboard for the manufacture of soldering station housing.

It remains to figure out how to make a simple device that will help in further work. It seems that it couldn't be simpler.

To make a simple soldering station, you need ordinary soldering irons. The power of the first is 100 W, the second has a 40 W heater.

Simply turning it on without an intermediate block shows that carbon deposits form on the soldering iron tip. It occurs due to overheating of the tip during the heating process. You need a device that will limit the heating temperature. To mount parts on the board, you just need to melt the solder. As it hardens, it will securely connect the parts.

The main components were purchased: socket for internal installation; dimmer rated for 100 W.

The dimmer has mounting holes. One is designed to connect to a common network, the other is used to connect to an instrument.

Parts are cut from laminated fiberboard to make the body. Using a glue gun, the body will be assembled into a single spatial structure.

The necessary holes are cut and the parts are soldered. The device takes on the desired appearance.

The bottom cover will be detachable. Special terminals are installed for screws.

All that remains is to install the parts inside the body of the soldering station.
After installing the dimmer, the socket is installed.

The device is assembled. Testing needs to be done. For ease of operation, graduation is required.

Turning on when the dimmer is set to maximum power indicates that overheating has not been eliminated. It is necessary to reduce the current supplied to the soldering iron.

To calibrate the soldering station, the connection is made through an ammeter. It is connected in series with the load. All that remains is to control the current value by marking them on the dimmer.

By connecting the device contact to the soldering iron plug, check the amount of current flowing. Observe the heating of the tip.

For each measured value, marks are made on the fixed dimmer disk. In the future, it will be enough to set different modes to control the performance of the soldering iron.

The entire fixed disk is calibrated.

For any position of the rotary engine there are risks. They correspond to a certain current strength, as well as the power transmitted to the soldering iron.

Using solder of a certain brand, temperature values are specified. Each power has its own tip heating temperature.

The soldering station works great. The solder on the tip does not burn out. He just melted.

A working device has been manufactured.
DIY soldering station.

Making a soldering station with a hair dryer

More complex jobs require a more sophisticated soldering station. It will include not only a soldering iron for thin and deep mounting. To work with groups of contacts you need a hairdryer. It will also be created as an additional tool.

Step-by-step production of the station

This is what the control unit will look like. The digital indicator will show the heating temperature of the tip and air flow. Generally turn off, control knobs will help you set the desired mode.

A 24 V soldering iron is required. It can be purchased from the online store. You need to adapt it for installation in a soldering station. A ball switch is used to control power in the soldering iron. At a certain position the balls turn on the contact, in another position the power is turned off.

The switch is being installed in the soldering iron body. By changing the position of the ball contact, check its performance. Now in a certain position of the soldering iron it will turn off by itself.

The power supply is connected. Now the heating is controlled according to the indicator readings. With a 24 V soldering iron, the main work is completed.

The electric hair dryer is also designed for 24 V. It comes with a connection diagram to the power supply.

The soldering station is made according to the supplied electrical diagrams. The parameters of the parts used are shown in the photo.

According to the attached diagrams, a board is soldered to control the operating modes of the hair dryer. By turning one knob, you change the speed of rotation of the fan impellers. Another regulator changes the voltage on the heater.

Front Panel. It was just cut out of textolite. All that remains is to fill in the missing information.

The main elements of the soldering station are installed inside the case from the disk drive.

The film is printed. The film itself with information is attached to double-sided tape. Now the front panel gets a commercial appearance.

The operating modes of the soldering iron are tested.

The hairdryer turns on. It comes with several tips. They vary in size.

By placing his hand, the installer checks the heating of the air flow.

The additional rack will house the soldering station tools. The green handle of a regular 220 V soldering iron.

Soldering iron testing. The SMD component is being soldered.

The SMD component is soldered correctly. Fine installation is carried out using a thin tip
The soldering iron tip can be changed quite easily.
A more powerful tip helps solder thick wires.

A hairdryer can warm up a fairly large area. Group installation and dismantling of parts is possible.

The microcircuit is unsoldered after 10 seconds.

Testing of the soldering station is completed. She's ready to go.

The soldering station helps the master organize the execution of complex tasks.

Source: https://orensbyt.ru/avtomatizatsiya/payalnaya-stantsiya-svoimi-rukami-3-prostyh-sposoba-izgotovleniya.html

How to make a hot air soldering station with your own hands

With the improvement of technology, in particular microcircuits, repairing them manually is becoming increasingly difficult. It is almost impossible to unsolder or solder a part with a regular soldering iron without damaging the elements located nearby. Therefore, the non-contact soldering method has become widely used.

One of the devices that provides such soldering is a hot-air soldering station.

Operating principle and general characteristics

The circuit of a soldering station with a hair dryer consists of a main block and a hot air gun manipulator, in which the air is heated. Such devices are used to repair household appliances and mobile phones. According to the method of air flow formation, stations are divided into:

Turbine - air is supplied using a small vane electric motor built into a hot air gun.
Compressor - air supply is carried out by a compressor, which is located in the main unit.

The choice of a soldering station with a hair dryer is made based on the characteristics of these varieties. The main difference between compressor stations and turbine stations is that the latter are capable of generating a greater air flow, but do not push air through narrow openings well, while compressor stations, on the contrary, are more effective in cases where the air needs to pass through narrow nozzles, which are used for soldering in hard to reach places.

The operating principle of a hot-air soldering station is quite simple: the air flow passes through a ceramic or spiral-shaped heater located in the hot air gun tube, heats up to a set temperature, and then exits through special nozzles onto the part being soldered. Hot air guns can provide air temperatures from 100 to 800 ° C. In modern station models, the temperature, direction and power of air flow are easily regulated.

In comparison with other stations, in particular with infrared ones, the disadvantages of hot air stations are as follows:

The air flow may accidentally blow away small parts.
The surface is heated unevenly.
Additional attachments are required for different cases.

The advantage is that turbo air stations are much cheaper.

Recommendations for assembling a homemade soldering station with a hair dryer

First, let's look at the features of the soldering gun circuit.

At home, the easiest and cheapest way to make a soldering station with your own hands is with a hairdryer on a fan, and use a coil as a heater.

A ceramic heater is expensive, and with sudden temperature changes it can simply crack. It is difficult to construct a compressor at home.

In addition, you cannot connect the compressor to the hair dryer, so you will also have to run an air tube from the main unit, which causes significant inconvenience.

Any small-sized fan can be used
as a supercharger In our case, a cooler from a computer power supply. It will be located near the handle of the hot air gun. A tube will need to be connected to it, in which the air will be heated and released onto the soldered element.

At the end of the cooler you need to cut a hole through which air will enter the tube (nozzle) with the heater. On one side, the cooler must be tightly closed so that during operation the air passes only into the tube and does not escape into the environment. The blower is installed at the back of the hair dryer.

The heater is much more difficult to assemble. Nichrome wire is wound in the form of a spiral onto the base. The spiral turns should not touch each other. The length of the spiral is calculated from the condition that its resistance should be 70-90 Ohms. As a base, a base with poor thermal conductivity and good resistance to high temperatures should be selected.

To construct a hot air dryer, many parts can be taken from old hair dryers. In every hair dryer, even the simplest and cheapest, you can find mica plates. From such plates you need to assemble a cross-shaped base for the spiral.

You can also use a base made from old soldering irons or halogen floodlights. The base of 5-7 centimeters should remain unoccupied by the spiral. We draw the ends from the spiral along the base, in the form of a wire. Then we wrap this N-centimeter part tightly with heat-resistant fabric.

After this, you need to make a tube (nozzle) from porcelain, ceramics, etc. We calculate the diameter so that there is a small gap between the inner walls of the nozzle and the spiral. Thermal insulation materials are glued to the top of the tube: asbestos layer, fiberglass, etc. Such insulation will ensure greater efficiency of the hair dryer, as well as the ability to safely handle it with your hands.

The heating element and nozzle are separately attached to the blower so that air enters the tube and the heater is located exactly in the middle inside the nozzle. The place where the nozzle is connected to the supercharger must be insulated to prevent air from escaping.

We ended up with a design that is shaped a bit like a pistol. For convenience, you can attach all kinds of handles and holders to the body. Special attachments can be purchased or made by hand from heat-resistant metal.

There should be 4 wires going from the manufactured hot air gun to the main unit. They will come out from the back of the hair dryer. It's better to put them together and re-insulate them.

After making the hot air gun, you need to make the main block, which will serve as a regulator and switch.

We place two rheostats in the block body. One will regulate the power of the air flow, the other will regulate the power of the heating element. It is better to make a common switch for the heater and blower.

Then we attach a hot air gun so that the wires match the required rheostats and switch. All that remains is to make an outlet for the socket, and the hot air soldering station will be ready.

Rules of use and safety precautions

Observe fire safety precautions at the workplace.
During operation, avoid sudden changes in heater temperature.
Do not touch the heating element or the hot air gun nozzles.
Change attachments only after the hot air gun is turned off and cooled down.
Do not allow liquid to come into contact with the hot air gun.
The workplace must be well ventilated.

Thus, a do-it-yourself soldering station-hair dryer is a rather convenient device that a radio amateur can assemble independently and without high costs.

Also, despite its shortcomings, this is quite a profitable and budget option for a household appliance repairman.

Do-it-yourself hot-air soldering station on video

Source: https://elektrik24.net/instrumentyi/payalnyie-stantsii/s-fenom.html

SOLDERING IRONS

In electronics, most connections are made by soldering. Accordingly, in order to solder, we need a soldering iron, which in turn can be either imported or domestically produced. For beginners, I can recommend a 25 Watt EPSN soldering iron for soldering electronics.

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Soldering iron EPSN 25 Watt

If you plan to solder boards with lead-free soldering, you need an EPSN 40 Watt soldering iron. In order to desolder parts with massive leads from boards with lead-free soldering, I have an EPSN 65 Watt soldering iron.

Soldering iron EPSN 65 W

This soldering iron is quite small in size for its power. I sharpened the tip of the tip, and if desired, using it together with the regulator, you can even solder transistors, although it is not very convenient. A distinctive feature of EPSN soldering irons is the ability to remove the tip from the soldering iron for processing with a file. The tip of such soldering irons is secured with a pressure screw.

Soldering iron tip with screw

Soldering irons with a power of 65 W are quite powerful, and it is not recommended to solder semiconductor and other electronic parts that are afraid of overheating without a power regulator, as they will most likely fail. There are many different circuits for soldering iron power regulators on the Internet, the simplest of which have only 5-10 parts and are easily assembled by overhead mounting.

In such regulators, the power of the soldering iron is set by rotating the knob of a variable resistor. Of course, with such a regulator you can use not only domestic soldering irons of the EPSN type, but also imported ones with a non-burnable tip. The difference between them is that you can put solder on the tip of a domestic soldering iron, bring it to the soldering point on the tip and solder with this solder.

But imported soldering irons with a non-burning tip will not be able to solder in this way, or at least soldering will be difficult.

Chinese soldering iron with unburnt tip

Soldering materials

For soldering with such soldering irons, tubular solders are used. Tubular solders with flux inside are convenient to use. In this case, the use of additional flux is not required or a minimal amount.

Tubular solder with flux

In this case, the solder is brought in the left hand to the soldering site. The copper tip of a domestic soldering iron must be processed before soldering. Using a file, it is given the desired shape; I prefer the shape of a pointed cone. After processing the tip, it needs to be tinned, that is, cover the working part with a layer of solder.

Rosin in a jar

To do this, plug in the soldering iron and wait for it to heat up to the melting temperature of the rosin. Dip the tip in rosin and wait for the soldering iron to heat up to the melting temperature of the solder. It is better to take solder in small pieces.

Solder pieces

We cover the working part of the soldering iron tip (about one centimeter from the tip of the tip) with solder on all sides. That's it, now the tip is tinned, and we can start soldering. In imported soldering irons with a non-burnable tip, the tip has a special thin coating. Such a tip cannot be cleaned with a file, otherwise the tip will lose its properties.

Unburnt tip

To clean such a tip from carbon deposits and excess solder, use a special sponge, which must first be wetted with water and wrung out.

Sponge for wiping the soldering iron tip

Since such a sponge dries quickly, on one of the forums it was suggested to wet it with glycerin half and half with water, it will slowly evaporate and the sponge will be wet for a long time. Another important difference between domestic soldering irons like EPSN and Chinese ones is the type of heater.

Heating element from soldering stations

The photo above shows a ceramic heater from Lukey soldering stations. Domestic soldering irons usually have a nichrome heater. And in imported soldering irons, a ceramic heater is most often installed. The design of a ceramic heater can be seen in the figure below:

Ceramic heater - device

Soldering irons with ceramic heaters are resistant to falls and other impacts. A fall from the table is enough for such a soldering iron to stop working. Also, unburnt tips do not tolerate prolonged overheating when the maximum temperature is set.

In Lukey soldering stations this is 480 degrees; if you accidentally set this temperature and forget the soldering iron is turned on even for one hour, then there is a high probability that the tip will become covered with scale.

Which will not allow the tip to be tinned in the usual way, so the solder will not stick to it.

Soldering iron tip activator

To restore the sting to its properties, special activators for the sting are sold, which, by the way, are not cheap. But radio amateurs have discovered another way to return the sting to its properties, or in other words, to tin it.

Lemon acid

To do this, they use food-grade citric acid as a flux, with the obligatory washing of the tip after tinning, since citric acid is a very active flux. Soldering irons with unburnt tips are also available with a power regulator built into the soldering iron handle.

Soldering iron with temperature controller

Soldering stations

Those who need even more functions can purchase a soldering station. The LUKEY 936A soldering station is widely used among radio amateurs; I have one right next to my house.

Soldering station Lukey 936A

Using the regulator, you can set the tip temperature from 200 to 480 degrees. The soldering iron structure of this soldering station is shown in the diagram below:

Soldering iron soldering station design

The soldering iron of this station is powered by a voltage reduced by a transformer, from 24 Volts. The transformer provides galvanic isolation from the network. After turning on the station, the red LED on the front panel of the station lights up, which means heating to the temperature set using the regulator. As soon as the desired temperature is reached, the LED begins to flash.

Soldering iron from soldering station

The power of the soldering iron according to the passport is 60 watts. Although in my practice there was a case where the soldering iron from the soldering station was unable to warm up the lead from a large polygon when desoldering, then I took out my 65 Watt EPSN, purchased just for these purposes, and it easily coped with this job. Tips can be changed easily in 30-40 seconds, of course, on a cooled soldering iron.

Soldering guns

Soldering guns are available for soldering and dismantling with hot air. They can go either together with soldering irons similar to the one described above, or separately from them. Temperature control can be digital using buttons and indication on the display, or analog using variable resistors. Hair dryers are divided into turbine ones, with a turbine in the handle, and compressor ones, with a compressor in the hair dryer body.

Gas soldering irons work on the principle of burning a flammable substance (for example gas) to form a high-temperature flame. More details about them can be found here. The review for the site was prepared by AKV.

Directories of radio components

Source: https://elwo.ru/publ/spravochniki/pajalniki/2-1-0-689

DIY soldering station. Diagram of a homemade soldering station:

Soldering stations are simply irreplaceable when working with electrical appliances. The main element of the device is considered to be an inductor. Additionally, some stations have special regulators installed that allow you to switch the power of the device. The main parameters should include the threshold voltage, as well as the maximum temperature of the power tool.

Depending on the area of work, the attachments of the devices may vary. Today, the most common are considered to be contact and non-contact modifications. You can assemble them at home, but you should become more familiar with the structure of the station.

Simple station diagram

The soldering station (diagram shown below) includes an inductor with a high pass threshold. Regulators, as a rule, are installed of a linear type, but digital analogues can also be found. Modulators for stations are mainly single-channel.

Capacitors are used to change the maximum frequency of a power tool. Special connectors are installed to connect power and grounding cables. If we talk about contact models, then the devices additionally have pulse units.

In turn, a non-contact soldering station often includes adapters of different types.

Device with hair dryer

Assembling a soldering station with a hair dryer is quite simple. Most often, these power tools are used to heat the surface. They are ideal for soldering plastic pipes. First of all, to assemble the device, you need to select a microcircuit that is designed to control the device. Most often in this situation, conventional analogues labeled PP20 are used. You can purchase such microcircuits in a store.

A soldering station with a hair dryer operates on phase-type capacitors, and they differ quite significantly in capacity. Next, for assembly, you need to install an inductor next to the microcircuit. It must withstand negative resistance at a maximum level of 2 ohms. All this will allow you to cope with sudden voltage surges. Connectors must be selected based on the existing power cables, as well as grounding. It is best to remove the nozzle from the broken station.

Infrared (IR) modification

The infrared soldering station is quite complex in structure. In this case, only varicap inductors are suitable. Finding them in our time is not difficult. It is best to use two-way modulators for the model. They are designed for three modes.

All this will ultimately allow you to change the power of the device. Among other things, it is important to take care of searching for the indicator. Thanks to it, it will be possible to monitor how the IR soldering station works. It is more advisable to install the connector to the electrical network near the inductor.

Hot air stations

In order for a hot air soldering station to work, an inductor coil must have good conductivity. The nominal frequency parameter must be at 44 Hz. Additionally, you should select a high-quality regulator to change the power of the power tool. Contacts are usually used as attachments. To ensure stability of the outgoing wave, resistors are usually installed orthogonally.

Their transmission width on average reaches 55 microns. In order for a soldering station to work well, the modulator for it is selected based on the type of inductor. If you plan to make a medium-power power tool, then the modulator, as a rule, is self-regulating.

The lining is used quite rarely. However, to maintain linearity, many experts advise using special operating blocks. Thus, heating of the contact occurs quite quickly.

Thanks to this element, the temperature can be increased to a maximum of 200 degrees.

This will make working with steel surfaces very convenient. It is more advisable to select a multi-system connector for grounding. In this case, the negative resistance parameter should not exceed 44 Ohms. Experts do not recommend using three-core cables to supply electricity. In this regard, it is better to trust four-core types.

Analogue modifications

The analog soldering station has good reviews and is very simple in appearance. However, you must be very careful when assembling such devices. The first step is to calculate the threshold voltage in the system.

If you work with conventional inductors, they can cope quite successfully with electromagnetic oscillations. It is more advisable to select capacitors for analog stations of the grid type.

In turn, resistors are often advised to solder only coaxial ones.

Non-contact models

Today, a non-contact homemade soldering station is in demand. It is most suitable for soldering various plastic surfaces. However, it also copes quite successfully with metal parts. The accuracy of work in this case depends on the maximum frequency of the power tool, as well as the diameter of the nozzle. The connectors for these devices are usually three-electrode.

In turn, capacitorless outputs can be found very rarely these days. Regulators at stations are usually installed with a capacitive varicap. They cope with low-frequency interference very easily. However, it should be taken into account that it is important to mount the coil only on a plastic plate. This way, current will not flow through the bottom of the device.

Contact models

A soldering station of this type can only operate using high-frequency inductors. Additionally, adapters are used in the devices to change the phase. In this case, the threshold voltage of the power tool can reach 50 V.

To solve the problem with distortion, experts advise installing capacitorless outputs. In turn, resistors for the station board are selected exclusively of the orthogonal type.

All this will allow you to stably maintain the reverse output voltage at 30 V.

The average power consumption of such devices is 2 W. Modulators are used exclusively magnetic. Their current conductivity parameter is on average 44 microns. The degree to which a power tool will distort will ultimately depend on the rate at which the current is generated. Connectors for the station are often selected on an additional expansion board. The device power cable is soldered only near the adapter. The housing for this device can be completely made independently.

How to make a station for lead-free soldering?

Today, many models are manufactured with inductors in which the tetrodes are installed in a belt type. All this suggests that capacitors for power tools should be selected as capacitive ones. The accuracy of the work in this case depends on the nozzle.

If you use a four-core cable, then the maximum frequency parameter of the device can be on average at the level of 66 Hz. The problem with high resistance in the circuit can be solved using pulse resistors. Their conductivity is on average 33 microns. Kenotrons for stations are used quite rarely. However, they can significantly increase the process of phase change. The disadvantage in this case is the excessive load on the capacitors.

Combined modifications

The combined type soldering station is characterized by high soldering precision. Nowadays it is in demand, but it is quite difficult to make this power tool at home. The first problem is finding a multi-channel modulator. Only this type is suitable for power regulation. Microcircuits, as a rule, are installed with the marking PP21. They are capable of operating in half-duplex mode.

In order to increase the power of the device, multi-system conductors are used. In such a situation, you can hope for a maximum temperature of 150 degrees. In turn, the intermediate frequency parameter is on average 23 Hz. Holders for such devices are attached to two-core cables. The maximum negative resistance that they must withstand is 13 ohms.

75V model

A 75 V soldering station (made with your own hands) allows you to work with various alloys. You can also use it to heat surfaces. These stations are ideal for working with plastic materials.

In order to assemble them yourself, the inductor should be selected with a high threshold voltage parameter. Adapters for power tools are used quite rarely. You can make the case yourself, or take it from an outdated broken model.

Connectors for the power cable must be of a non-linear type.

Many specialists are able to increase the current conductivity in a circuit using broadband transistors. Microcircuits, in turn, can be used of various types. If you assemble devices of medium power, then synchronous capacitors can be used.

Their capacitance usually reaches 15 pF. Inductors with optocouplers are used quite rarely. This is due to the fact that they have a short service life. The phase of the output signal of devices depends on the speed of current rectification.

When installing connectors, copper semiconductors are used quite often.

100V station

A 100 V soldering station (made by yourself) is most suitable for working with steel surfaces. At the same time, they also cope well with aluminum. The inductor for such devices is selected with a threshold voltage of about 15 V.

Multi-system capacitors are most often used. It is quite rare to find open type resistors. In this situation, it is more advisable to think about purchasing cardiode analogues. The minimum current conductivity parameter should be 34 microns.

The degree of distortion of devices depends on the board used. Models marked PP20 are ideal for these stations. However, the modulator for them should be selected separately. Many experts prefer broadband analogues. The maximum negative resistance they can withstand is 35 ohms.

THIS IS INTERESTING: What thickness of electrodes are there?

Source: https://www.syl.ru/article/208084/new_payalnaya-stantsiya-svoimi-rukami-shema-samodelnoy-payalnoy-stantsii

Soldering Station

Radio electronics for beginners

My story about the soldering station is primarily addressed to those who do not yet have one and, perhaps, want to buy one in the near future.

Indeed, not every novice radio amateur began his practical acquaintance with electronics with a soldering station at hand. Many learned to solder with a regular electric soldering iron.

I’ll start my story about soldering stations with a review of the Lukey 936D soldering station. Yes, there are a lot of combined soldering stations on sale (soldering iron + hair dryer), but I bought a hot-air soldering station earlier. Therefore, my gaze fell on soldering stations without a hair dryer, only a soldering iron and nothing more.

This is what the Lukey 936D soldering station looks like. The set also includes a soldering iron stand and a cellulose sponge.

This station is analogue with digital display . There are no microcontrollers in it! To be honest, when I bought it, I vaguely imagined the structure of modern soldering stations - for me it was a “black box”.

Looking from the top of current knowledge, I note that digital soldering stations are better, if only because they more accurately maintain the temperature of the tip. Much later, I purchased a digital soldering iron with temperature stabilization.

In reality, the design of a soldering station is very simple. To connect theory and practice with an invisible thread of understanding, I will first provide a diagram of the Lukey936D soldering station, and then show photos of real parts and circuit elements.

Lukey 936D soldering station diagram

Here is the diagram.

Click on the picture to enlarge (opens in a new window).

Explanations for the diagram:

Jumper J1 is a jumper built into the soldering iron connector. Mechanical protection element in case the soldering iron is not connected.
heater is shown in the form of a structurally combined element from a heater spiral TH and a thin-film thermistor R.
The power section is shown separately: transformer T1, fuse F1 ( F1AL250V ) and power switch SA1.
The diagram does not show protection elements (ESD SAFE).

Now let's look under the hood.

The indication circuit is implemented on the DH7107GP (a complete analogue of the ICL7107 ). Yes, this chip is quite often used in measuring instruments, but in this case it is used to display the temperature from a thermistor (thermistor). That is, in the role of a thermometer.

Temperature display board with a scattering of seven-segment indicators.

DH7107GP microcircuit in the socket, + to the maintainability parameter.

If something happens, the DH7107GP microcircuit can even be replaced with a domestic analogue - KR572PV2.

In the diagram, I did not show the complete diagram of the temperature indicator; I limited myself to just designating the module on the diagram.

Power section

The power part consists of a power transformer with a power of about 60 - 70 W. It has two secondary windings. One secondary winding produces 26V - this is to power the soldering iron heater and control circuit. On the other side, a bipolar voltage of 9V is removed - it is necessary for the operation of the soldering station indicator.

Control board

How does a soldering station stabilize the temperature of the tip? The answer is simple, the whole highlight is in the HA17358 (aka LM358 ). This is an operational amplifier that is used as a comparator - that is, a comparison circuit. Take a look at the signet and you will find many familiar radio components. With desire and a little experience, even a novice radio amateur can assemble such a station.

A conventional 100 kOhm variable resistor is used as a temperature controller. It is installed on the front panel. It causes problems. If the numbers on the display are constantly jumping, then check this particular resistor. Perhaps the slider of this resistor has moved away or is not making good contact.

There are several trim resistors on the control board. In the diagram they are designated PR1 and PR2. I don’t recommend twisting them unnecessarily. They set the station's operating mode.

Among other things, on the main printed circuit board you can find a diode bridge based on 1N4007 diodes (or DB107 assembly) and two integrated stabilizers of positive ( L7805ABP ) and negative ( 79M05D ) polarity at 5V. A bipolar voltage of ±5V is needed to power the indicator.

From the schematic diagram you can understand how a soldering station works. The LM358 chip compares the reference value set by the operator with what it receives from the thermistor in the ceramic heater.

Next, if the heater temperature is below the set one, the microcircuit sends a signal to open triac VS1 ( BT131-600 or 97A8 ). In this case, the indicator LED HL1 is constantly on.

Triac VS1 opens the more powerful VS2 (BT-136-600E) and it supplies current to the heating element TH1 of the ceramic heater.

After the heater reaches temperature, the LED begins to blink - small portions of current are supplied to the heater - only to maintain heating. If the soldering iron is not used, the heater is completely disconnected from the power circuit. This can be seen from the extinguished LED HL1.

I would like to say a few words about protection. The metal elements of the soldering iron are grounded. If you disassemble the soldering iron, you will find that the metal part of the fitting is in contact with the spring.

This in turn is connected to the ground wire of the power plug. The same wire is connected to the magnetic core of the power transformer.

Thus, the ESD SAFE - protection against electrostatic discharge and electromagnetic pulses. True, such protection is of no use if the electrical network in your apartment, house or workshop does not have a grounding connection (the third wire of the electrical wiring).

As it turned out, the heater in the soldering iron is of high quality, ceramic type HAKKO 1321 (A1321).

It was the type of heater that interested me most. Before purchasing, I checked whether the heater had the coveted “step”. The Lukey 936A standing nearby turned out to have a nichrome heater.

The soldering iron itself from the station in the device is nothing special. The entire electrical part consists of a ceramic heater sealed onto the board and a connecting cord with a male connector.

This is how the soldering iron elements are connected to the connector. As already mentioned, the jumper is built into the connector.

After the first turn on, I was pleasantly surprised by the speed of heating of the tip. Before that, I used a regular 40 W EPSN soldering iron, and I was terribly annoyed that I had to wait several minutes for the tip to reach temperature. When you solder something serious, there are no problems, you can wait. But when you need to quickly solder the wiring or something else

But besides pleasant moments, disappointments also awaited me. The first is replaceable tips. The ones I bought turned out to be not the most convenient for soldering, and the quality was questionable. I had to take others. The second is poor thermal conductivity of the tip. Read on to find out how I dealt with this.

» Radio electronics for beginners » Current page

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Source: https://go-radio.ru/pajalnaya-stantsiya.html

Which is better: soldering iron or soldering station

For mounting radio-electronic components on a printed circuit board, as well as for connecting them to each other, they have not yet come up with anything better than soldering. Using a special tool makes it possible to heat the contact area, after which it is filled with solder. To make molten lead or tin flow better, fluxes are also used - rosin or other substances made on its basis.

: How to choose a soldering iron for polypropylene pipes

The soldering process itself is carried out using a special device - a soldering iron. But in recent years, alternative equipment has been increasingly used - special stations that are equipped not only with a heating element, but also with an electronic control unit, as well as other options that greatly facilitate the work.

What is better - a soldering iron or a multifunctional soldering station? To answer this question, we need to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each tool.

Types of soldering irons and soldering stations

Unlike stations, soldering irons have a very simple design. It consists of a tip in which the heating element is located, and a body made of plastic or wood. More expensive models are also equipped with a thermostat that allows you to adjust the power of the device.

All such tools are divided into several types:

An electric soldering iron that runs on mains or battery power. This is the most popular type of tool - relatively inexpensive and practical.
Gas devices, which are essentially compact burners. They allow you to connect metal parts together and are used mainly for industrial purposes. Thanks to the use of gas fuel, it is possible to operate the device in field conditions. However, even in this case, you must follow the safety rules to prevent the fire of items and objects located in your immediate vicinity.
Pulse soldering iron. The design of this device uses a transformer to which a tip is attached. The device is activated by pressing a button. As soon as you release it, the heating stops. In addition, the already mentioned power regulator, work area illumination and other options can be used.

As you can see, the principle of operation of soldering irons is the same - the tip heats up and melts the solder, after which the parts can be connected.

Soldering stations are also divided into several types:

Contact devices are the same electric soldering irons, connected to a 220-volt network and equipped with a thermostat. Their design is simple, so you can purchase such a tool at a very affordable price.
Infrared stations. Expensive tools that are most often used to repair very complex electronics that require high precision. Heating is carried out using a special IR emitter.
Thermal air devices. They act on the parts being connected with a stream of hot air supplied under high pressure. Can be equipped with a hair dryer for dismantling printed circuit boards.

Comparing soldering irons and soldering stations

What is the difference between soldering irons and soldering stations? Below we list the main differences between these soldering tools:

Multifunction stations are usually easy to disassemble. This allows you not to think about how to tin the tip, but simply replace it if the need arises. In addition, a new heating element or other parts can be installed.
The presence of a hot air gun in the soldering station makes it possible to work with SMD components and evenly heat the joint. A soldering iron is unlikely to cope with such a task.
The infrared station will give any soldering iron a head start, as it allows you to completely control the entire soldering process.
Working with a soldering iron is much easier than using a multifunction station. In addition, this tool is cheaper, which allows you to purchase it for some small work at home.
To work with a soldering station, you do not need to use flux. Usually it is already present inside the specially designed solder.

The main disadvantage of an inexpensive soldering iron is the inability to regulate the temperature. Because of this, the device quickly overheats and may fail. In addition, constant operation at maximum power leads to increased electrical energy consumption. However, you can always make a regulator yourself using almost improvised means.

At first glance, soldering stations still outperform soldering irons both in functionality and ease of use. But we recommend focusing on your needs when purchasing a tool.

If you do not intend to repair complex electronics, if the device is needed only for a simple connection of two wires, you do not need to overpay for all the functions that a soldering station can perform.

If you need a device for professional activities, it is better to choose infrared or hot air units.

Source: https://SpecInstrumenta.ru/elektroinstrument/payalnik/chto-luchshe-payalnik-ili-payalnaya-stantsiya.html

How to make a soldering station at home

Not only beginner radio amateurs, but also experienced craftsmen experience certain difficulties when soldering radio-electronic elements with inexpensive soldering irons without thermal control.

After all, you can encounter such a phenomenon as overheating of the device tip, which leads to oxidation of the solder, the formation of carbon deposits on copper, and as a result, poor thermal contact with the tin on the board and the leg of the element, or to excessive heating of the board and peeling of the tracks on it.

In this article we will look at how to make a soldering station with your own hands, providing all the necessary assembly diagrams, photos and video materials.

Step 1 - Making a Contact Soldering Iron

This option can be called the simplest and quite budget-friendly. This design regulates the voltage on the soldering iron, accordingly changing the temperature of the tip.

But with this method of adjustment there is no feedback from the tip, that is, we can judge its temperature only by external indicators. However, this also significantly improves the quality of soldering.

If you plan to connect large parts, then the power supplied to the soldering iron can be increased, but if smaller parts, then reduced, which is very convenient.

We recommend using a lighting dimmer (dimmer) as a voltage regulator. The only drawback of this homemade soldering station idea is that the temperature range is too large. After all, the power in the dimmer is regulated almost from 0 to maximum, while we do not need to reduce the power by more than 2 times. But you can redo the circuit, add a “fine-tuning” resistor in addition to the main one.

Scheme for assembling a soldering station at home:

This circuit uses a rectifier bridge, which will increase the voltage from the standard 220 volts at the input to 310 volts at the output of our homemade soldering station.

This will be important to do for those home craftsmen whose electrical voltage in the house is low, which is why the soldering iron does not heat up to operating temperature.

If you don’t have a dimmer available, you can assemble it yourself; we discussed how to do this and what is needed for this in our article about a homemade dimmer.

Step 2 - Assembling the air soldering iron

Sometimes when soldering, it becomes necessary to replace SMD elements and the soldering iron with the tip is too large and inconvenient for this. For these purposes, a special air dryer is used. The principle of its operation is similar to a home hair dryer - an air flow is forced through a heated element and transferred to the soldering site, heating the solder contactlessly, evenly, and not at one point, but in a certain area.

An air soldering iron can be made from a regular one by inserting a suitable sized antenna tube instead of a tip. Next, you need to close all the holes provided for cooling. For example, using heat-resistant paper and a coil of copper wire, as shown in the picture.

Forced air supply occurs with an aquarium compressor, using a dropper tube through the part where the power cord is connected.

To adjust the temperature of the air flow, you can use the dimmer from the previous method. Additionally, it is recommended to rewind the soldering iron to a lower voltage of about 8-15 volts; this will significantly increase the safety of the device due to the absence of life-threatening 220 volts.

A nichrome wire with a diameter of 0.8 mm from the spiral of an electric stove can serve as a heater. It must be carefully wound onto the frame, without overlaps or short circuits. Please note that you will also need a step-down power supply, the power of which must be at least 150 watts.

A suitable mains transformer can be used as it.

A more expensive method of regulating the temperature at the hot end of the soldering iron is to maintain it at the set degrees. To do this, a thermocouple is additionally installed near the tip; in one of our articles we told you how to make a thermostat with your own hands.

By combining our homemade products, you can make a universal soldering station that will maintain the set temperature, which is very convenient and corresponds to the functionality of expensive purchased models.

Another option is to make a non-contact infrared soldering station from a ceramic lamp socket and a nichrome filament connected to a step-down transformer and a dimmer for easy adjustment. You can also use a thermostat.

You can see how to work with an infrared soldering station in the video below, where you can also learn about the nuances of working with it:

Review of homemade products on Arduino

And finally, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with more complex assembly diagrams for a homemade soldering station based on the Arduino platform:

We hope that you liked the methods discussed. All that remains is to choose the most suitable option and bring it to life.

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Source: https://samelectrik.ru/kak-sdelat-payalnuyu-stanciyu-v-domashnix-usloviyax.html