Homemade usb soldering iron. Portable homemade USB soldering iron. Miniature non-wire resistor design

Portable homemade usb soldering iron. Convenient and compact do-it-yourself soldering iron powered by USB. Heats up and cools down quickly. Solder wherever you want by connecting a power bank.

Now there are a lot of various homemade soldering irons on the network. I decided to do something average, simple to perform and take the best of the homemade products I have seen.

The goal was to make the soldering iron compact, heat up quickly, lightweight and most importantly portable.
I decided to abandon the built-in battery to reduce weight and ease of use. The wire doesn't get in the way. You can screw on a light bulb to illuminate the work area with a separate button.

To make a homemade product, we need:

1. wooden block(I took 7cm x 1.5cm x 1.5cm);
2. Copper wire with a diameter of 1mm and a length of 9cm (it can be longer);
3. Nichrome wire 7 cm long (taken from an old soldering iron);
4. Blot or self-tapping screw with a flat cap (you can put a washer);
5. Switch;
6. 2 thin wires (I took from a twisted pair);
7. USB plug with a wire of the length you need;
8. Insulating tape, heat shrink and super glue;
9. Fiberglass.

From tools:
1. Soldering iron;
2. Pliers;
3. Screwdriver for a bolt or self-tapping screw.

Making a soldering iron

The first step is to prepare the bar. Adjust the length so that it is comfortable to hold, grind off the corners.

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We take a copper wire with a diameter of 1 mm from 9 cm to 12 cm and bend the ring at one end with pliers so that a bolt or self-tapping screw can crawl through.

We take a 7 cm long nichrome wire and wind it in a spiral (tighter, but not in contact with each other) on the straight end of the copper wire, leaving workplace for soldering. The photo in the article was taken when there was no fiberglass at hand. Keep in mind that there should be isolation, even though everything worked fine without it.

We fasten two copper wires to the nichrome wire as shown in the photo.

We glue the switch to the bar, solder the wires to the switch and wrap lower part tape to secure the wires.

We wind the wire to the bar with electrical tape and that's it.

Let's start the soldering iron test.

A tool such as a soldering iron is indispensable for radio amateurs, but far from electronic engineering and components, people don't consider it essential. Sometimes situations happen that can only be corrected with the help of this tool, and if it is not there, then what to do? If the problem is one-time, then there is no need to go to the nearest store and purchase expensive item. You can make a little effort and with the help of simple components to assemble homemade soldering iron. There are many options for assembling this device - consider some of them.

Resistor device.

This is a very simple but extremely reliable device. At home, it can be used in different ways. Depending on the design and power, they can solder microelectronics up to laptops. A large device allows you to even solder a tank or any other large item. Consider how to make a soldering iron with your own hands.

The circuit is interesting in that a resistor suitable for power is used as a heater. It can be PE or PEV. The heater is powered from the household network. These quenching resistances make it possible to solve problems of various scales.

We carry out calculations

Before proceeding to the assembly, some calculations should be performed. So, for the manufacture of devices with resistors, it is enough to recall Ohm's law from a school physics course and the power formula.

For example, you have a suitable part of the PEVZO type with a nominal value of 100 ohms. You are going to create a tool based on it for use in household electrical networks. With the help of the form you can easily calculate the parameters. So, at a current of 2.2 A, a homemade soldering iron will consume 484 watts of power. This is a lot. Therefore, with the help of resistance-damping elements, it is necessary to reduce the current by a factor of four. After that, the indicator will decrease to 0.55 A. The voltage across our resistor will be within 55 V, and in the home network - 220 V. The value of the quenching resistance should be 300 Ohms. As this element, a capacitor for voltage up to 300 V is suitable. Its capacitance should be 10 microfarads.

Soldering iron 220V: assembly

Perhaps the glue will worsen the heat transfer a little, but it will dampen the system of the rod and the heating coil. This will protect ceramic base resistor from possible cracks.

Another layer of glue will protect against backlash in this important knot. The cores of the wires will be brought out through the hole in the tube-rod. This diagram will help you understand how to make a soldering iron reliable, efficient and inexpensive, as well as safe.

To avoid trouble, it is better to strengthen the insulation where the cores will be connected to the heater. For this, an asbestos thread is suitable, as well as a ceramic sleeve on the case. Additionally, you can apply elastic rubber in the place where the electric cord enters the handle.

It's so easy to make a soldering iron with your own hands. Its power may vary. To do this, you simply need to replace the capacitor in the circuit.

mini soldering iron

This is another simple circuit. With this tool, you can work with various miniature devices or parts. With it, you can easily dismantle and solder small radio components and microcontrollers. Each craftsman has the materials to create this product. You will learn how to make a soldering iron, and then you can easily assemble it from improvised materials. Power will be provided from a household transformer - any one from the frame scan of an old TV will do. A piece of 1.5 mm copper wire is used as a sting. A 30 mm piece is simply inserted into the heating element.

We make a base tube

It will not be just a tube, but the base of the heating element. It can be rolled up from copper foil. Then it is covered with a thin layer of a special electrical insulating compound. This composition is also very simple and easy to make. It is enough to mix talc and silicate glue, lubricate the tube and dry it over gas.

Making a heater

In order for our do-it-yourself soldering iron to adequately perform its functions, you need to wind a heater for it. We will do this from a piece of nichrome wire. To solve the problem, we take 350 mm of material 0.2 mm thick and wind it around the prepared tube. When you wind the wire, lay the turns very tightly together. Don't forget to leave straight ends. After winding, grease the spiral with a mixture of talc and glue and let it dry until it is completely baked.

We complete the project

The third stage is additional insulation and installation of the heater in a tin case.

This work must be done very carefully. The ends that come out of our heater should also be treated with insulating material. In addition, treat with a mixture of any cavities that may have arisen from a lack of accuracy.

The manufacturing process of this tool involves protecting the heater leads with heat-resistant insulating material and pulling the cord through the hole in the soldering iron handle. Screw the ends of the power wire to the heater terminals, then carefully insulate everything.

It remains to pack the heating element in a tin case, and then evenly put it in place.

Now you can use this product. If you did everything right, you get an excellent soldering iron, assembled with your own hands. With it, you can solder many interesting circuits.

Miniature non-wire resistor design

This tool is great for small jobs. It is very convenient to solder various microcircuits, SMD parts with it. The scheme of the product is simple, with the assembly there will be no difficulties.

We need an MLT type resistor from 8 to 12 ohms. The power dissipation should be up to 0.75 watts. Also choose a suitable case from an automatic pen, copper wire section 1 mm, a piece of steel wire 0.75 mm thick, a piece of textolite, a wire with heat-resistant insulation.

Before assembling this soldering iron with your own hands, peel off the paint from the resistor body.

This is easily done with a knife or liquid with acetone. Now you can safely cut off one of the resistor leads. Where the cut was made, drill a hole, and then process it with a countersink. A sting will be mounted there.

At the very beginning, the hole diameter can be equal to 1 mm. After processing it with a countersink, the sting should not come into contact with the cup. It should be in the resistor housing. FROM outside cups, make a special groove. A down conductor will be held on it, which will also hold the heater.

Now we make a payment. It will consist of three small parts.

From the wide side, connect a steel down conductor to it, in the middle part the case from the handle will be fixed. The second remaining output of the resistor is installed on the narrow part.

Before using this tool, wrap the tip with a thin layer of insulating material. That's how simple and easy you got a low-power 40W mini soldering iron.

Naturally, today serious and hot air dryers are offered for professionals, but these devices are very expensive and are available only for masters from service centers for repairing computers, laptops and mobile devices. Home master This equipment is inaccessible due to its cost. We hope this article will tell you how to make a soldering iron with your own hands quickly and easily.

Sometimes there are situations when the owner simply cannot do without a simple soldering iron. For example, you need a multi-core cable for an outlet, or from a burned-out appliance. At such moments, one has to either borrow an instrument, or postpone the matter for an indefinite period. After all, not everyone wants to buy an expensive soldering iron or soldering station unless he is a repairman. However, there is a simple way out of this situation - to independently assemble a small soldering iron, it is just right for small work. The manufacturing process will not take much time and effort, but you can save some money and gain invaluable experience. Next, we will tell you how to make a soldering iron with your own hands at home. You will be offered several designs, and you can choose the one that suits you the most.

Idea #1 - Use a Resistor

First and most simple technology making an electric soldering iron with your own hands - using a powerful resistor. The device will be designed to operate at a voltage of 6 to 24 volts, which will allow it to be powered from various sources current, and even make a portable version powered by a car battery. In order to make your own tool, you will need the following materials:

To make a soldering iron from a resistor at home, you must follow these steps:

At the end of a thick copper rod, you need to drill a hole and drive the thread under the screw with a tap. It is also necessary to cut a groove for the retainer, which in our case is the spring ring. This can be done with a triangular needle file or a hacksaw.
From the second end, drill a hole with a diameter like a thin rod, which will act as a mini soldering iron tip.
All elements of the rod must be assembled into one whole, as shown in the photo.
The resistor is prepared for mounting the soldering iron tip, which must be inserted and fixed at the back with a screw with a washer.
From a textolite or plywood plate, you need to make a comfortable handle with a seat for a resistor and a wire with your own hands. To do this, use a jigsaw to cut out two identical halves of the handle and make holes and recesses for screws and nuts.
Connect the power cord to the heater terminals. It must be screwed onto the screws so that the contact is reliable.
The finished homemade soldering iron is twisted and checked.

We draw your attention to the fact that with such a portable gun you can easily solder microcircuits and even with your own hands. It can work not only from the power supply, but also from the battery. On the forums, we met a lot of reviews, where this homemade version was connected from a 12 volt cigarette lighter, it is also very convenient!

Please note that when first turned on, all soldering irons may smoke and stink for a while. This is normal for any model, as some elements burn out. paintwork. This will stop later.

Video instructions for making a simple electrical appliance

Idea number 2 - The second life of a ballpoint pen

There is another unusual, but at the same time simple idea how to make a soldering iron with your own hands from improvised materials for soldering small parts or smd components. In this case, again, it will come in handy for us, but now it’s not PEV (as in the previous version), but MLT, with a power of 0.5 to 2 watts.

So, first you need to prepare the following materials:

Ballpoint pen of the simplest design.
Resistor with characteristics: resistance 10 Ohm, power 0.5 W.
Double-sided textolite.
Copper wire with a diameter of 1 mm, it can be wound from an old choke or you can buy a single-core copper wire in insulation at an electrician's store and carefully remove it with a clerical knife
Steel or copper wire with a diameter of not more than 0.8 mm.
Wires for connecting to the network.

Making a soldering iron from a pen at home is quite simple, you just need to follow these steps:

Remove a layer of paint from the surface of the resistor. This operation can be carried out with the help of a skin, a needle file or a file, in extreme cases, a knife. The main thing is not to overdo it, so as not to damage the resistor. If the paint is difficult to remove, connect the product to a regulated power supply and heat it up a little.
2 wires come out of the barrel, cut one of them and drill a hole for a copper wire in this place (diameter 1 mm). To prevent the wire from touching the cup (this must be avoided), countersink with a thicker drill, as shown in the photo below. In addition, you need to make a small cut for the wire right on the resistor cup. A triangular file will help you with this again.
Bend the steel wire into the shape of a ring-shaped handle, with a diameter similar to that of a drank on a cup. If you have copper wire, then you need to clamp the cup in it and twist it with pliers so that the contact is reliable, but do not overdo it, otherwise you will wrinkle the case. Remember that the wire must be without varnish insulation.
Carefully cut out the board from the double-sided PCB with your own hands, exactly the same as shown in the example in the photo. It is not necessary to buy a new sheet of textolite. You can use a jigsaw to cut a suitable piece from any unnecessary double-sided board. Or do without it altogether: twist the wire with wires, and attach them to the handle with superglue. The main thing to pay attention to is that the distance between heating element and the handle was more than 5 cm, otherwise the plastic may melt.
Next, you need to assemble a homemade soldering iron from the handle, which should not cause difficulties.
It remains to install a thin sting in seat. To prevent the copper wire from burning through the resistor, you need to make a protective layer of a piece of mica or ceramic between back wall and sorry.
The last thing to do is to connect the homemade product to a 1 A power supply and a voltage of no more than 15 Volts using wires.

That's the whole technology of creating a homemade mini soldering iron at home. As you can see, there is nothing complicated in the manufacture of this tool, and you can easily cope with it, and all the materials can be found at home by dismantling old equipment or looking for them in the bins.

How to make a more complex model of a mini soldering iron at home?

Video review of the device with nichrome wire operating on 12 volts

Idea #3 - Powerful Impulse Pattern

This option is suitable for those who are already more or less familiar with radio engineering and can read the corresponding diagrams. A master class on making a homemade pulsed soldering iron will be provided following the example of this scheme:

The advantage of this tool is that the tip heats up within 5 seconds after turning on the power, while the heated rod can easily melt tin. At the same time, it can be made from a switching power supply from a fluorescent lamp, slightly improving the board at home.

As in the previous examples, we will first consider the materials from which you can make a soldering iron with your own hands at home. Before assembly, you must prepare the following improvised means:

All you need is to connect the tip to the secondary winding, which, in fact, is already part of it. After that, one of the ballast leads must be connected to the primary winding of the transformer and all circuit elements must be fixed in a reliable case that will protect you from accidental damage. electric shock, since there is a life-threatening voltage of 220 volts in the circuit!

The principle of operation of this design is that the ballast from the lamp creates an alternating voltage that is applied to the primary winding of the transformer and is reduced to low values, while the current increases many times over. One turn, which is, in fact, the tip of the soldering iron, acts as a resistor, on which heat is dissipated. When the button is pressed, current is supplied to the circuit, and rapid heating occurs, after the button is released, the tip cools quickly, which is very convenient, since you do not have to wait long for the tool to heat up and cool down.

On the Aka Kasyan channel, one of the options for making a battery soldering iron is considered. A similar soldering iron in online stores costs from 15 to 50 dollars, but we can’t afford it, so it would be cheaper to make it ourselves.

Watch from 1:50 minutes

A sting with a heater, how to make it, is shown in the video at the end of the publication.

Li-ion battery is 18650 standard, the larger the capacity, the better. Single can charging fee lithium battery with protection based on the TP4056 chip. MT3608 DC-DC boost converter module. The case is from a cheap 18650 battery charger, in which the soldering iron will be assembled. A small switch with a latch, if only the dimensions were compact. Current is about 3 A and above.

Where to buy radio components, etc.

Buy cordless soldering iron you can in this Chinese store. You can find the DC-DC converter in the same place by typing in the search: MT3608 2A Max DC-DC Step. Buy a charge board in the search on request: Li-Ion Professional 5V Micro USB 1A 18650.
Here is a soldering iron diagram. Why everything is so complicated, you will understand later.

Diagram of a rechargeable soldering iron

Making a soldering iron body

At the very beginning, we prepare the body. Lightly processed, removed all unnecessary. This option is convenient in that the battery can be changed or replaced if necessary. The case may be different, as long as the battery is included. A pair of medical syringes of 20 milliliters is perfect.
The working part of the soldering iron had to be adapted somehow. Fixed on a terminal made of ebonite. If you work with a soldering iron continuously for ten minutes, then the ebonite begins to stink slightly. But the advantage of using this button is that it has a threaded brass sleeve and no additional lotions are needed to fix the working part.
The case is plastic and so that the ebonite retainer does not melt it, I decided to cut the front part of the case and replace it with a fiberglass implant. Then I glued all these parts with Chinese epoxy.

DC-DC Converter

Why is it needed? The fact is that the heater is designed for an operating voltage of about 9 volts. You can do without a converter. if you use 2 batteries connected in series. But in this case, the costs increase, dimensions and the weight of the soldering iron. In addition, it will become problematic to charge the soldering iron from a conventional USB connector.

And why didn’t the master make a heater ground for one can of lithium ion battery already explained in the first video.
Let's go back to the converter. Pretty popular stuff. The maximum output voltage can be about 28 volts at a current of up to 2 A. But real tests have shown that it begins to boil already with inflows of 1 A. If the output rectifier diode and the microcircuit heat up godlessly, but at some point the temperature stops rising, then with a throttle in general things are bad. After a while it starts to stink. So I decided to replace it. At hand was a non-working Chinese voltage regulator module for 3 A. I just replaced one inductor with another.

power inverter

Next, we connect the inverter to a lithium battery, or even better, to a laboratory power source. We apply voltages of 3.8-4 volts per stroke. By rotating the series resistor, we achieve 9 volts of output voltage.
Nothing has changed on the lithium battery charge board. The charge current is around 1 A, which is quite satisfactory. The only thing I did was replace 2 LED indicators. I used a two-color LED, which led to a prominent place. By the way, this board is equipped with protection that will turn off the battery when the latter is discharged below a critical level.
If needed long time to work in field conditions, then you can take a couple of charged batteries with you and quickly replace them if necessary.

The connection is unrealistic to confuse, if you are guided by the picture above.
In addition to the charge indicator, I added an LED that lights up when the soldering iron is turned on.

Soldering iron testing

And now, when the device is assembled, you can test it. The sting can heat up to 350 degrees, but the best thing is that the inverter allows you to adjust the output voltage, and hence the heating temperature of the sting. So, if you wish, you can output a variable resistor in comfortable spot and get a rechargeable soldering iron with the ability to adjust the temperature. This is one of the advantages of using an inverter.
Of the minuses. We lose 5-10 percent of the power for conversion. This is a minus given that the tool is portable and every milliwatt is expensive in this case.
The soldering iron can be used as a USB charger for the 18650 standard - also a small bonus.

Homemade battery soldering iron

How to make a soldering iron tip

Somehow walking around the expanses of Aliexpress, I saw a USB soldering iron at a sale. Surprised. Can a normal soldering iron be powered by USB, where the supply voltage is only 5 volts? But out of curiosity, I still ordered this copy.

Handy little soldering iron. Great in the hand.

You can look at this soldering iron for yourself this link.

Weighs only about 20 grams

The kit comes with a 1.5 meter cord with the following connectors at the ends:

as well as a stand for the soldering iron itself

Put together it all looks like this:

USB power supply take such a power supply that it gives out a current of at least 2 amperes

Soldering iron power consumption

In order to find out the energy consumption of USB consumers, I have this device

I hook the soldering iron to the block through this device

When you turn on the soldering iron, the red LED lights up on it.

So, the voltage that is supplied to the soldering iron is 4.9 Volts

The current strength that the soldering iron eats is 1.44 Amps

Therefore, the power consumption of the soldering iron is: P = IU = 1.44 x 4.9 = 7 Watt with pennies.

Checking the soldering iron at work

Such a soldering iron heats up very quickly due to its small dimensions. Fireproof thin nickel sting will serve you faithfully for a long time. In extreme cases, you can easily buy it on Aliexpress.

Solder melts in one and two!

And of course, the most feature: automatic shutdown. If you do not touch the soldering iron, then after 25 seconds it automatically turns off! As soon as we want to pick it up, a non-contact sensor is triggered on it, and the soldering iron is ready for battle again. Well, honestly, I did not expect this from the Chinese.

Conclusion

Well, what else can be said about this soldering iron? It is unlikely that it will be possible to solder large-sized parts, but it will pull various small things quite well. Can it be fed from Computer USB or laptop? Mmm ... Well, I stuck it into a laptop and it worked fine for me, but I strongly do not recommend doing this! Still, it is better NOT to use the USB ports of your computers to power the soldering iron. As you remember, they are intended for other purposes. If you buy a Power Bank in addition to it, then you can solder even in an open field. This is much more convenient than using a bulky and smelly gas soldering iron.

Such a soldering iron will be an excellent purchase for young radio amateurs, as many of them forget to unplug the soldering iron from the outlet, and also the voltage of 220 volts, which in itself is considered unsafe, does not “walk” in such a USB soldering iron. So, parents, if you still want to buy for your child good soldering iron, take a look at this USB soldering iron y. I have been using it periodically for a month now. He showed himself with better side. Reviews on the Internet about it are also good. Further use will show what this soldering iron is capable of in terms of longevity ;-)