DIY Soldering Station

[BrianG]

I recently picked up a Hakko 60W soldering iron, but found it got too hot for anything but doing batteries.

So, I put together a little adjustable setup so I can vary the level so the iron doesn't get the full power. You can probably tell from the pictures, but it is just a RadioShack project enclosure, a regular 120v receptacle, and a dimmer control. I chose a dimmer that can handle inductive loads as well as resistive because it will allow me to test other things, but a typical resistive load dimmer capable of 100w or more is all you need. Wiring is pretty simple:

This isn't terribly accurate, but after a little bit of experience, you get to know where to turn the knob to get the heat you want. If you know you won't be using the iron for around 10 minutes, I usually turn the knob to ~50%. This saves the tip and saves power, but still keeps it somewhat warm so it takes less time to heat it back up for use.

The knob has a built-on power switch, so it's kinda handy to use it to shut it off instead of unplugging it every time.

Obviously, this is not a replacent for a real solder station, but is cheaper and can be used with any 120v iron (as long as the power rating doesn't exceed the dimmer power rating).

Ok, enough talk, here are the pics: