#solderingstation — Public Fediverse posts

Compact PCB Vise Uses Up That Leftover Filament

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/08/29/compact-pcb-vise-uses-up-that-leftover-filament/

Another one-shot design and print for my #SolderingStation. I asked the internet if sponge or brass was better for cleaning iron tips - the conclusion seemed to be "having neither sucks, you might want one or the other in different situations". Either can be cheaply acquired, so here's a little doohickey that gives me both options and hangs off the back of the station unobtrusively (this becomes the side where I hold the iron so it's in the right place for me). #3DPrinting

That might be it for now, until the new servo arrives or I want to change something about the pen. Here's my current #SolderingStation setup, the solder feeder mounts to the front and the spring clips hold my Pinecil and the feeder pen when not in use so the whole thing packs up vertically and is carry-able with that handle.

I didn't actually need to put headers on this Pi Pico for any particular project, but - I'm sure you'll understand - I needed to solder *something*.

#3DPrinting

From day one, I designed the thing to screw to the base of my own #SolderingStation project, which includes a spindle for a roll of solder. I could make a basic version of that to go with the feeder.

It's not hard to hook a roll of solder onto something, but the feeder will work best when it's pulling right off the top of a roll, so a bespoke 3D printed part to put things in the right position won't be much of a chore.

The fully assembled solder feeder, now attached to the front of my #SolderingStation. It replaces the simple little stand I previously used to just bend the end of my solder wire over - that's still attached next to it in case I ever want it again.

I think the trick with this filament is to print with super low layer height, and enable ironing - the top of this thing looks like machined delrin or something.

Last step is finishing the feeder pen itself.

I just had some kind of "Wow-Moment" and I need to tell you about!

For many years I was soldering with some cheap soldering irons, the last one was a cheap soldering station I bought from Amazon (sorry) about 8 years ago. I was able to change the temperature with a knob and it worked quite okay-ish.

Some time ago I have ordered a AIFEN A9 Plus and today I finally have tried it.

Pardon me, but: It is FUCKING AWESOME!

Heats up very fast, cools down while not in use, has different channels or temperature settings, is quite stable and well built, and the soldering tip is like a wet kiss from the soldering god himself!

I just need a small amount of solder and it easily sticks to the parts I am soldering. Why didn't anyone tell me before that the difference between cheap and "medium-cheap" is that much big?

I really don't want to know about the "real" soldering station... that's enough for today. Awesome!

#solderingstation #soldering

Another post about me cluelessly asking for input from fellow #soldering and #opensource enthusiasts:

What kinds of fume extractors are you using? I’m kind of annoyed with all the proprietary formats for HEPA filters out there. I’m considering crafting my own extractor, however what’s the best and cheapest way to get my hands on proper HEPA filters that I can reliably get for years? I don’t feel like buying some proprietary format and then be left with no options if they’re discontinued.

It’s mainly for occasional PCB soldering shenanigans but I still like to be ok the safe side in terms of filtration… please don’t suggest I hold my breath while soldering this isn’t Reddit. 🪦

#fedihelp #solderingworkshop #solderingstation #airquality #airfilter

Continuous rotation servo + a 608 size bearing and TPU wheels + PTFE tubing + fewer 3D printed parts than you'd think + actually securing this contraption to my soldering station = a computer-controlled power feed for solder wire, for those long electronics assembly sessions.

Even before starting on the second part (the actual pen with buttons you hold at the other end of the tube) this is a serious project milestone and I'm very happy with it. #maker #3DPrinting #SolderingStation

Proof of concept: A servo motor, a little platform with an opposing wheel, and two TPU tyres with a tiny groove down the middle will very capably grab a length of solder and push/pull it.

This is part 1 of the next addition to my soldering station: a pen that precisely pays out solder wire as it's needed.

I have some continuous rotation servos and some 1mm ID PTFE tubing in the mail. This should be a quick, fruitful project. #3DPrinting #Arduino #maker #SolderingStation

Soldering up a new motor driver board. The regular pin headers I already have a system for, but how would you go about holding these screw terminals in place while soldering? I think my #SolderingStation needs a vertical slot for this clamp, and some new "feet" with gaps for 0.254" pitch pins to get a better grip on things like this.

Second soldering jig for the last part of assembly - this one holds the NES socket daughterboard to the Pro Micro mainboard so it can be soldered together at a precise 90 degree angle.

It's being held conveniently aloft by my #SolderingStation, which immediately became an integral part of my workshop infrastructure the moment it came together.

iFixit Releases Command Line Docs for FixHub Iron https://hackaday.com/2025/01/11/ifixit-releases-command-line-docs-for-fixhub-iron/ #commandlineinterface #solderingstation #documentation #ToolHacks #FixHub #ifixit

iFixit Releases Command Line Docs for FixHub Iron - When we reviewed the iFixit FixHub back in September, one of the most interesting ... - https://hackaday.com/2025/01/11/ifixit-releases-command-line-docs-for-fixhub-iron/ #commandlineinterface #solderingstation #documentation #toolhacks #fixhub #ifixit

Review: iFixit’s FixHub May Be The Last Soldering Iron You Ever Buy - Like many people who solder regularly, I decided years ago to upgrade from a basic... - https://hackaday.com/2024/09/12/review-ifixits-fixhub-may-be-the-last-soldering-iron-you-ever-buy/ #solderingstation #repairability #solderingiron #toolhacks #webserial #featured #interest #reviews #ifixit #usbc

@gregly it's a great idea, isn't it? I stole it from (and very gratefully attribute it to) @rasterweb whose model I remixed: https://www.printables.com/model/598207-prodoehls-solder-board-v2

It's on the end of one of the arms of my #SolderingStation, which I haven't properly released anywhere yet, but you can see more about it through that hashtag.

CC @emily who asked about it too!

And the clips' final form, on the articulated arms of my #solderingstation. This thing is becoming frighteningly useful and versatile. #3dprinting

I wanted a better way to mount these little spring clamps to the #solderingstation than just jamming them into place, so I've made these little stands for them. No doubt those M3 screws are actually meant for securing grounding wires or something, but they make neat mounting points for the clamps. #3dprinting

Sometimes the simplest solutions are also the "why didn't I think of this a week ago!?" ones. The #solderingstation's right-angle header widget now looks like this - it just plugs into the perfboard area as if you were soldering something flat, and then tilts so the board you're soldering also sits flat on top of the pins. A spring clamp from another arm helps to steady it in space while you work. #3dprinting

The #solderingstation now has a widget to help soldering 90-degree angled headers onto boards. Those little partly-covered slots hold the individual pins in place, and the header (and board) have to be lifted out at an angle to come out, making them sit very securely while being soldered. Two banks of that to handle breakout boards of different sizes. A few more little tweaks to this design and I'll publish it for others to get ahold of as well! #3dprinting

Neat Soldering Station Design Has Workshop & Portable Versions - The warm and rather stinky heart of any hacker’s lair is the soldering station, wh... - https://hackaday.com/2023/10/05/neat-soldering-station-design-has-workshop-portable-versions/ #solderingstation #3dprinting #techhacks #solder

Today's #solderingstation update: the baseplate is now totally modular, with the tower now made from separate pieces, rather than being slowly printed in place on top of the base. At the cost of a few extra threaded inserts, the tower is now tall enough that the handle is *above* the centre of gravity, and the whole thing can now be easily picked up and carted around. No longer does moving this around on my desk feel like arguing with a petrified octopus. #3dprinting

Last iteration for now. I realised I should open up the back as much as I have the front, and now it has pretty impressive airflow. I will definitely come back and do some more tweaking later, but I'm super happy with how I'm leaving the #solderingstation's fan box today. #3dprinting

Meanwhile in #solderingstation land, the fume exhaust fan box got an experimental upgrade today - if air moves fastest around the very edge of a fan, then it makes sense to open up the edges of the box as much as possible. I have no way to scientifically quantify the airflow here, but having quickly soldered up another Pro Micro to test, I'm pretty sure this is an improvement. #3dprinting

(In case you missed it, the little widget holding that #Arduino in place is this: https://www.printables.com/model/598207-prodoehls-solder-board-v2 )

Miniware TS1C: A Cordless Soldering Iron With a Station - Most soldering irons in the market seem to fall into a few distinct categories. Th... - https://hackaday.com/2023/07/09/miniware-ts1c-a-cordless-soldering-iron-with-a-station/ #cordlesssolderingiron #solderingstation #toolhacks #reviews

Tiny PCB Banishes Soldering Fumes, Automatically - A fan to remove fumes is a handy thing to have when soldering, even better is a fa... - https://hackaday.com/2023/02/19/tiny-pcb-banishes-soldering-fumes-automatically/ #solderingstation #manhattanstyle #solderfumefan #ledindicator #comparator #toolhacks #fan

Have JBC Soldering Handle, Will USB-C Power Deliver - Frequent converter-of-tools-to-USB-C [Jan Henrik] is at it again, this time with a board to facilita... more: https://hackaday.com/2020/04/21/have-jbc-soldering-handle-will-usb-c-power-deliver/ #solderingstation #usbpowerdelivery #powerdelivery #solderingiron #toolhacks #soldering #metcal #usb-pd #weller #hakko #ts100 #usbc #jbc #usb