Homemade Hot Air Soldering Tool

From: Mail List <mail.list_at_analog-and-digital-solutions.com>
Date: Thu May 22 14:47:01 2003

> IME, the wire wool tends to go black (oxidise?) pretty quickly, I don't have
> a clue what metal it's made out of, though.

Could you stuff part of a stainless steel dish scrubber in there instead?
Might not stainless steel hold up better than the steel wool?







At 05:05 PM 5/22/03 +0100, you wrote:
>In message <20030522135338.86817.qmail_at_web10305.mail.yahoo.com>
> Ethan Dicks <erd_6502_at_yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > Was it here that I was reading about turning a RadioShack Desoldering
> > Iron into an SMT hot air tool?
>I have no idea, but there was a thread on the PICList along those lines. The
>original idea was somewhere on www.usbmicro.com ISTR.
>
> > The basic gist is that you remove the
> > rubber bulb, plug in an aquarium pump on a long-enough air hose, and
> > pack some (stainless) steel wool inside the de-soldering nozzle. The
> > pump provides continuous air over the steel wool which facilitates
> > heat transfer to get the air temp up to something useful.
>Theoretically it should work... See below for my - ahem - "test results"...
>
> > I have done some initial digging and have come up with the following:
> >
> > RS De-soldering Tool - $10 new
> > Weller De-soldering Attachment - in junk box
> > Aquarium Pump - $7 - $70 new
> >
> > So... I can use one of my Wellers as the heat source, or I can drop $10
> > for a dedicated (non-temp-controlled) unit.
>I spent $10 on a dedicated unit, then bought a cheapo 30W soldering iron and
>bolted the desoldering attachment onto it.
>
> > What I'm hung up on is that
> > I have no idea what capacity pump to buy. The $70 pump is somewhat large,
> > but is adjustable. The $7 pump is too small to enclose a golf ball.
> > There are numerous models in-between, including several with dual taps.
>I tried using a 20-something PSI (allegedly) air compressor. Made by Aerosol
>Products (Colchester), 87 Eccleston Sq., London, S.W.1. $DEITY knows if they
>still exist - there's a phone number (?) on there - "Victoria 1676". The
>model number on it is "SCI" (may be "SC1", "5C1" or "5CI"), serial number
>1/6290. Painted red with a metal toggle switch on one side (power) and a
>7mm-ish pipe on one side for the output.
>I guess the air pressure is too high for the steel wool to heat the air up
>enough...
>
> > So... has anyone here had any experience building such things? If I
> > didn't read about it here, I'm baffled where else I would have run
> > across the info.
>PICList? Google Search?
>
>BTW, if you do find a pump that works, post the specs of it somewhere!
>
>IME, the wire wool tends to go black (oxidise?) pretty quickly, I don't have
>a clue what metal it's made out of, though.
>
>Later.
>--
>Phil.
>philpem_at_dsl.pipex.com
>http://www.philpem.dsl.pipex.com/
Received on Thu May 22 2003 - 14:47:01 BST

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