Soldering station with hair dryer how to work. DIY soldering gun

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

Anyone who has tried to repair electronics has come to the realization that a soldering iron alone will not be enough. Some SMD elements simply cannot be desoldered without the help of a hot air dryer. That is why, over time, a soldering station is purchased that includes both. Most cheap options rarely meet individual preferences. Therefore, a do-it-yourself hot-air soldering station is not something unattainable. The article will discuss various options for soldering stations, as well as the self-assembly process.

What is a soldering station

To put it simply, a simple soldering station consists of several main blocks:

• power unit;
• Control block;
• indicators;
• manipulators.

The power supply can be switching or transformer. The first has smaller dimensions and is capable of delivering more power. The transformer power supply has a characteristic sound during operation and requires large dimensions for high power. In some cases, the transformer unit proves to be more reliable, but this directly affects the weight and dimensions of the soldering station. The soldering station control unit consists of a board on which microcontrollers are located, variable resistors and other elements that are responsible for feedback, as well as for generating the output signal for manipulators.

The following can be used as manipulators at a soldering station:

• soldering iron;
• infrared head.

There are indicators on the front panel of the station. They display readings from temperature sensors located in the manipulators. In most cases, additional calibration is required to achieve correct readings.

Types of stations

All soldering stations can be divided into two large groups:

• hot air;
• infrared.

Each of them is tailored to its own tasks. In most cases, professional repairs require both types of soldering stations. The first is a small block that has one or two manipulators. A hot air soldering station can include only a hair dryer or a hair dryer with a soldering iron. There are soldering stations that only have a soldering iron as a manipulator. Usually these are the varieties that are called induction. In conventional hot-air stations, the soldering iron is heated by a ceramic or similar element to which voltage is applied. This element transmits temperature to the tip. In induction soldering stations, heating occurs due to the action of an electromagnetic field. The energy is immediately transferred to the sting.

Thanks to this approach, it was possible to reduce the inertia of the soldering station, increase the response time, and also increase power with smaller dimensions. In those products that contain heat-intensive elements, it is impossible to do without an induction station, since it is capable of heating large areas of tin in a short time. In some cases, this is difficult to achieve even with a hot-air hair dryer. Induction units are several times more expensive than conventional stations, but their efficiency guarantees pleasure and high precision when working.

Infrared soldering stations are a separate division. In appearance, they are practically different from the two previous types. They consist of two main modules:

• head or top heating;
• bottom heating.

Heating in them occurs due to infrared elements. Thanks to the bottom heating, the board is heated evenly, which avoids deformation when removing or sealing certain elements. Most often, infrared stations are used to replace chips with BGA soldering. They are chip-crystals that are fixed on the board using special solder balls. Some types of such chips can be replaced with a conventional hot air station, but the quality will suffer. The cost of a good infrared station starts from one thousand dollars.

Note! There is a separate subtype of infrared stations, in which the infrared element is placed in a manipulator that resembles a hair dryer. Such products are not widely used and are rarely used.

Self-assembly

Two of the listed types of soldering stations can be assembled yourself. In most cases, ready-made modules that are commercially available are used. If you wish, you can develop your own circuit and assemble it, but often this is not necessary, since it is cheaper to buy ready-made components.

Thermal air

The simplest hot air soldering station can be assembled from a regular soldering iron. Below you will find instructions in photographs on how to do this. The entire assembly process will require the following components:

• soldering iron with wooden handle;
• aquarium compressor;
• screwdriver;
• drill;
• medical IV;
• foil;
• antenna part;
• stranded wire.

The process begins with the need to disassemble the soldering iron. The screw is unscrewed and the tip is released.

The next step is to remove the handle, which will be needed later. The wires that connect the power cable to the heating element are unscrewed.

The wire is pulled out of the handle and a small hole is drilled in the side.

The power wire is inserted through the hole made. To make this easier, you can tie it to a piece of wire and stretch it through it.

Now you will need the previously prepared dropper. The part on which the elastic is located must be cut in half, as shown in the photo.

After this, the remaining part with the tube is inserted into the handle, where the power cord used to go.

The connection turns out to be quite reliable and airtight. Next to the power wire that was threaded into drilled hole, the heating element removed earlier is connected.

It is important to insulate the wires well to avoid electric shock. The heating element is installed in its place. After this, a piece of foil is wrapped around the holes in the heating element, which are intended for cooling, as shown in the photo.

To keep the foil in place, it must be secured with copper wire wrapped around the foil.

The nozzle, which will provide a directed air flow, is made from a piece of tube from the antenna. It is simply inserted into place of the sting, as shown in the photo below.

The hole through which the power wire passes must be well sealed. A regular sealant will do for this purpose. Next, the aquarium compressor is connected to the second part of the tube from the dropper.

This result will be quite sufficient for working with small components on boards. The power of such a hair dryer can be increased by winding a nichrome thread on a heating element, and also by installing a compressor with higher performance. In conjunction with a hairdryer, you can use a regular soldering iron. You can always take such products with you.

The process of assembling a product with a more complex structure is described in the video below.

Infrared

It is also quite possible to make an infrared station yourself. For this purpose you will need:

• soldering iron;
• PC power supply;
• car cigarette lighter.

You can use the old power supply. You only need one working line with a voltage of 12 volts. No special power required. All you need is a soldering iron wooden handle. It can be used from any other device or made independently. The first step is to disassemble the cigarette lighter to get to the heating element that is located inside. The photo shows what it looks like.

The next task is to attach the cigarette lighter handle to the soldering iron handle. You can use glue for this. Next, you need to drill a hole in the cigarette lighter handle so that the power wires can be fed through the hole. Once the wires are connected, you can assemble the cigarette lighter module with a ceramic spacer, as shown in the photo below.

The entire structure can be secured to the handle using an additional metal plate. When everything is ready, the wires are connected to the power supply to a 12 volt output. Ready option The mini-station is shown in the photo below.

The station turns out to be compact, so it is easy to transport and can be powered from any source that is capable of delivering 12 volts direct current. It could even be a battery, so the station turned out to be completely autonomous. If you assemble a small block of 18650 lithium-ion batteries with a 12-volt converter and install a charging controller, then the price of such a station will not be.

The mini-station heats up almost instantly, and the maximum temperature can exceed 400 degrees. Small elements such as capacitors and transistors can be desoldered, as can be seen in the photo below.

The distance to the board when soldering must be at least 10 mm. In addition to miniature SMD elements, the station can easily cope with microcircuits in SOEC packages. The photo below shows direct evidence of this.

You can also desolder larger components without much difficulty. The station can be slightly modified to make it a convenient option for work. One of the modules that is easy to use additionally is a dimmer, as can be seen in the photo below.

Its purpose is to be able to adjust the power of the soldering station. As a power source, you can use not the power supply from the PC, but the power supply for LED strip, as seen in the photo below. It is easy to purchase at any electrical goods store. The total power of the station is approximately 50 W, the current required for its operation reaches 6 amperes. This should be taken into account when choosing a power supply.

The disadvantage of such a soldering station can be considered the lack of contact with the element that is being soldered. Because of this, there is no way to remove excess solder, and it is also impossible to correct the part if it was positioned offset and the solder has not yet cooled. It is advisable to provide a separate power button on the handle, which will prevent the cigarette lighter from overheating. While operating such a station, it is necessary to hold the manipulator at an angle of 90 degrees to the element that is being soldered. This will make it possible to influence it evenly with the entire area of ​​the heater.

Additionally, for successful soldering of small elements you will need a set of tweezers. Their jaws must be sharp to make it easier to grip miniature components. In addition, you cannot do without a device called a “third hand”. There are many variations of it, but the main purpose is the same everywhere. It consists of holding soldered wires or entire microcircuits. To make it easier to see small components, you need a good magnifying glass or microscope. An integral part of the master's toolkit is good lighting. It would be desirable if it were based on LEDs that do not flicker during operation. When soldering using a station, you cannot do without flux. This is a special solution that improves adhesion and cleans the metal for soldering. A variant of an infrared soldering station with bottom heating can also be assembled independently. There is a video about this below.

Summary

As you can see, building your own soldering station is not as difficult as it might seem. At the same time, the costs for such a soldering station will be minimal, and it can be used anywhere. If we are talking about the professional level of conducting repair work, then it makes sense to think about purchasing a high-quality factory soldering station, which has various operating modes and settings. When learning, there is no point in buying an expensive soldering station; you can start with cheap options for soldering stations. If the training is successful and during this time the desire to work is not lost, then you can think about purchasing a professional soldering station.

Prologue

When testing the predecessor hair dryer, it turned out that its 100-watt power was not enough to quickly dismantle large radio components. Then it was decided to make a soldering hair dryer with a power of 300 watts.

The main difference between the new hair dryer and the previous one is the use of one power source instead of two, as well as a more complex design of the heating element.

Video for those who don't have time to read.

The 10-minute video shows the process of assembling and testing the hair dryer and pays attention to some metalworking techniques.

Soldering hair dryer power supply circuit

Unlike the previous one, this hair dryer is powered by a single power source, which makes the hair dryer easier to operate. However, it must be recognized that such a power supply somewhat reduces the functionality of the product and significantly complicates the design.

The basis of the circuit is a parametric voltage stabilizer assembled on the elements: VT1, D5, D6, D7 and R1. It provides stabilization of the power supply voltage for the hair dryer fan, while the voltage of the main power source can be varied to adjust the temperature of the air flow.

To change the air flow speed, switch SA1 is used, which has two positions 8 and 12 Volts.

The fan is protected from exceeding the maximum permissible voltage by fuse FU1 and protective diode D8 (Suppressor). If for some reason the fan supply voltage reaches 13-14 Volts, the suppressor will open and the fuse will blow and break the fan power circuit.

Anticipating questions about the use of a parametric stabilizer, instead of a linear or pulsed one, I will immediately clarify. If you use alternating current to power the hair dryer, the peak voltage of the power supply may exceed the maximum permissible voltage for most inexpensive microcircuits. For example, with an AC voltage of 30 Volts, the peak will be:

I note that the PP was developed for the long-forgotten technology of manufacturing boards based on hollow rivets - pistons. Therefore, all paths look like straight lines.

And this is the assembled hair dryer fan power board.

Since the stabilizer transistor can dissipate power up to 24 Watts, it is installed on a radiator. The radiator can be made of aluminum alloy sheet, such as aluminum tin can. The total thickness of the set of radiator plates must be at least 1.5 mm. A layer of thermal conductive paste must be applied between the transistor and the individual plates.

To connect the leads of the heater spirals, brass inserts of electrical terminal blocks were used.

Assembly drawing of a homemade hair dryer

This is an assembly drawing of a homemade hair dryer.

How to calculate the heating element of a hair dryer?

Let's calculate a heating element for a hair dryer with a power of 300 watts and a supply voltage of 24 volts. I chose a supply voltage such that, if it was necessary to obtain more power, I could remain within 36 Volts - a conditionally safe voltage for life.

The heater resistance of such a hair dryer will be equal to:

R = U²/P, Where:

R – resistance in Ohms,

U – supply voltage in Volts,

P – heater power in Watts.

R = 24²/300 = 1.92(Ohm)

When using five spirals connected in parallel, the resistance of each spiral will be five times greater:

R = 1.91 * 5 ≈ 9.6(Ohm)

You can determine the required length of nichrome wire using an ohmmeter. I got about 1100mm. You can measure pieces of wire and simply wind them onto a mandrel, or you can calculate the length of the winding.

Since one of the spiral leads can be formed already during winding, I subtracted 50mm from the length obtained experimentally:

1100 – 50 = 1050 (mm)

The length of the wire wound on the mandrel can be determined as follows:

H = L / π / (D+d) * D, Where:

H – winding length (turn to turn),

L – wire length,

π – Pi number (3.14),

D – mandrel diameter,

d – wire diameter.

H = 1050/ 3.14 / (4+0.4) * 0.4 ≈ 30(mm)

Soldering iron heating element

The heating element of a soldering iron consists of five spirals and a ceramic insulating tube.

To prevent arcing, the internal leads of the coils were placed in a ceramic tube borrowed from the delay line of an old Soviet TV. You can free the ceramic tube from the compound, leads and wire using gas burner. But it is better to do this outside or in a well-ventilated area.

Another source of ceramic insulators can be tubular ceramic capacitors,

If you've ever taken apart burnt soldering irons, you might have mica tubes like these lying around. They can also be used to insulate the central terminals of the heater.

Nichrome wire with a diameter of 0.4 mm was purchased at the market for $1.1 in rows of pieces of iron from a seller selling heating elements.

The seller had the same bobbins from a sewing machine filled with wire of a different diameter.

The spirals were wound using a hand drill and a shaft with a diameter of 4 mm. In order not to measure the wire, a stop was attached to the shaft.

Heating element housing

The most complex assembly unit of a soldering gun is the heating element body. It was assembled from three parts: a glass, a tube and a washer.

A glass with an outer diameter of 16.5 mm was obtained by disassembling a lithium-ion battery from a laptop. The fact is that the very aggressive filling of lithium-ion batteries and batteries is enclosed in stainless steel cases.

Used batteries can be purchased at the radio market, and faulty ones can be asked at a computer workshop. If somewhere at a radio market or flea market you come across a whole laptop battery, then here it is.

Attention! Before disassembling the battery bank, it must be discharged. This can be done using a powerful, low-resistance resistor. I used a 10-Ohm PEV resistor with a power of 10 Watts, which I usually use to discharge electrolytic capacitors.

Although, if you are not so scrupulous, you can rivet the heater body from tin from a tin can, after first making sure with a magnet that the can is steel. Of all the metals that a homemaker may have at hand, only aluminum alloys have low temperature melting. At the same time, steel, brass and copper are suitable for the manufacture of such parts.

Thin-walled tubes of various diameters can be obtained by disassembling a broken telescopic antenna from a radio or radio. How to cut the antenna section and flare the edge of the tube is shown in the video.

The flange securing the thin-walled tube is made of a steel washer 1 mm thick. M1.6 screws were chosen as fastenings, although rivets made of copper wire can also be used.

Hair dryer body

A one-liter PET bottle of sparkling water was used as the body of the hair dryer. The bottle size was chosen based on the perimeter of the fan used.

The heating element body is attached to the hair dryer body using a four-leaf collet clamp. To do this, the screw part of the bottle neck was cut into four parts using a hacksaw, and a hole was made in the cap with a scalpel.

Hair dryer handle

The hair dryer handle was made from the barrel of a 40 gram disposable syringe. A rectangular window was cut out in it with a sharp knife to install the fan power switch.

Fan assembly

A high-power hair dryer also requires a more efficient fan. I bought a used server fan Brushless FFB0612EHE 12V/1.2A on the radio market for only $1.35.

To attach the fan to a PET bottle, a clamp was made from 0.5mm thick sheet metal.

In order for the body of the bottle to press tightly against the side surfaces of the fan, the edge of the bottle was cut in four places.

Heater housing fastening unit

In order to protect the neck of the PET bottle from overheating, the heater body was insulated with several dozen layers of fiberglass. To additionally protect the hair dryer body from overheating, an aluminum heat shield 0.5 mm thick is used. The screen petals bent inside the body are blown by an air flow. This design reduces heat transfer from the heater body to the hair dryer body.

Drawing of thin-walled parts

This is a pattern drawing with which you can make all the thin-walled parts necessary to assemble a hair dryer. Below the preview is an image for printing in A4 format, 300dpi.

Hairdryer assembled

And this is a homemade soldering gun in assembled form.

When heat treating at home, it is not always possible to use professional welding equipment. A soldering gun is a special device that allows you to quickly connect various metal parts and circuit elements.

How to choose

A soldering hair dryer is a modern electrical device that allows you to heat metal leads to a certain temperature in a relatively short time. Thanks to its simple operating principle and high-quality assembly, this device can be used by both beginners and professional welders. It is worth noting that it is quite rarely used as an independent device, since in addition to heating the part, precise direction is required. Therefore, most craftsmen prefer to use soldering stations in practice.

A soldering station with a hair dryer is a semi-professional heating device, which is a welding heater with a soldering iron. It is designed to work with various circuit elements, components electrical networks or minor heat treatments of parts.

In order to choose a soldering gun, you need to decide on the type of work to be performed. There are different diameters of the soldering iron, they can vary from 2 millimeters to 5. Many manufacturers offer to purchase a set of nozzles for the heating device.

Let's look at the characteristics of well-known soldering guns to make the right choice:

Lead-free soldering station AOYUE 2703A (you can solder both radio elements and small tubular parts):

Soldering hot air gun Element 858D (Element):

Station KADA 852D:

Manual unit Yaxun YX8032 (UH-8032). This is the best option for home use:

Infrared hair dryer ACHI IR-6500. This is a universal repair complex designed to work with various boards and electronic circuits, and for joining metal components of relatively large diameter. Characteristics:

Digital hot air gun Lukey 852D with built-in soldering iron:

The manufacturer also includes 4 attachments for this soldering gun. comfortable work at various sites.

How to make it yourself

If you don’t want to buy an expensive device or, on the contrary, order a soldering gun from China, then you can make this device yourself.

In order to make a simple soldering gun yourself, you will need drawings and some parts. A diagram of a small device is shown below:

Parts that may be needed to implement a project are found in almost every home. Alternatively, you can buy them at your local electronics store. A fan from a personal computer will be used to pump air. To prevent the wire from coming off the part during operation, it must be attached to the block. It is recommended to make the heating element spiral from nichrome wire. To do this, simply wind the wire around a cylinder of the desired size. Please note that one lead must go through the tube.

For the case you will need a 10 W resistor. Its size allows you to equip a small heating device, you just need to release the handset from internal elements. Be sure to insulate the metal housing from heating and conductive elements. For this, you can use any available insulation, but mica has proven itself best.

Video instructions on how to make a soldering gun with your own hands.

For the air duct you will need a simple tin can; it is cut out of the container. The edges need to be trimmed so that during operation they do not cause damage with sharp ends. To prevent the air duct from heating up, it is recommended to wrap it with fiberglass - for this you need to make 3 layers. The handle can be made from a syringe tube. Terminal blocks are used to connect the cable and the heater; they are selected according to the size of the wire.

Considering that the air duct is the most complex design detail, its development must be discussed step by step:

1. The location of this part of the device must be such that the fan tube is connected to the heating coil;
2. In order to select the dimensions, you need to use the duct layout drawing. Drawing of an air duct scan
3. To perform it accurately, it is advisable to print out this drawing and use it to make a template using a pre-prepared can. You can cut in with simple metal scissors, minor deviations are allowed;
4. Further, the assembly resembles a constructor. You need to make holes in the tin, and then pull the power wire through it. It will later connect to the heater coil;
5. After this, all that remains is to assemble a homemade soldering gun according to the drawing and check its performance.

This hot air gun is a cheap and simple option that even a novice radio amateur can make. You can also simply assemble a finished circuit on the Atmega board using a similar drawing. Instead of the body, you can use a blank from a regular hair dryer to dry your hair.

Price overview

You can buy a soldering gun at any electrical store; its price depends on the brand and type of device. Let's look at how much the LUKEY 852D+ station costs:

Payment, depending on the manufacturer and seller, can be made by cash on delivery, non-cash or installment plan.

Prologue

When testing the predecessor hair dryer, it turned out that its 100-watt power was not enough to quickly dismantle large radio components. Then it was decided to make a soldering hair dryer with a power of 300 watts.

The main difference between the new hair dryer and the previous one is the use of one power source instead of two, as well as a more complex design of the heating element.

Video for those who don't have time to read.

The 10-minute video shows the process of assembling and testing the hair dryer and pays attention to some metalworking techniques.

Soldering hair dryer power supply circuit

Unlike the previous one, this hair dryer is powered by a single power source, which makes the hair dryer easier to operate. However, it must be recognized that such a power supply somewhat reduces the functionality of the product and significantly complicates the design.

The basis of the circuit is a parametric voltage stabilizer assembled on the elements: VT1, D5, D6, D7 and R1. It provides stabilization of the power supply voltage for the hair dryer fan, while the voltage of the main power source can be varied to adjust the temperature of the air flow.

To change the air flow speed, switch SA1 is used, which has two positions 8 and 12 Volts.

The fan is protected from exceeding the maximum permissible voltage by fuse FU1 and protective diode D8 (Suppressor). If for some reason the fan supply voltage reaches 13-14 Volts, the suppressor will open and the fuse will blow and break the fan power circuit.

Anticipating questions about the use of a parametric stabilizer, instead of a linear or pulsed one, I will immediately clarify. If you use alternating current to power the hair dryer, the peak voltage of the power supply may exceed the maximum permissible voltage for most inexpensive microcircuits. For example, at a voltage of 30 Volts, the peak will be:

I note that the PP was developed for the long-forgotten technology of manufacturing boards based on hollow rivets - pistons. Therefore, all paths look like straight lines.

And this is the assembled hair dryer fan power board.

Since the stabilizer transistor can dissipate power up to 24 Watts, it is installed on a radiator. The radiator can be made from sheet aluminum alloy, such as an aluminum tin can. The total thickness of the set of radiator plates must be at least 1.5 mm. A layer of thermal conductive paste must be applied between the transistor and the individual plates.

To connect the leads of the heater spirals, brass inserts of electrical terminal blocks were used.

Assembly drawing of a homemade hair dryer

This is an assembly drawing of a homemade hair dryer.

How to calculate the heating element of a hair dryer?

Let's calculate a heating element for a hair dryer with a power of 300 watts and a supply voltage of 24 volts. I chose a supply voltage such that, if it was necessary to obtain more power, I could remain within 36 Volts - a conditionally safe voltage for life.

The heater resistance of such a hair dryer will be equal to:

R = U²/P, Where:

R – resistance in Ohms,

U – supply voltage in Volts,

P – heater power in Watts.

R = 24²/300 = 1.92(Ohm)

When using five spirals connected in parallel, the resistance of each spiral will be five times greater:

R = 1.91 * 5 ≈ 9.6(Ohm)

You can determine the required length of nichrome wire using an ohmmeter. I got about 1100mm. You can measure pieces of wire and simply wind them onto a mandrel, or you can calculate the length of the winding.

Since one of the spiral leads can be formed already during winding, I subtracted 50mm from the length obtained experimentally:

1100 – 50 = 1050 (mm)

The length of the wire wound on the mandrel can be determined as follows:

H = L / π / (D+d) * D, Where:

H – winding length (turn to turn),

L – wire length,

π – Pi number (3.14),

D – mandrel diameter,

d – wire diameter.

H = 1050/ 3.14 / (4+0.4) * 0.4 ≈ 30(mm)

Soldering iron heating element

The heating element of a soldering iron consists of five spirals and a ceramic insulating tube.

To prevent arcing, the internal leads of the coils were placed in a ceramic tube borrowed from the delay line of an old Soviet TV. You can free the ceramic tube from the compound, leads and wire using a gas torch. But it is better to do this outside or in a well-ventilated area.

Another source of ceramic insulators can be tubular ceramic capacitors,

If you've ever taken apart burnt soldering irons, you might have mica tubes like these lying around. They can also be used to insulate the central terminals of the heater.

Nichrome wire with a diameter of 0.4 mm was purchased at the market for $1.1 in rows of pieces of iron from a seller selling heating elements.

The seller had the same bobbins from a sewing machine filled with wire of a different diameter.

The spirals were wound using a hand drill and a shaft with a diameter of 4 mm. In order not to measure the wire, a stop was attached to the shaft.

Heating element housing

The most complex assembly unit of a soldering gun is the heating element body. It was assembled from three parts: a glass, a tube and a washer.

A glass with an outer diameter of 16.5 mm was obtained by disassembling a lithium-ion battery from a laptop. The fact is that the very aggressive filling of lithium-ion batteries and batteries is enclosed in stainless steel cases.

Used batteries can be purchased at the radio market, and faulty ones can be asked at a computer workshop. If somewhere at a radio market or flea market you come across a whole laptop battery, then here it is.

Attention! Before disassembling the battery bank, it must be discharged. This can be done using a powerful, low-resistance resistor. I used a 10-Ohm PEV resistor with a power of 10 Watts, which I usually use to discharge electrolytic capacitors.

Although, if you are not so scrupulous, you can rivet the heater body from tin from a tin can, after first making sure with a magnet that the can is steel. Of all the metals that a DIYer may have at hand, only aluminum alloys have a low melting point. At the same time, steel, brass and copper are suitable for the manufacture of such parts.

Thin-walled tubes of various diameters can be obtained by disassembling a broken telescopic antenna from a radio or radio. How to cut the antenna section and flare the edge of the tube is shown in the video.

The flange securing the thin-walled tube is made of a steel washer 1 mm thick. M1.6 screws were chosen as fastenings, although rivets made of copper wire can also be used.

Hair dryer body

A one-liter PET bottle of sparkling water was used as the body of the hair dryer. The bottle size was chosen based on the perimeter of the fan used.

The heating element body is attached to the hair dryer body using a four-leaf collet clamp. To do this, the screw part of the bottle neck was cut into four parts using a hacksaw, and a hole was made in the cap with a scalpel.

Hair dryer handle

The hair dryer handle was made from the barrel of a 40 gram disposable syringe. A rectangular window was cut out in it with a sharp knife to install the fan power switch.

Fan assembly

A high-power hair dryer also requires a more efficient fan. I bought a used server fan Brushless FFB0612EHE 12V/1.2A on the radio market for only $1.35.

To attach the fan to a PET bottle, a clamp was made from 0.5mm thick sheet metal.

In order for the body of the bottle to press tightly against the side surfaces of the fan, the edge of the bottle was cut in four places.

Heater housing fastening unit

In order to protect the neck of the PET bottle from overheating, the heater body was insulated with several dozen layers of fiberglass. To additionally protect the hair dryer body from overheating, an aluminum heat shield 0.5 mm thick is used. The screen petals bent inside the body are blown by an air flow. This design reduces heat transfer from the heater body to the hair dryer body.

Drawing of thin-walled parts

This is a pattern drawing with which you can make all the thin-walled parts necessary to assemble a hair dryer. Below the preview is an image for printing in A4 format, 300dpi.

Hairdryer assembled

And this is a homemade soldering gun in assembled form.

The difference between a soldering hair dryer and a regular hygienic one is limited by its rough, heavy design. The temperatures inside reach 800 degrees Celsius, but 250 is enough for soldering. A hair dryer won't do this. The idea is to copy the design. A do-it-yourself soldering hair dryer is assembled from a hygienic hair dryer designed for drying hair. The heating element undergoes the most modernization. Get ready to add a couple of functional elements. The idea remains the same: the air pumped by the fan passes through the heating element (spiral), acquiring a considerable temperature that can melt the flux when soldering and desoldering board elements. It will come in handy for a novice radio amateur who is passionate about processor technology.

Soldering gun design

A used hair dryer would be useful for the design project. Stores list it for a maximum of 200 rubles, maybe you can find a free one at home. For comparison, a construction one costs 800 rubles; God knows whether it’s suitable for soldering. Try it. Whether saving pennies is worth it is up to you to decide. The review is considered an experiment, for fun. Winning $15 after spending a lot of time and losing in terms of security is a dubious benefit. The experience is interesting, if you have nothing else to do, let's get started.

Construction and hygienic hair dryers

In the videos, craftsmen created hair dryers and used a steel tube. Be careful not to install aluminum, copper is too heavy (relative to steel). The disadvantage is the same: it is not possible to hold a massive device. They wrote about induction heating machines. It was said: high temperatures spoil the copper inductor. Caused by secondary heat given off by the melting part by infrared, convection. Mention was made of ceramic heat-resistant fabric that can withstand temperatures in excess of 1000 degrees Celsius without damage. At the same time, a list of materials used that are not afraid of heat was given.

The situation is similar with a soldering gun. The metal will become red hot - how to hold it with one hand? In the amateur videos, the soldering gun lay motionless on the stand, while the board with attached elements moved relative to it. Anyone familiar with amateur radio will guess about the inconvenience of the technique. It’s clear that I wanted to feel something better at hand... If readers are lucky enough to get hold of heat-resistant fabric - the most useless specimens can hold temperatures of 800 degrees Celsius - the problem will be largely solved. Let us remind you: in induction melting installations, the fabric covers the spiral, protecting it from the red-hot workpiece. The material is laid outside, it will not bear a large load. A few layers are enough to fit a homemade oven mitt on top to hold the appliance.

What is good for designing an old hair dryer? In simple cheap models we find mica plates that easily maintain temperature. The coils of the soldering gun become red-hot, therefore, a strong base is sought that is not afraid of load. Standing under a high-resistance wire will do. The spirals are connected by a cross - great. A few words about spirals: we use soft nichrome (hard fechral), which needs to be purchased. Not a problem - the network is full of shops. Fechral is harsher, inappropriate for the occasion.

The question of determining power arose. Too much heat will melt the flux and can burn the chips. A radio amateur knows: a soldering iron that is too powerful is your worst enemy. electronic components, constituting competition static electricity. With unskilled hands, the sting becomes a real weapon for killing microcircuits and attachments. Complex components have an incredible number of legs, and melting the flux takes time.

The question is inspired by a YouTube video: a novice radio amateur describes his first experience of making a soldering gun as unsuccessful, there was not enough power, he had to wait a minute for the flux to melt. It is clear that a rare individual is ready to pass the test; he has to hold the circuit with his bare hands near a stationary soldering gun. We invite readers to study the market, determine what power is typical for the class of devices being designed, find the resistivity of nichrome, calculate the Joule-Lenz effect to avoid boredom, and we will partially do the work.

Measuring the temperature of a hair dryer with a tester

Choosing the characteristics of a homemade soldering gun

We tend to think: a homemade soldering gun should be more like a store-bought one. We came across BAKU 8032, which costs 900 rubles, although on average it’s more expensive in the capital’s markets. The technical specifications are posted by the resource, where the price is increased. That's right - market competition requires a competent approach. The soldering gun has the following characteristics:

1. The power consumed by the 230 volt (50Hz) network is 450 W.
2. Fan capacity – 30 liters per minute (maximum).
3. Temperature range 100-500 degrees.

The lion's share of the power is consumed by the spiral. We are deprived of the opportunity to measure the resistance ourselves, but from experience we will say that it will come out to about 97 Ohms.

Left:

• find nichrome wire suitable for winding spirals;
• find out the characteristics ( resistivity per meter);
• calculate the length required to get 97 ohms;
• Make sure your estimate is correct by measuring the resistance of the future soldering gun coil with a tester.

When it comes to productivity, nothing is easier than measuring it. You will need a large bag. Take and blow the plastic container from which the air has been released with the initial hairdryer at maximum speed. You can estimate in advance how large the cellophane is. At home, the standard of measure will be buckets, tubs, tubs, basins - compare. Now we can relatively simply measure the performance of the future soldering gun in terms of hot air production. What has been discussed is sufficient to obtain a working soldering gun that produces a jet with a temperature of 450 degrees Celsius.

Let us further explain the design of the soldering gun. Many people are interested in how we quickly determined how many ohms to take the spiral. Simple really. A typical spiral storage water heater is available with a power of 2 kW. In this case, the resistance is around 25 Ohms. If you take a four times larger spiral, you get a power of about 500 W, the resistance will reach 97 Ohms. The calculation was done on your fingers; if you wish, substitute the value into the Joule-Lenz law. Paradoxically: the more wire we wind, the less the thermal effect. This follows from the law. Its power is found by dividing the square of the voltage by the resistance.

Easily verify that the conclusions are correct. What to do if the spiral turns out to be too long. Be prepared to consume a lot of heat from the soldering gun, as well as the risk of damaging parts. The temperature will rise too quickly, and the designers of a professional company calculated the safe modes in advance (wouldn’t it be better to buy a ready-made one?). It is not recommended to exceed. And one more option. Try to find an alloy whose resistivity is higher than nichrome. It’s a difficult path, surely the creators of household appliances are not so stupid, they stubbornly continue to use nichrome and fechral in products, therefore, they will not get much benefit from this.

You see that it is difficult to make a soldering gun with your own hands. And vice versa, it is easy to damage microcircuits with incorrect design. We frankly believe that 1000 rubles is not the money you need to fight for for the sake of an idea. It is clear that professional stations cost more than 3,000 rubles, but at home it is not possible to create such a miracle for the next hundred years. That is why, we emphasize, the review is more of an informational nature.

Final Notes on Hot Air Gun Design

Perhaps, someone will say, we did not indicate exactly how to make a soldering gun. We just think everything is clear:

1. We remove the spiral from the original hair dryer along with the quartz carrier.
2. We cut off the pipe, leaving a small branch for attaching new elements.
3. We insert a base with a spiral inside the steel tube. The wires go inside, wrapped in fire-resistant fabric, which is found in household heating appliances.
4. The body of the hair dryer is made of plastic and will not withstand the high temperatures of a steel tube... we attach it to heat-resistant glue through a ceramic adapter. You can use a grinder to cut off the pole insulators of high-voltage lines (sold in the store).
5. We glue the ceramics to the body using the same compound.

Actually, the operating principle of a soldering gun is fully implemented. Start working. We believe that few people will actually need a soldering gun. Weapons of professional craftsmen and repairmen, which have been gathering dust on a shelf for years in the life of an ordinary citizen. Let us add that soldering planar microcircuits requires strict adherence to temperature conditions.

A hair dryer can be classified as one of those tools that are not among the essential tools, for sure. Just think, a hair dryer, like a hair dryer, what good is it - it’s expensive, but its only function is to heat the air. Some kind of girly fun. But let's not rush to conclusions.

What can a hair dryer do?

Most likely, each of us has already encountered a situation where the best device that could solve the problem would be a hair dryer. Due to ignorance, we sometimes make a whole bunch of unnecessary movements, and a hairdryer would help solve everything in a matter of minutes. After reading the article, we hope that many will change their attitude towards the device. It may well be that they will even think about how to make a hair dryer with their own hands. Our task is to provide evidence that a hair dryer should be at hand for every decent owner.

Having learned about its capabilities and areas of application, it is impossible not to change your opinion about a hair dryer as a necessary household appliance. Let's start with the practical scope, but full list it will be very difficult to form. So, a hairdryer will help:

And light the grill. Earnestly? Same thing. These are not all the areas and methods of using a construction hair dryer - only when repairing a car can it be used in almost all operations, from decorating to soldering plastic bumpers and body kits.

Theoretical choice of a hair dryer

If we managed to convince you of the need to buy or make a hair dryer yourself, then you should know some of the features of choosing this useful device in terms of parameters, characteristics and design.

Apart from the power and temperature created, it is no different from a household hair dryer. Its main working parts remain the fan, the heating element and the nozzle itself, which must be equipped big amount replaceable nozzles. The more, the wider its scope of application.

The hair dryer should also have several temperature settings for different types surfaces and various works. It is desirable to have smooth temperature change modes, since each material requires its own temperature at which it is processed. Many models are equipped with overheating protection systems; they are quite simple and consist of a temperature sensor that turns off the heating element when the preset heating temperature is exceeded.

Nozzles are the main working part of a hair dryer and an indicator of its functionality. Special nozzles are used for

• simple air distribution in a given plane;
• protecting glass from overheating;
• reflections of warm air;
• decrease in air temperature.

This is the minimum universal set of attachments, but there are many more of them, as you can see from the photographs that we have selected for you. Now about the main thing.

We disassemble a household hair dryer and modernize it. We remove all plastic parts that may be subject to melting, replacing them with ebonite or textolite ones. We remove the old heating element and wind a new nichrome spiral - the more turns, the higher the temperature.

Nichrome cannot be soldered, so we screw the ends of the spiral to the transformer wire and insulate them well. In this case, you need to make sure that the blower is turned on first, and then the heating element. We collect all this into a housing and be sure to put a heat insulator on the handle of the device. Now you can take construction gloves and conduct bench tests of the hair dryer.

Of course, we won’t be able to get a hairdryer like the ones sold by Makita, Bosch or Skill, but our homemade device will definitely have the minimum functions.

Today, many are faced with such a problem when radio equipment fails for various reasons. To perform complex work on repairing electronic equipment, a conventional soldering iron, as a rule, is not enough, and special equipment is required. That is why electronics lovers are thinking about how they can make a soldering station with a hairdryer with their own hands from available parts at home. There is nothing complicated about this, and what will be described below will help you with this.

Soldering gun: what is it?

A soldering station is special equipment that can heat up to very high temperatures and allows you to heat metal leads very quickly. This device has a very primitive design, so not only a professional, but also a novice radio amateur can understand it.

In this case, soldering guns are used in conjunction with other equipment, since when working with the device it must be directed with millimeter precision. In this case great solution There will be a soldering station with a hair dryer, which you can make with your own hands without any problems. Such devices are considered semi-professional and can be used to perform a large number of tasks of varying levels of complexity.

Main differences between soldering guns

Before figuring out how to make it at home soldering equipment professional level, you need to understand what differences a soldering station may have. It’s easy to make a soldering iron from a hair dryer with your own hands. In terms of its technical characteristics, it will be absolutely identical to factory analogues, among which the main ones are:

• tip diameter;
• power;
• active air cooling system performance;
• maximum operating temperature.

These characteristics determine how well a homemade soldering station with a hair dryer will work, so they should be given special attention.

Design features

Soldering guns allow you to melt plastic and various metals with a low melting point. Softening of alloys is carried out by blowing hot air, which is heated by a special spiral. What can you use to create a soldering station with a hair dryer yourself? Atmega328, for example, like any other similar device, consists of the following elements:

• frame;
• a heating element;
• air blower;
• pen;
• switch.

Some devices can also be equipped with a sensor and a heat level regulator, as well as special attachments that allow you to perform soldering work of various levels of complexity.

Making a soldering station from improvised materials

Every person with at least a little knowledge in the field of electronics will be able to make such a device as a homemade soldering station with a hair dryer. It’s not difficult to create it with your own hands from available materials. Any old or non-working device, as well as a steel tube, can serve as a housing. When working with the equipment, the housing will heat up to critical temperatures, so in order to be able to work with it, the tube should be wrapped with a special material that is resistant to high temperatures.

Stationary device

Soldering stations can also be stationary. In this case, they are fixed at the workplace to increase stability and ease of use. Such equipment can be equipped with a special movable mechanism that allows you not to move the board during soldering.

A do-it-yourself soldering station with a hair dryer can be made from an old hair dryer. Arduino is an open source platform that allows you to quickly and easily create any electronic device. This device uses mica plates as heating elements. The melting point of this metal is very high, so it can withstand any load perfectly. As for heating coils, any that are made of soft metal will do. Nichrome would be the best option.

When manufacturing a soldering station, great attention should be paid to the power of the heating elements. It must be calculated in such a way that the device quickly melts the metal without damaging the microcircuit. The power regulator of the soldering station hair dryer will also help solve the problem. With your own hands you can manually adjust temperature regime equipment operation.

Soldering station from a soldering iron

An excellent alternative for the device body would be an old soldering iron, or rather its body, and all the insides should be completely removed. This must be done very carefully so as not to damage anything. In addition to the housing, you will also need a 2 kW halogen lamp. It is necessary to make a quartz insulator from it. To do this, using a diamond cutter, the ends are cut off the glass, resulting in a tube, onto one end of which a technological nipple is placed, and a hole is already made in it for the heater. A nichrome plate will act as a heating element in the equipment. Its thickness should be no more than 0.7 millimeters, otherwise the soldering station with a hair dryer will take a very long time to cool down.

It’s cheaper to make the device yourself, but you need to follow a certain sequence of actions:

• The quartz insulator is carefully placed into the spiral.
• To prevent the device from getting too hot during operation, the insulator is wrapped with foil.
• Next, the heating element is placed in the body of the soldering iron and secured with a wire from the handle side.
• A previously prepared structure is also placed here, which is pre-wrapped with asbestos cord, which ensures a better fit in the body.
• The handle contains a hose responsible for supplying air, which is connected to the compressor.

That's all, actually - a do-it-yourself analog soldering station with a hairdryer is completely ready for use.

What mistakes should you avoid during the assembly process?

Many beginners mistakenly believe that only a heating element and a fan are enough to make a soldering gun. Therefore, most often they make this equipment from an ordinary hair dryer. However, in this case it will be impossible to melt even tin, not to mention harder metals.

There is a way to increase the heating temperature by reducing the fan speed and hole diameter, but in this case the heating element will heat up too much and may fail, and the case will completely melt.

Types of soldering stations

All devices are divided into two types:

• A turbine soldering station with a hair dryer can be created quite quickly with your own hands. In it, an electric motor is responsible for air movement.
• Compressor devices are assembled on the basis of compressors.

In the first case, a powerful air flow is created, and in the second, the air moves more directionally, making it possible to use various nozzles. In terms of their operating principle, both types of stations are no different and are completely identical.

How to make a device?

A do-it-yourself soldering station with a hairdryer can be made at home from scrap materials that can only be found in the garage. The basis for the equipment will be a household hair dryer, from which we will need a housing. The role of the heating element will be performed by a spiral, and to ensure a constant flow of air you will need a small fan, which is fixed to the handle of the hair dryer.

To make a spiral, nichrome wire is taken, which is twisted into a spiral with a small distance between the turns. For the base, it is better to take any metal that does not conduct heat well. When winding the spiral, you need to leave a few centimeters free on the base. This place will need to be wrapped with heat-resistant fabric so that you can pick up the soldering station while working with it. It is best to choose a ceramic or porcelain nozzle, and thermal protection is created to increase efficiency.

Once assembly is complete, the soldering iron will vaguely resemble a gun. To increase the ease of use of the device, it can be attached to a special holder. In order for a homemade soldering gun to comply with all safety rules, all exposed wires must be insulated. At the very end, a switch is installed and the network cable is connected, after which you can begin testing the equipment. As it turns out, making a soldering station at home is easy. The most important thing is to follow the instructions and follow safety precautions.