Welcome to Laser Pointer Forums - discuss green laser pointers, blue laser pointers, and all types of lasers

LPF Donation via Stripe | LPF Donation - Other Methods

Links below open in new window

ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Soldering iron

  • Thread starter Deleted member 22482
  • Start date
D

Deleted member 22482

Guest
Hello!

For too long have I been lurking here without doing anything, I must build my own laser. It is to expensive to purchase already made ones and sell them on for a small profit (yeah, I've been selling them to friends..) and I was thinking of doing this build:

http://laserpointerforums.com/f50/updated-photos-16-diy-200mw-650nm-pic-heavy-68022.html

$16 for a red build, not bad considering I buy mine for $49 and sell them for $199 including goggles. :D

Okay, so all I need for that build is the diode, the host, aixiz module and the driver which is already in the host. (+ the battery). But I don't have a soldering iron, where can I get a cheap one? I don't have a lot of money left in my paypal.. I see that DealExtreme sells some, which one is preferable? All of them have different watts..

And when you have a soldering iron, do you only need it or do you need something else? I have heard you need something called wire? How does it work? And is there any good thermal adhesive thing as people call it?

What more accessories can be good when building lasers?

Where can I buy stickies that says the power and so on? Can I use a 5-mode driver from an old flashlight and just solder that to the diode instead or does it need some else thing called mA?

Thanks.
 





Blord

0
Joined
Dec 24, 2007
Messages
5,356
Points
0
You can buy this one from LIDL. Seems good enough for casual soldering.

UK_54327_01_b.jpg


I print the stickers on glossy paper and use double-sided tape to put on the laser.
See my photo in my sig for an example.
http://www.safelasers.org/
 
Last edited:
D

Deleted member 22482

Guest
You can buy this one from LIDL. Seems good enough for casual soldering.

UK_54327_01_b.jpg

Do you know what they cost? LIDL here in Sweden only sell food that taste disgusting (low price shop, like 2 bucks for a kilo of strange meat).

Don't I need some kind of wire?
 

Blord

0
Joined
Dec 24, 2007
Messages
5,356
Points
0
In the box there is already two spools of tin. I have the box right in front of me :D
They cost 12euro new. LIDL sells sometimes non-food stuff for cheap.
 
Last edited:
D

Deleted member 22482

Guest
In the box there is already two spools of tin. I have the box right in front of me :D
They cost 12euro new.

Hmm.. I think I'm going to my local LIDL and see if they sell them.. 12 euros ain't to much.
 
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
17,622
Points
113
The solder on eBay will be fine but the <$4.00 Soldering Iron
is Junk... you would be better off with the first suggestion.
The Iron Stand is OK if you buy only an Iron...
You will also need a tip cleaning sponge to put into the stand..

We use Weller soldering stations in the shop exclusively for
electronic manufacturing but they are a bit more expensive.
We have been using the Weller stations for over 25 years..

Weller Soldering Iron, 40W: WELWLC100 WELSPG40 | eBay

Weller WES51 Analog Soldering Station | eBay

WLC100 Weller 40W Soldering Station for the Hobbyist & Do It Yourself DIY | eBay


Jerry
 
D

Deleted member 22482

Guest
Hello Jerry.

Yeah, but the problem is that I don't have that money and I just want a quick fix for the moment. So what I need is wire, stand, tip cleaner and an iron. But do you think it will work (the iron) or when you said junk, did you mean that it wont work at all?

Thank you.
 
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
17,622
Points
113
I mean that it (the <$4.00 eBay Iron) will probably fail if it
works at all... You would be better off heating up a nail
in a fire to use as a soldering iron...

Then... on the other hand you would only loose ~$4.00 if
it failed.

12euro seems like a reasonable price for the LIDL Iron that
includes the holder and 2 rolls of sloder..

The choice is yours...


Jerry
 
Last edited:
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
17,622
Points
113
The only problem with DX is that it usually takes 3 months
to receive a complete order if I order more than 3 parts at
the same time.. I'm in Canada and not in Europe. Maybe
they ship faster to you...:undecided:

Jerry
 

Ablaze

0
Joined
Oct 19, 2011
Messages
462
Points
0
You will also need a tip cleaning sponge to put into the stand..
A paper towel works fine for cleaning the tip.

Cheap soldering irons DO break... they just go out, they don't heat up well, and they're hard to use. You can get a soldering iron at any local hardware type store, most supermarkets, ect. I wouldn't bother looking online if I were you, shipping is silly for an item you can easily find locally.
 
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
17,622
Points
113
^^^ yes you can use a cotton rag or paper towel in a
pinch but we do hundreds of connections at a sitting and
the paper towels would get cost prohibitive over a year...:D

Sponges are reuseable if maintained... we go though
one sponge per two 1 pound rolls of .025" dia solder.


Jerry
 
Joined
May 10, 2011
Messages
1,878
Points
48
^^^ yes you can use a cotton rag or paper towel in a
pinch but we do hundreds of connections at a sitting and
the paper towels would get cost prohibitive over a year...:D

Sponges are reuseable if maintained... we go though
one sponge per two 1 pound rolls of .025" dia solder.


Jerry

a sponge is way easier than paper towels. and they are easy to maintain i have used the same one for months. also raidioshack irons are not BAD for 10 bucks they work........
 
Joined
Aug 14, 2011
Messages
1,109
Points
0
Make sure you can easily find replacements for the tip. I bought a cheaper Weller once, and all I could find for replacement tips were chisel-type. I couldn't find conical tips for that model iron.
 




Top