Date:         Sun, 26 Nov 2000 23:25:01 -0600
Reply-To:     John Rodgers <inua@HIWAAY.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Rodgers <inua@HIWAAY.NET>
Subject:      Re: Digitool building and group entertainment.
Comments: To: JKrevnov@AOL.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

For the future, if you want to have some control over heating of the iron, you
might want to try this. I use one of these tools all the time n my art work. I
work a great deal with wax sculpture, and this tool is very handy.

Tools and materials
1) one shallow metal two-gang electrical outlet box
2) one duplex female electrical receptacle ( will accept to electric plugs)
3) one household dimmer control rated at 1500 watts. Push on-Push off type.
4) one metal cover that will accept the duplex receptacle on one side and the
dimmer control on the other.
5) a length of three-wire electrical cord for the power...16 ga or so. About
like a heavy garage type extension cord.
6) one male plug to go on the end of the cord. Be sure to use a 3 prong
grounded type.
7) night light fixture - small male type that simply plugs directly into the
receptacle.

Assemble the duplex receptacle and the dimmer switch into the box, with the the
cord wired to the dimmer switch, and the switch wired to the receptacle. BE
sure the ground wire is in place (usually green in color).

Plug the small night light into one of the receptacle holes. Plug the soldering
iron into the other receptacle, Put the power cord for the box into the wall
receptacle. Push the dimmer switch down to turn the assembly. The small night
light should light up.

To regulate the power to the soldering iron, and therefore the heat output,
simply turn the dimmer knob one way for hot and the other way for cooler
temperatures. When you do, the small light will get brighter or dimmer
depending on how much resistance is presented. This reflects how hot or how
cool the iron will be. Bright lite---very hot. Dim light --- Cooler.

If you really wanted to get with the program, you could probably rig some sort
of LED into it to show actual temp, but I never bothered to go that far.

As I said, this tool has served me well.

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver

Rico Sapolich wrote:

> In a message dated 11/26/00 9:27:47 PM, ingalls_mark@HOTMAIL.COM writes:
>
> <<  I was using a 30 watt Radio Shack soldering iron, but it appears to
> be to hot and is melting some of the printed circuit part of the circuit
> board.
>
> I'm going to get a 15 watt one tomorrow >>
>
> Mark,
>
> If you want to keep at it tonight and IF you know something about 120V.
> circuits, try a small lamp (aka, lightbulb) in series with your soldering
> iron.  A 30 watt lamp, if there is such a thing, should just about give you
> 15 watts on the iron.  Also, 25 or 40 watt lamps should get you in the
> ballpark.
>
> Rich