I'm looking for an idea to create a mount for my soldering iron so I can move it back and forward in a steady fashion by using a motor. I'm soldering some really small electronics and my hand shakes too much for it.
Any ideas for a complete package, preferably as low effort (pre made parts) as possible kit to accomplish that ?
I'd love to get recommendations for specific linear actuators + drivers to use. I'm good with the mechanical side, its the electronics where i'm looking for shortcuts
I doubt anyone sells a soldering iron actuator off the shelf, but people do construct
camera positioners which is the same sort of thing, might be worth trawling for ideas
on YouTube
Might not be suitable as component and/or board details may not suit but have you considered using a hot air gun. Something like this or the dozens of other models.
Also check out http://www.servocity.com/, seem to have a lot parts for making something like that, with geared motors that will run at slow RPMs for steady movement.
I just picked up two of these http://www.microcenter.com/product/426783/Robotic_Arm_Edge
to play with.
Perhaps:
Mount the soldering iron in its group, program arduino to pick up & drop the arm at the same point when you step on a foot switch. Mount a laser pointer to show where the iron will go, and put your card on a x/y slider table so you can push/slide the card into position. Step on the switch, arm moves into place, you wait a second or two and apply solder, release the switch and the arm moves away.
