Share tips you have come across

If you have ever tried to drag solder a fine pitched I.C. package, you will know it can be challenging.
Even solder paste, stencils and ovens can give different success rates.
The Gull Wing soldering tip can make this job much easier.
For basic soldering, I use a curved tip and change to the Gull Wing for fine pitched components.
Allways use liquid flux and of course practice.
I use the Hakko FX888D soldering iron, but it is next to impossible to buy these tips for this iron.
I think there is a patent issue.
You can make your own version of these tips from a simple Bevel tip.
Use diamond burrs to hollow out the tip, slow speed is best.
The Bevel tip shown below had a thick iron coating which was not breached.

See these YouTube links for tips for usage.

Plato sells Gull Wing tips compatible with the FX888D soldering iron.

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See:
https://www.hakko.com/english/tip_selection/type_bcm_cm.html

Make a high quality clamp or spring vice from a few inexpensive components.

  • 1.25" Binder Clip
  • 6-32 nylon standoffs
  • 6-32 screws and nuts
  • .5 or .75" rare earth magnet with cup.

Drill a 9/32" hole in the side and bottom of the binder clip (the clip steel is very hard).
Add 6-32 screws and nuts to the binder clip.
Screw the clip assembly to the standoff and magnet.

You can mount the clip either horizontal or vertical.

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A very handy tool on my workbench is a trapezoidal GRS mounting plate (856-0196).
These plates are often found on jewellery benches.
Google: GRS Mounting Plate
About $20.
As a companion, you need matching beveled nuts (715-004655) or a bench pin (856-0192), $12 and $40 respectively.
To expand the usefulness of your work surface, you add these nuts to fixtures you design.

The mounting plate is used to securely add secondary work surfaces to an existing bench.
Simply engage and disengage fixtures as needed to the bench’s front edge.
Ideally, a two inch or more thickness bench is best, however, an adapter (40-006-5) for the plate is available for thinner surfaces.
The beveling of the plate and its trapezoid shape means the more downward pressure, the tighter the connection.
I have several benches and have a plate on each to share functionality.

There is an optional bracket (856-0174) that can be attached to the mounting plate.
This bracket is used to raise or lower your fixtures as needed.
Google: GRS Adjustable Height Bracket
About $55.

The mounting plate with bench pin assemblies and fixtures give you clamping surfaces for your projects while you are cutting openings, filing, drilling etc.

I am sure you will find these a great addition to your work bench and as useful as I do.

These are favourite tools in my workrooms.

It’s best to drill one pilot hole and add a screw.
Level the plate, drill and add the remaining screws one at a time.

Use a transfer punch to center the pilot holes!

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Hi,
@larryd, I like the "mini bench", I have just moved my work/experiment/arduino table into the house and this would be ideal for little jobs that don't need a trip to the shed for heavy machinery.

I had a quick look over the posts in this thread, question.

  • Does your house show up on NASA satellite scans as a magnetic anomaly?
  • Do you have scouts and guides regularly appearing at your door when they are going for their compass reading badge, because your work bench is all the poor compass can sense?
  • Do homing pigeons crash into your roof or home into your backyard on raceday?
  • Do you have your own Aurora Borealis during major sun spot activity?
  • Do you have a ban on mechanical wrist watches coming near your bench, like aluminium smelters do near their smelting pots?
  • Can you actually use ferro magnetic based tools on your bench, SAFELY?

I can see a major advantage to your work bench, you will never loose that small micro steel screw if you drop it, it won't fall it will shoot like a bullet to the nearest neodymium (can't believe I just spelt it without spel cheker) magnet.
(Flack Jackets issued as part of workshop safety gear!!)

Good work mate, over 500 posts and each one full of good info. (Well maybe not this one.. :o :o)

Tom.... :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:
PS, Its Sunday morning, I'm in a good mood, I'm trying a new blend of coffee in my pod machine, grandson is quiet (Wiggles on the TV), and I start a 3 1/2 day working week tomorrow.
No, the coffee is not wakky bakky blend, tastes great.

Now I know why migrating birds land on our house :frowning:
I am glad the days of floppy discs has gone. :wink:

I too have moved some work jobs into the house workroom.
Using the mounting plate method, makes things that much more convenient.

I have a medium sized Rubbermaid container which I store most of my small hand tools, jigs and fixtures.
When I need to work in the house, I grab the container and take it with me.

Someone asked about the fixture seen above, I will add a post on it later.

As seen in post #546

This clamping fixture is a must-have tool when you are assembling your Arduino projects.
You can hold items securely when cutting, drilling, gluing, filing etc.

The wood is from recovered oak flooring that has been planed from 3/4" to 5/8".

Glue is avoided so the pieces can be taken apart and replaced as needed.

Several material types are used as alternative worktop surfaces.

Clamps A and B hold the fixture to your work bench (or use the GRS mounting plate and bench pin as mentioned previously),

See attached PDF

ClampingFixture.pdf (9.96 KB)

A product called Thermo-Loc (polymer plastic material) can be a valuable addition to your workroom supplies.
You can purchase Thermo-Loc in 1/2-pound packages (24 @ 1/4” X 6” rods) for about $32.00.

Thermo-Loc rods are solid at room temperature, become pliable when hot, allowing them to be molded into different shapes and sizes.
The plastic can be reformed and reused repeatedly.
Thermo-Loc can be heated in boiling water, a microwave (when containing no metals), and a heat gun or wand.
If the heated plastic becomes glossy after heating, don’t pick it up with your hands as it will be too hot.
Heated Thermo-Loc, has the consistency of Plasticine.

Large blocks, that have been previously used, can be reused by placing in hot water.
Wait for it to become soft, remove from water and evaporate the surface water with a mildly hot air flow from a heat gun.
After the water is gone from the surface and the plastic is the right consistency, you can remold the block.

You can use Thermo-Loc to mount electronics, encase sensors, LEDs etc.
Reheat old molded items to remove internal objects with no residue left on them.

Placing a: nut, threaded standoff or brass insert into a molded piece of Thermo-Loc, gives a secure way of attaching it to a chassis.
Example: encase bicycle spoke nut into a Thermo-Loc mass, the nut should slightly protrude, let cool.
Screw a sharpened spoke into the nut, gives a nice way to hold a scribing tool.

Complex object shapes can be surround by Thermo-Loc, placed into a vise, and cooled.
This allows you to securely clamp that object when you work on it.
Reheat the encased object to remove the Thermo-Loc.

Thermo-Loc can be easily molded into handles for files.

Place “hot” Thermo-Loc into a 10ml syringe (without a sharp).
Immediately compress the plunger to create long small diameter filaments into cold water.
The syringe will probably need to be discarded after one use.

You can now have your own DIY manual 3D printer :wink:

Thermo-Loc sounds good, but I have a few questions.

How 'workable' is it when solid? Can it be cut, filed, sanded, drilled, etc. with ease?
How strong is it when solid? Is it as hard as a piece of ABS of the same dimensions or is it more plastic?
Can it be heated enough with a blow hair dryer? (The one I have is hot enough to shrink heatshrink quite quickly)

It's sold here, in the UK, (for use in the jewelry trade) in packs of 15 rods for about £15, including VAT and postage.

How 'workable' is it when solid? Easy Can it be cut, filed, sanded, drilled, etc. with ease? Yes
How strong is it when solid? IMO, not bad Is it as hard as a piece of ABS of the same dimensions or is it more plastic? IMO, Yes, maybe not as rigid tho

Keep in mind, if left in direct hot summer sun, it may distort, however, at room temps it retains it's shape.

Thanks, Larry.
I'm going to invest in some.

Hi,


Tom... :slight_smile:
PS. Your wife must be a very tolerant woman. :slight_smile:

larryd:
Place “hot” Thermo-Loc into a 10ml syringe (without a sharp).
Immediately compress the plunger to create long small diameter filaments into cold water.
The syringe will probably need to be discarded after one use.

You can now have your own DIY manual 3D printer :wink:

A 'hot melt glue' gun might do the same and give you longer filaments. That would also be reusable, but probably not for 'hot melt glue' again.

Yes my wife is quite tolerant, good thing for me :slight_smile:

The hot glue gun is a great idea.
They are inexpensive, you could have one dedicated to Thermo-Loc.
I have 3 variacs, one might be good to use for temperature adjustment.
The smaller filaments could be used as welding rods of a sort. :wink:

Edit:
BTW, attached is a PDF discussing Thermo-Loc.

ThermoLoc.pdf (372 KB)

larryd:
Yes my wife is quite tolerant, good thing for me :slight_smile:

The hot glue gun is a great idea.
They are inexpensive, you could have one dedicated to Thermo-Loc.
I have 3 variacs, one might be good to use for temperature adjustment.
The smaller filaments could be used as welding rods of a sort. :wink:

Hot glue guns operate at 120oC and above, so a variac will be necessary to prevent overheating the Thermo-Loc, unless you modify the gun to have thermistor control of the heating element.

If you're artistic (I'm not) you could use the extrusion from the gun to hand write signs, etc. or, as you said, hand 3D printing. It's a pity it doesn't come in different colours.

Another thing I thought of to produce filaments is a spaghetti roller, but the metal parts will probably cool the Thermo-Loc too quickly. You may be able to use one to produce sheets (Lasagne) of Thermo-Loc. :slight_smile: These can be remoulded around a rod to produce tubes (Cannelloni). :slight_smile: The possibilities are endless.

Another use could be for what I call reverse moulding. Make a wooden mould of a box and mould the Thermo-Loc into the inside in a thin layer. When the Thermo-Loc had cooled you have the base of a plastic box. Make the top in the same way. DO NOT USE TO STORE HOT OBJECTS!!! :wink: