How To Add Modular Tools To Your Soldering Platform

[Patenomics] has had some trouble finding a suitable place to work on projects in his tiny apartment. Lately he’s taken to using the stove top as a soldering platform and was looking for ways to protect the stove while adding functionality. He built this soldering platform from a couple chunks of pegboard and some hardware store parts. He’s in for under $15 and has a really functional platform that may be worth adding to your solder station.

The two pegboard pieces are held in place by threaded rod and some nuts. This hardware also lends itself to adjustable feet so that you can make the platform level and stable. The holes in the top and bottom sheets line up to receive and securely position some additional tools. Here you can see that bendable copper pipe keeps some alligator clips right where they’re needed, but future plans include adding lights, clamps, and lasers.

This makes a nice work platform to go along with your other portable electronic bench tools. But if you’ve really got the itch, you’ll eventually outgrow all of this and then it might be time to find yourself a hackerspace to join.

19 thoughts on “How To Add Modular Tools To Your Soldering Platform

    1. As long as you don’t use the stove top itself for food preparation or cooking (most people use cutting boards and skillets) I don’t think there is much chance for contamination.

  1. Brilliant!

    The stove is irrelevant of course, but the pegboard is fantastic. I broke my old board holder by bad packing when moving. I now know what I’ll replace it with. I’m going to use perforated aluminum plate, but otherwise pretty much as shown.

    As to the “health risks” I wonder how meticulous the people concerned about that are about washing their hands before eating. I’ve seen a staggering number of people who think that sanitizer is sufficient. Doing that neglects the very real problem of the trace amounts of various toxic substances that are everywhere. Not an issue unless you ingest them, but many seem either to be unaware or not to care.

    1. There are viruses, bacteria that you can pick up all around the house and outdoors. You will get sick and develop resistance to them.
      There are also carcinogens (known to the state of California) which lodge inside you for ever and, depending on your soldering frequency, will probably kill you in 20 years.

  2. I’m going to need one of these, it’s cool!

    I do have a couple points about this though. The oven hood idea posted above in the comments is actually kinda neat, but at least in MY tiny apartment kitchen, the hood doesn’t vent outside, but basically blows the smoke out at face level, circulating it around the room.

    One would expect the capitol of California to have a functional hackerspace, but the only group I could find isn’t organized on that level yet. The SF bay area and silicon valley combined share nearly a dozen!

  3. If the stove has some kind of motorized overhead vent then it might not all be that bad. I thought of the stove myself until I made room on a table for soldering. I’ve also used the front steps of my house because the porch is concrete and it can’t catch on fire from a soldering iron very easily. I think that if Radio Shack wanted to provide “Hacker Spaces” then more people would buy their stuff there instead of waiting for the mail to deliver the part because it would be more convenient.

  4. Awesome. I really like this. My soldering is banned from the living room after I knocked the iron off the table and left a “spot” on the carpet (which may or may not be shaped like a soldering iron).
    I may be stopping by The Home Depot this afternoon.

    I also like the additional link in the comments. I always have trouble finding a good spot to take current readings. I don’t know why I never thought to use the battery compartment.

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