It’s a wonderful thing to see a clever hack repair instead of disposing of a product. The best repair approach is finding exact replacement components, but sometimes exact components can’t be sourced or cross-referenced. Other times the product isn’t worth the shipping cost for replacement parts or you just don’t have time to wait for parts. That’s when you need to really know how something works electronically so you can source suitable replacement components from your junk bin to complete the repair. This is exactly what [Daniel Jose Viana] did when his 110 volt Dremel tool popped its TRIAC after he plugged it into a 220 volt outlet.
[Daniel] knew how the TRIAC functioned in the circuit and also knew that a standard TRIAC of sufficient specifications could be used as a replacement even if it didn’t have the correct form factor to fit the PCB layout. For [Daniel’s] tool repair he had to think outside the box enough to realize he could use some jumper wires and snuggle a larger TIC206E TRIAC that wasn’t meant for the device but still applicable into the housing where there was enough free space. A little shrink-wrap and all was good again. Sure the fix was simple, but let’s not trivialize the knowledge he needed for this repair.
And if you’re wondering if it worked, he notes that he’s been using this tool for three years since the repair. We thank [Daniel] for sharing this tip and allowing us to add this to our tool belt of Dremel repair tricks.
Here’s the English language version: http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fdanjovic.blogspot.com.br%2F2013%2F11%2Freparando-o-controlador-da-dremel.html&act=url
That “Dremel repair tricks” link just goes to single page showing how to fix your dremel battery pack. Is that correct? I was expecting a link to at least two stories.
I’m guessing the author either meant that now there is two entries in the list of dremel repair tricks, or posted that article as an example.
I see how that could be confusing. I’m assuming others have their own repairs under their belt outside of Hack a Day articles. I will try not to word such references in that way in the future.
Excellent work! When replacing components it really takes a knowledge of which specs are important. I often have to replace obsolete audio parts and figuring out what specs have to match is half the battle.
i find it interesting that he was able to repair something with such skill after toasting it because of something so level 1 like voltage
It ranks alongside grabbing the hot end of a soldering iron. Yes it’s a daft mistake, but commonly made when distracted by other aspects of what you’re doing.
We now have a level 0. I have never done that, even when i was once drunk soldering. I value my hide to much for that.
So glad at least one other person sometimes solders drunk
Drunk soldering is great, especially if you are making something with small SMD parts, you really need a steady hand then.
That’s why all electronics hobby labs should have a beer fridge. (soldering drunk at work, or other ways making drunk soldering an every day occurrence would be bad, and could possibly lead to alcoholism or at least liver damage).
I’ve never grabbed the hot end, but back when I had long hair I once brushed my hair back while holding the iron. Instant, horrible smelling trim. Sometimes stupid happens.
I got a better one, I was soldering a refrigeration line, the capillary tube on a refrigerator to be specific, and some solder made it into the cap tube. Well the only way to get it out is with heat and the smallest amount of pressure I could get out of a nitrogen tank. I think I had less than 5lbs, my gauges didn’t go that detailed on my regulator. Whatever the pressure was it was able to propel about 1/2 a gram of solder, when it melted, straight up and into my shirt pocket and wedged itself between my phone and shirt. It left a mark on my shirt and burned my left nipple. I was rightly laughed at by my wife when I showed her.
Hot air SMD soldering and making Creme Brulee at the same time is also not recommended. The sugar gets blown all over your workbench rather than caramelising.
At least the solder didn’t caramelize your face *zing!*
“Sure the fix was simple, but let’s not trivialize the knowledge he needed for this repair.”
It’s like the old story of the retired engineer being called back in to fix a vital machine and does so by thumping it on the side. When his bill for $5005 is queried he explains “$5 for hitting the machine, $5000 for knowing exactly where to hit it and with how much force.”
Knowledge/experience is vastly underrated by many these days, though I’d guess HaD isn’t one of those places.
That’s called the Fonzie! But I’ve heard the same story replacing thumping with turning a screw 1/4 turn. “Knowing which screw and how far to turn it”.
ive always known it as the technical tap
After reading to the URL linked in the article all I could think of was “Oooooh, I popped it!” dammit PhotonicInduction.
I wanted to say that in the article sooo bad, but didn’t. Thanks for saying it for me.
If a Dremel could go as fast as it should then a speed controller would be a somewhat useful feature. As things stand Dremels run about a third as fast as they should full speed. So with that in mind simply bypass the speed controller. You’re not losing anything valuable.
Anyone who wants to argue with me had better know how to figure out surface speeds because I don’t suffer fools gladly. I already did the math on this one. You have been warned!
I have the same model dremel. I had the problem that the little button you press to lock the shaft (so you can change the implement) wasn’t working anymore. I took it apart and instead of a nice pin shape that would stick in a hole in the shaft to hold it, there was just a nub…
So I welded it.
http://picpaste.com/dremel_shaft_lock_welded.jpg
Disappointed when i realized the article wasn’t about fixing a triac with a dremel….
“his 110 volt Dremel tool popped its TRIAC after he plugged it into a 220 volt outlet”
of course it would do some damage..
fortunately it was just to the speed control and not the motor.
also i am not sure how you got the tool connected to a 220 source.
i tested one of the plug adaptors that now comes included with some stuff in a electric dryer outlet and it would not fit because the international outlets use a different prong spacing and angle.
even a full international plug kit i doubt it will work in an american 220 outlet.
i could not test the range outlet since it is behind the kitchen stove and i could not reach it.
my guess he had to cut the cord and splice on a 220 cord or build a home made cord.
one outlet i did not try is the 30 amp outlet used by permanently mounted 220 window air conditioners
Because everyone lives in the USA and 220 volt is only available in the USA as well right?
I live in the USA California to be exact and 220v single phase you say ? Nope not here its everything but 220v ! I am no electrician but my question is the service line coming into the panel is fluctuating between 230v-250+v then 4 inches away at main breaker its 240v pretty steady somehow, THEN sub panel in garage 40′ away thats ran in #4 awg wire same as it comes into main panel with …but in a 4 breaker sub panel same brand breakers every single one is completely different voltage. Beats me just thought i’d share and one of y’all might be able to solve the mystery of where the F&#k they get 220v from ? They being the electrical brains or whoever stamped it 220v from the get go .
Oh and one last thing the lower voltage plugs are all very close if not exactly at 120 v some 118v so figure that one out lol thanks guys awesome place here !
Adapters don’t always regulate the voltage. Some of them stupidly just connects a female to a male. Same goes with frequency. Some items go overboard. I have UK to DK adapter with the fuse inset. No danish connecters…hang on… the rest of the world afaik doesn’t have fused connectors. It’s HUGE.
He lives in Brazil where this happens a LOT! http://www.liveinbrazil.org/electricity-in-brazil-220v-or-110v-when-travelling/
I have a customer who wired a 220 volt circuit with a 110 volt outlet, then called me when he plugged his 110 volt refrigerator into the outlet and couldn’t understand why his refrigerator would only run 5 seconds at the time. Idiots are pack failures waiting to happen, and they are out in force today.
I about decked the guy when I found out what he did, I didn’t because I didn’t check the voltage, which is something I should have done. Let this be a lesson to everyone that you can never be certain the person who came before you did their job right.
Great hack, unfortunately the little circuit board cracked on mine when i was trying to take it out, so i just jumped it an have a full speed only option.
un excelente aporte me gustaría si puede enviarme el detalle de como soldó los cables pin por pin desde el circuito impreso pcv con el circuito integrado que reemplazo el triac original o si puede subir imagenes mas detalladas
An excellent contribution I would like if you can send me the detail of how welded the pin-by-pin cables from the PCV circuit with the integrated circuit that replaced the original triac or if you can upload more detailed images