If you’ve ever wanted a battery-operated soldering iron and you just can’t stand the thought of buying one, you might check out the video below from [Just5mins]. In it, he takes a candy tube, some scrap materials, a lithium ion battery, a nichrome wire, a USB charger, and a switch and turns it into an apparently practical soldering iron.
Paradoxically, [Just5mins] used a soldering iron to build this one, so it probably can’t be your only soldering iron, although we suppose you could figure something out in a pinch. Maybe in rep-rap style, make a poor quality one with no soldering and use it to solder up the next one.
This is an interesting little hack, but honestly, if you need a soldering iron this probably isn’t going to be your first choice. We suppose it is a little more practical than the cigarette lighter iron we saw earlier. If you are on a budget and want a USB soldering iron, we saw a review on those, too. Or, you could go with Solderdoodle.
use the bic lighter one to make this…
Use a soldering iron to make a soldering iron?
Do LiPo batteries like being discharged this way?
Depends on the resistance of the wire, but I’d guess “no”.
This guy stuck in the desert again? It’s ugly, and replaces something you can buy cheaply anyway. Ultimately though all that matters is how well it solders. That, and how convenient to use.
MacGyver would be proud!