Soldering Iron Stand
A few years back my grandfather gave me a gift of his old soldering iron. I've gotten a lot of use out of it and decided that it's finally time to build my own stand for it!
Preparing the Form
We're going to be using a coat hanger for the coil that the iron sits in. To make this coil, I drilled a hole the same width as my coat hanger in an old broom.
Making the Coil
I cut the coat hanger down and inserted it into the hole I had just drilled. Once it was secured, I began to wrap it around the broom handle, producing the coil that we need.
Safety First!
With the coil removed, I straightened the piece of wire that would raise it up from the base. After that, I filed the ends to make them less dangerous and pointy (which I should have done before I wound it!)
Test!
I clamped the wire in a vice and saw that it did indeed support my soldering iron! Now on to the base!
The Base
I chose to make the base out of 18mm thick plywood, which should provide plenty of stability. I cut it to size and then sanded it smooth.
Assembly
I drilled a hole in the base for the coil to sit in and then secured it using CA glue.
Sponge Holder
Using some odd scraps, I made a small space in which I could place a cut sponge to dab the tip of my iron. I secured these pieces with CA glue and sanded it all smooth by hand.
Paint!
With everything assembled, I gave the piece a coat of black paint to make it look a bit more professional.
Done!
With that, the project is finished! I cut a small sponge to fit in the holder and I am absolutely delighted with how it looks and works! I hope you found this instructable useful and if you make one of these, I would love to see it!
-Shaun