Soldering iron High Low switch Diode trick save the tip  

Yes! this is an oldie but a goodie👍 So simple but effective 😉

My "stubby" iron tip, with the flick of a switch now puts out 54 or 27 watts.😊 Now I only use full power to heat up iron faster then switch to half power unless have a larger mass to solder; and, if I forget to turn it off it won't burn up any more. Low setting feature will also allow you to have a nice shinny properly tinned tip, and for me, help prevent or minimize my careless carpet drop burns (what's that I smell burning - dooh !!!).😢 If you have a watt-o-meter, they make for a quick power test. My other similar 20W iron I left as is because tip is still good and I have changeable tips that help somewhat with temp control and SMD/Biggy soldiering tasks, and because I don't have another in-line switch. Now, wondering if one of those very small tactile-like clicky switches salvaged from a discarded HDTV would do the business - any thoughts? Also, is there some way to half the power again so I only get 25% ? Thanks Again !!!! Anyone who has one of these types of irons should add a switch and a diode, or add what the el cheapo manufacturer should have originally included.😒😒 Yes, if you have a light dimmer box circuit that could work even better, and of course pretty cheap chinses adjustables can be purchased.

It's a oldie but a goodie! The simple hack's are sometimes the best ones 😉

Try it! It might just be the simple solution you have been looking for. Just remember to use a big enough diode, for the heating element current draw.

@@MyProjectBoxChannel I'm looking at the BYV79E. 200 volts 14 amp should be enough for a 120 volt 10.8 amp application I'd assume. Or maybe I should give it a 80% overhead and go for a 19.44 amp minimum?

That's great! It's a very common technique and a very simple, easy thing for the DIY to do. And of course the simpler it is the less that can go wrong.

This diode trick definitely makes a cheap soldering iron more usable. Keep at it, practice makes perfect😉. It can be fun.

Thanks! The little diode halfwave trick comes in handy for many different things. You will often find it inside a hair dryer to control the motor speed.

It's simple and really effective. 😉👍

Yes it will work on 120vac. The diode will effectively make half-wave DC. So the voltage can't be measured on the AC setting. It's not going to be easy for a voltmeter to measure the true RMS voltage on half-wave DC. For a soldering iron the power will be reduced, by giving it half-wave DC.

@@MyProjectBoxChannel You're essentially reducing the duty cycle by half 60w AC will consume 50% less power.

That will work 👍. It won't be exactly right but close enough.

Simple hacks are the best ones😉👍

As long as the diode can handle more current than the iron.The 1N4007 is rated for 1A , so that's up to 200w

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I agree! with enough determination you can solder almost anything, with any size soldering iron. I have done LED strip lighting with my dad's automotive soldering iron, which he used to repair starter motors!🤣🤣😜 Sometimes you need that extra grunt, to solder things with high thermal mass.

how about you use a dimmer switch

@@cotto887 it could be done, but there is a risk of ruining certain components with that noise from the triac switching in middle of the wave, it couples much easier thru the loop of wire as a tip.

@@cotto887 Vince, I was thinking the same thing and so I grabbed a spare dimmer I had laying around and measured the output with my digital meter and at the lowest setting, it didn't seem to drop the voltage much at all. I am in the US where 120 VAC is standard household voltage.

@@hootinouts My vintage Craftsman 200W 3 pound behemoth has a dial that that goes from low to high. Not sure, but feels like the dial is just a switch inside the iron that taps into a second transformer output giving you a low power setting, albeit 120W. Those beasts had triggers for almost instant heat that you regulated manually by "firing" on and off.

Yes you can 😉. And I have done it in the past. I have even build a dimmer circuit from scratch, many years ago. But a diode circuit is as simple and cheap as it gets! And a simple "hi /low" setting, is good enough for most use cases.

@@MyProjectBoxChannel 12 diodes are 10 cents at my electronics store.

Can the diode be place in any direction?