Show your LED workshop

[Grimor]

There might be a better sections for this, but I kinda think of it as a tie in with the LED thread. Having just cleaned up my work area some over the weekend, I was wondering what other people are working with in their soldering stations. Here's where I try to shove enough stuff aside to work on things.

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[CdnGMan]

That's quite impressive.
I totally wish I had the confidence / understanding to work on LED's...

 

[NinjuhhNutz]

That's quite impressive.
I totally wish I had the confidence / understanding to work on LED's...

Nothing to it, bro. Read through a few threads, get your head fully wrapped around Ohm's Law (pretty simple once you actually read it), $10 order on ebay...once you murder a few led's you'll get the hang of it
worked for me...emphasis on the reading part, though.
((Oh, and I can't speak for the rest of the guys on here...but if you're afraid of what seem like 10th degree burns at the time, stay away from the soldering iron completely...I tend to be a bit clumsy/absent minded around it

 

[CdnGMan]

Nothing to it, bro. Read through a few threads, get your head fully wrapped around Ohm's Law (pretty simple once you actually read it), $10 order on ebay...once you murder a few led's you'll get the hang of it
worked for me...emphasis on the reading part, though.
((Oh, and I can't speak for the rest of the guys on here...but if you're afraid of what seem like 10th degree burns at the time, stay away from the soldering iron completely...I tend to be a bit clumsy/absent minded around it

I've tried to wrap my head around it... believe me...
I'm not a fan of math in the least and I'm highly terrified of electricity, so I'm sure that plays a huge part in all of this...

BlckShdw has been trying for years to get me "LED'ing" but I just don't get the whole resistor calculation thing... as long as I know people who know what they're doing I'll be fine... it's not nearly as satisfying as making my own I know, but I'll still get in there and help with the install where I can...

 

[NinjuhhNutz]

Gotcha, the electricity part doesn't bother me near as bad as the several scars I have from the iron...lol
Don't stress it, I was neck deep in wiring for my remote start install, changed all the interior lights to led, but couldn't mold a friggin clear corner lense to save my life. Destroyed an entire sheet of ceiling diffuser before I called it quits lol
It's the little things...

 

[CdnGMan]

I'd love to be able to quickly fab together something as I have a few little ideas that I'd like to try, but not understanding the basics tends to create a challenge... :banghead:

 

[NinjuhhNutz]

Well, hit up a few guys around here. I haven't yet found a problrm or had a question that someone wasn't willing to help with. ((even the "check the fuse" advicr 1000x over when I was looking right over the fuse that was blown lol

 

[DDonnie]

It drives me crazy that in high school i had access to any fab tools that i might need (welders, band saws, cnc machines, etc.) but i had no idea what to do with them or the money for materials. Now that i can buy materials and have lots of uses for those tools, i dont have access to them!

 

[Blckshdw]

I wish I had a sweet lil setup for a workshop. I suppose you can say my workshop is mobile. Most of the time, it consists of a TV tray as I sit on the couch watching something boring. Other times it's the kitchen table, or a counter. Depends on how much room I need, vs how comfortable I want to be.

Greg, the difficulties are all in your head. Like Chris said, you just have to jump in the deep end, you'll start swimming on your own before you know it. That's what I did. Bought some cheap stuff off Ebay, got the Radio Shack starter soldering kit (that crappy iron makes soldering SO much more difficult that it should be), practiced with a couple pieces of scrap wire, and off I went.

I'd say start with some little, non GMT, projects. Like solder a couple LEDs together with a resistor in front, and connect em to a 9V battery. It's the little victories that fuel you to go farther

 

[Grimor]

I'd love to be able to quickly fab together something as I have a few little ideas that I'd like to try, but not understanding the basics tends to create a challenge... :banghead:

LED Resistor Calculator
Current limiting Resistor calculator for leds

LED's are actually pretty forgiving as long as you don't dump too much power in (they are really bright for a really short period of time - POP)
Above are a couple calculators that make things easier. As far as soldering, I'm an ugly solderer. The soldering iron burns don't really hurt though since it's so hot it just destroys the nerves. Hot solder/plastic/etc can suck though.

My soldering iron related video
[video=youtube;ZbbgprlHS7c]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbbgprlHS7c[/video]

 

[DDonnie]

if you are too worried about burns, wear some leather gloves

Honestly though, i have never burnt myself with a soldering iron. If i had one suggestion to make, dont spend less than 50 bucks on your first soldering iron. You will only frustrate yourself and probably will give up on the hobby.

 

[NinjuhhNutz]

Yea...lol that mess of a bench

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[NinjuhhNutz]

if you are too worried about burns, wear some leather gloves

Honestly though, i have never burnt myself with a soldering iron. If i had one suggestion to make, dont spend less than 50 bucks on your first soldering iron. You will only frustrate yourself and probably will give up on the hobby.

Haha...I usually have something in the background that I'm jammin to as I work, and just zone out and work. It doesn't help that I don't have a stand for my cheap-o radioshack iron...

 

[DDonnie]

Haha...I usually have something in the background that I'm jammin to as I work, and just zone out and work. It doesn't help that I don't have a stand for my cheap-o radioshack iron...

Dude! You gotta get a better iron man, the first time i saw my digitally controlled iron hit 700 degress F in 30 seconds, i was sold.

 

[Blckshdw]

After I got fed up with the Radio Shack special, I bought this one, with some differently shaped tips. Makes all the difference in the world when you can change the tip to fit your application better.

[EBAY]270901702389[/EBAY]

 

[Mark20]

There might be a better sections for this, but I kinda think of it as a tie in with the LED thread. Having just cleaned up my work area some over the weekend, I was wondering what other people are working with in their soldering stations. Here's where I try to shove enough stuff aside to work on things.

View attachment 14498

Your workbench is as messy as mine but you've got the advantage of a nice flat screen. I'll try to grab a shot of my bench in its current condition.

I've tried to wrap my head around it... believe me...
I'm not a fan of math in the least and I'm highly terrified of electricity, so I'm sure that plays a huge part in all of this...

BlckShdw has been trying for years to get me "LED'ing" but I just don't get the whole resistor calculation thing... as long as I know people who know what they're doing I'll be fine... it's not nearly as satisfying as making my own I know, but I'll still get in there and help with the install where I can...

Very little chance you'll hurt yourself with 12 - 15 V DC. More likely you'll find the wrong end of the soldering iron. Don't ask me how I know.

After I got fed up with the Radio Shack special, I bought this one, with some differently shaped tips. Makes all the difference in the world when you can change the tip to fit your application better.

[EBAY]270901702389[/EBAY]

I have an Ungar iron in a Weller controllable base. The iron's tip is starting to wear and I think I'll have a hard time finding a replacement or a replacement heating element. but you've given me an idea to check eBay.

 

[DDonnie]

if you are too worried about burns, wear some leather gloves

Honestly though, i have never burnt myself with a soldering iron. If i had one suggestion to make, dont spend less than 50 bucks on your first soldering iron. You will only frustrate yourself and probably will give up on the hobby.

Jinxed myself. Burnt myself twice tonight. Not bad though, stops hurting after a few seconds

 

[NinjuhhNutz]

After I got fed up with the Radio Shack special, I bought this one, with some differently shaped tips. Makes all the difference in the world when you can change the tip to fit your application better.

[EBAY]270901702389[/EBAY]

coughed, winked, nudged, and pointed at this post a couple hours ago...right before the gf made me get off the forums and "watch the movie with me" haha
will either be buying this, or getting it as a bday gift in 2 weeks...either way, I'm gonna blow the radio shack special up
maybe some tannerite and break out the baby

 

[Blckshdw]

I caught myself on the wrong end of that Radio Shack iron more than a few times because of that sorry excuse for a stand that came in their kit. Bump the cord the wrong way, it turns slightly, and next thing you know the birds in the trees outside the window are offended by what comes out of your mouth and fly away

I have an Ungar iron in a Weller controllable base. The iron's tip is starting to wear and I think I'll have a hard time finding a replacement or a replacement heating element. but you've given me an idea to check eBay.

coughed, winked, nudged, and pointed at this post a couple hours ago...right before the gf made me get off the forums and "watch the movie with me" haha
will either be buying this, or getting it as a bday gift in 2 weeks...either way, I'm gonna blow the radio shack special up
maybe some tannerite and break out the baby

I was considering getting a more expensive iron, as I had heard hotter is better, but opted for this one anyway. I set mine at 400 degrees and soldering is so much easier. The same seller also has replacement tips, I am partial to the chisel tip myself. The tips are a piece of cake to keep clean. I remember my radio shack one, the tip would get all screwed up if left on for too long, and harder to keep clean

[EBAY]270771000535[/EBAY]

 

[ConeKilrAutoX]

when Im not working on a desk inside by the tv ( for music blasting or watching top gear ) ...this is my 8ft work bench for all projects especially LEDS in the summer
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