smallsolderpot

Small Solder Pot

Using a cheap soldering iron to make a small solder pot for tinning wire ends

If you wind a lot of toroid transformers or inductors then you need a solder pot to tin the ends of these windings.

This page shows how to make a solder pot with one of the cheap dollar-store soldering irons, the brass shell casing from a pistol, and a short section of copper wire.

CAUTION:

The shell casing must be fired first, so the primer will be inert and not explode when you heat it.

My home made solder pot is made from a 40 caliber pistol shell casing. Notice that this shell has been fired and is no longer dangerous.

DO NOT USE A LIVE SHELL CASING FOR THIS PROJECT!

Note the groove around the base of the casing. Center a 4 inch length of AWG #12 bare copper wire on this groove and bend the wire around the shell casing so that the ends are of even and parallel.

Twist the remaining wire tightly to hold the shell casing in place and to make up the part which will be inserted into the soldering iron in place of the original tip.

The wire twists should look like this in order to securely hold the shell casing.

If your soldering iron has a set screw to fasten the tip in place you can use this to attach your solder pot. If it is the type with a screw-in tip you can hold the twisted copper wire with pliers and slowly screw it into the soldering iron heating element.

Add solder and you are ready to tin some inductor leads.