Adam Savage's One Day Builds: Portable Soldering Station Rebuild!

[@tested]

Adam's original build of his soldering station: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqaqhGRnrtqJr9E USB Soldering Iron: amzn.to/2T1wmxk Power Probe MT Micro Torch: amzn.to/30rgplV Wire Nuts: amzn.to/3840vAw Helping Hands Work Clip: amzn.to/3hrBB8n (Adam found them!) Helping Hands Soldering Third Hand Tools: amzn.to/30ka77C Brass Sponge (for the soldering tip): amzn.to/2u2NEjb Wire Strippers: amzn.to/364gRaM Rubber Feet: amzn.to/2tYPpOF Disclaimer: Tested may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through the links here.

[@nicholascervone4734]

Have you ever considered taking apart one of the DeWalt batteries that are bad to see what went wrong. It be interesting to watch

[@ZadiasStark]

What is the nasa stickered glue bottle thing

[@miker4460]

those clamps are part of a spring clamp workholder from mcmaster carr. not sure if you can get just the clamps though. keep being you Adam :)

[@fussyboy2000]

Did you review the original making of episode to see how it was put together or just dive in with the hammer and chisel?

[@SilentRacer911]

My only concern is how close a soldering iron is to the can of butane. I’m sure it will be fine, but if you leave a battery in again… Shop is enough of a hazard

[@Immolate62]

This is by far my favorite type of stuff from you, Adam. From the background, it looks like you need to find a hammer storage solution soon. I'm in the same boat with about 15 hammers, so sensitive to the subject.

[@jyvben1520]

reminds me of the video "another brick in the wall"

[@zrodger2296]

I have no need to find a solution for storing my hammers: I only have one. But I would still love to see a "shop infrastructure build to store hammers" video! 👍

[@davidhogue100]

Every tool is a hammer...

[@Manny_Akamotakis]

the sacrificial chisel yesssss, i lost mine and it has caused bare annoyance

[@Immolate62]

@@zrodger2296 even my wife has three. How will you ever earn your "Tools for Tools' sake" badge?

[@Caspar_Stanley]

The amount of precise pressfits in this build is another level of satisfying - that handle being able to carry the weight!

[@toneconsultant]

I enjoyed this journey

[@charcoal386]

So elegant

[@csraphotographer]

The first build from Adam led me to purchase that model soldering iron which has been great for portable use, that being said the voltage range of that soldering iron is up to 24 volts, the dewalt battery is fully charged at 21 volts. if I were building something like this for myself i would open the battery adapter and remove the circuitry, go directly to the spring clips that make connection to the battery positive and negative, and wire in a lighted 24 volt toggle switch mounted up near the handle somewhere. The soldering iron also heats up faster at a higher voltage and has fast thermal recovery, it's probably not noticeable to some people but at 12 volts it takes about 40 seconds to reach 300C and at 24 volts it only takes about 11 seconds, that's enough incentive for me to use the highest voltage i can. Thanks Adam for everything you bring to the table, and all the parts chopped off when you're done.

[@chriswitek9455]

adams built in sound effects are always some of the best parts of the videos

[@ocelotsly5521]

Nice to hear a snippet of 'Admiral Halsey' at 34:30. McCartney's always good for a bit of problem-solving.

[@mathewdavis3129]

Love the fact that the whistles were completely understandable part of the description

[@Toadsith]

The sound design your editor is doing during the super speed sections is exquisite! Very underrated detail that makes these videos all the more enjoyable!

[@lvrdlpz]

Simply wonderful. Rethinking and reevaluating our stuff, so that it fits our lives and needs better, is the way.

[@sarcona]

Getting within 0.030 in is impressive enough, but you were ACTUALLY within 0.015 of the center when you made the cut (since the difference between sides was 0.030 in). You never fail to amaze me! Thanks for the content!!!

[@_just_looking_thank_you]

Carpenters would be impressed with the 1/64” accuracy. My tape measures had 32nd markings.

[@pneumantic6297]

Everytime I see those darn helping hands I just get frivolous with the feeling of defeat not finding them! Thanks so much for a link!

[@Joe___R]

Well calibrated eyes are a great thing to have. Growing up in and then working in traids for many years has calibrated my eyes. But after all these years, something has simple as perfectly halving a piece of bread still feels good.

[@theMAKAproject]

17:55 made me feel good about being a nerd. thank you for being you, and all the things that you do.

[@rooob-toob5845]

I turned my buddy who works with trailer / automotive wiring all day on this idea. And he said to me the other day when doing my audio system how much this little tool has helped him in the last idk 2 years since i first showed him. We both have one, mine runs off Dewalt 20v, his makita, with a 3d printed adapter to power it up. even has a LED display for Amp and Volt readouts. Pretty neat to see at like 2 amps this thing goes from 300 degrees to 600 in like 3 seconds. And with a 5ah battery, i can literally solder for days on end. THANKS ADAM!

[@MatsAndersson]

I built my own inspired by yours. I love it. Now you got me thinking about improvements.

[@johnh10000]

Oh don't! Me too but I'm minus the woodworking tools ;)

[@TofuAutoWorks]

Hey neato, 33:16 is the same camera angle I always use when I film my drill press. Nice.

[@PedalBox]

I cannot stress how much I identify with Adam saying "I know how to complete a circuit and i know people who are experts, that's how I deal with electronics" It's also incredibly well timed as I'm having to bite the bullet and sort out my soldering situation and invest in a few bits! (Edit as i'm watching): Also the sacrificial chisel is a much, mines seen some action removing gearboxes, exhaust manifolds and more, just to break the seal

[@yoshisar64]

first, thank you for everything adam, you are def one of my top watches anything a new video drops. not sure you'll see this a year later but the clips for your helping hands appear to be jeweler's welding clips.

[@AngryMarkFPV]

Best content - ever. Thanks for just being you Adam, If you are ever in Australia again, I will do my best to meet you!

[@bop5277]

Hey Adam, I recently came across a video showing how to save and recharge the 20v batteries using a charged battery. It is SO flippin' easy!!!

[@Stang428]

The original soldering station video was the one that really got me into this channel! This was a cathartic watch after so many years of learning. Also comforting to see that even the pros need to rebuild their work every once in awhile!

[@swissfreek]

The original build has been my favorite video of yours since you posted it. It has now been surpassed. Love this.

[@mistergooey1780]

I was chuckling throughout at your mindless chattering and singing. I have done that since I was a kid, at the table doing homework, having a conversation with no one about nonsense. As a plumber, when I’m working (seemingly) alone, I’ll occasionally spark up a conversation with the pipes and tools. In short, love this channel.

[@roippi3985]

That sequence at 17:50 is the Adam equivalent of the DVD logo hitting the exact corner of the screen

[@peabody700]

Absolutely love content like this. Watching you going through problem solving and come out with a very impressive solution is beyond enjoyable.

[@reachwbar]

Dude, Adam whistles like a champ, I'm envious

[@Gekitsuu]

I was kinda surprised you didn't paint, stain, seal, or something the new build. Really fun to watch your thought process as always. Thanks Adam!

[@sabinniculae7481]

I'm always amazed at how the tools you have influence the way a DIYer thinks and how the projects evolve with every new tool. You make do with what you have and always improve when you get a new tool, like how you can use a piece of tubing, or you can machine a custom piece because you have a lathe. Watching this made me think about how i can do it without the tools Adam has, and problem solving is just as fun as building it. Adam said it best: it's a process, not a project :)

[@williamdumont912]

really like that build adam it's a simple one but i like how you made a LOT better the second time it just goes to show that we have to try something, maybe fail but eventually well get to something pleasing. Thanks for sharing

[@JoeMalovich]

The open source PINECIL mini soldering iron is just like the TS100 clone you are using, but takes USB PD (power delivery) as an option to power it. You can use a Power Delivery power bank as the power source negating the requirement for a power tool battery and adapter, also any power bank will have a built in low voltage cutoff. Charges with USB too.

[@DedmenMiller]

Or the TS-80P, i only use it with a powerbank

[@verycooltony]

Dewalt just released a battery adapter with USB PD. That and a pinecil is my current soldering solution and it’s a absolute dream come true.

[@davadoff]

All power tool batteries should have low voltage cutoff. That’s an extremely basic protection feature. Edit: actually the ts100 is already designed to run off a battery pack. Set the low voltage limit in settings to 15v or higher (5 cells in series in 18v/20v power tool batteries at 3v per cell), so the ts100 doesn’t drain the battery below that level.

[@bob9802]

@Davadoff between the tool and associated battery there is low voltage protection, but most combinations actually put the cut-off in the tool, and one of the extra pins from the battery signals the shutdown. Since the tool already has full power switching in it, it is more cost and power efficient to use that switching that already exists, but it is not in the battery.

[@bob9802]

He has a Pinecil there as well. You can see it on the bench at 2:00

[@JanisCustomShop]

1:22 Quess its already out there but you can revive/recover ”dead” DeWalt batteries. Voltage goes below certain level and charger won’t recognize it. Just boost it with other battery. Wire + to + and - to - for few moments and voila, now charger is charging

[@advancegeo2986]

another one day build, another joyous day! i love watching you explain the design process and philosophy behind your shop infrastructure one of the most informative and wholesome parts of my day

[@Bad_InfluenceTV]

Love watching the self talk through the process. I also talk myself through projects.

[@JLneonhug]

I remember you building v1 and felt the same but this v2 is proper! Well done! I love thee cnc tube touch, so nice! With you battery drain, you can just put a toggle switch on the + and - line.

[@JLneonhug]

Sorry what I mean is + OR - line... But assume people knew what I meant :)

[@LindzieBurns]

@@JLneonhug could toggle both + & - off just to be sure cuz redundancy is fun

[@PhoenixRising2040]

The portable soldering station 1.0 gave me the "ghost trap" vibe 😜

[@HEYBRO69-ch]

Lmao 🤣

[@davidrobie4048]

The amount of vicarious pleasure that I derived from this is astonishing.

[@boringTpp4]

47:33 the soldering station resembles a bird! Excellent work as always Adam. You're an inspiration to many including me. Maybe I'll finally build my portable soldering station

[@barbicantomato6284]

As a tool that holds the tools that help you make the things... this is great! I really enjoy how you engage in bettering not just your result but the various steps in the processes of your making and taking us along on that journey. Also interested in how you manage scraps and caul (to small to use too large to throw away) in the shop there... I semi-regularly have to cull my caul pile(s) and it's surprisingly hard!

[@richie302302]

I’m definitely going to build one of these! Such a great solution for holding all things soldering related!

[@ranger_rusty]

I love these types of videos. I love how over engineered everything is while still being practical. My only thought would be to use the spool as a hinge for the handle so that it’ll fold away and reveal the other tools.

[@korywaynehubbell]

I love everything Adam does. Idea: Recess the container down into the empty space above the battery by cutting a hole so that the top of it sits flush with the platform its currently sitting on. It’ll be even more out of your way yet still accessible.

[@SmallDisturbedChild]

Take a look at the Omnifixo magnetic helping hands. I got to try some a friend has, and I now have a set on order.

[@peterfox2565]

I recently built a few portable soldering stations around the T12 soldering irons/stations. I started with a Quicko T12-942 station swapped the enclosure for a longer one and added a M18 battery adapter to the bottom. I also swapped the basic Hakko style pencil for the OSS T12-X one as it is more streamlined and has a much shorter tip to hand grip distance. To finish it off I made a really nice machine iron holder to mount on the side. AS it has a real power switch it will not run the battery down when it is off and the station has a settable low voltage cutoff which will prevent the battery from being over discharged in used. For storage and transportation I made a custom bent polycarbonate insert for a small bag to keep the station and all my accessories in perfect order. The final result is a compact kit that has everything needed for soldering, I couldn't be happier. With the largest tip (5.2mm chisel) it will solder a old school PL-259 and even lap splice up to 6 AWG with a bit of patience.

[@RogueCylon]

Can we all agree that Adams workshop is the perfect makers workshop.

[@Rankoldbeast_UK]

My god have I been watching tested long enough to see this be rebuilt?

[@darthseverus89]

I know I have been

[@Nisstyre56]

I love the pinecil soldering iron. I use it all the time with the chisel tip.

[@spencerhansen8374]

I thought I had some criticism to offer but after you said " it needs to come over the top, like a roll of toilet paper", I was too proud of you to remember anything negative. Bravo.

[@aaro_n]

Loved the first build. Excited for this one

[@timberrecycling]

I definitely felt that "freehand halfway" moment and then the double joy of eyeballing the difference. I get the same thrill when a guess is near perfect.

[@jasonmonk7336]

Bliss, absolute bliss. Loved the original build, really looking forward to this.

[@timparsons3565]

Adam, you were only off by .015! The difference between the halves was .030, but the cut itself was only off .015! That's so cool!

[@thalaquatics8712]

i am an industrial maintenance tech in the US, we have a lot of foreign equipment, so i got a 6cm scale tattooed on the inside of my ring finger! its also useful during my foraging trips for identifying mushrooms and i breed and sell invertibrates so its a convenient way for me to convey scale of my critters.

[@Hat_mad_human]

I just fot a starter soldering kit to modify my GBA, so this is fascinating! I never would have thought I could learn to tinker and do things like soldering without Adam 😂

[@No1sonuk]

I love that the "hot Forstner bit on wood action" the camera was moved for was obscured by an elbow!🤣

[@DipperDK]

same

[@MadixLP]

Hi Adam, for exactly that battery problem there is a custom firmware for the Ts100 that allows for setting automatic shut off at a certain input voltage. Check for TS100 Ralim

[@gillesbaudeweyns6802]

Don't think that'll work as iirc the adapter Adam's using supplies a constant 12v to the barrel jack. He'd have to get an adapter that directly connects to the battery. Maybe a good project for next year :p

[@Deedumdee]

I was going to suggest wiring in an LED so it was easy to spot when the battery had been left connected, or a physical switch, or cover both options with an illuminated switch, but the firmware sounds like it might be a simpler solution.

[@SaltBayGull]

@@gillesbaudeweyns6802 maybe bust open the battery to usb adapter and wire in a switch

[@JaketheJOATGOAT]

Milwaukee m12 soldering iron. It is a 12v cordless soldering iron. Use one all the time. One of the best tools I have ever bought.

[@bartloughry9839]

Pretty impressed. Not a bad calibrated eye!

[@makerpat]

Here's an idea... mount the battery adaptor on the side such that when the battery is inserted, you can't hang it back on its hook. Then you'll always remember to remove the battery. Unless you forget to put the soldering station back where it belongs...

[@charickter]

"Sloppy like Oscar, but neat like Tony Randall" Damn, Adam pullin' out 1989 Young MC! Haha, love you, man!

[@alexandercatlin2130]

I love the wear pattern in the floor.

[@mikekelly1771]

This 70's TV detective music is fire!!!!

[@nirodha7028]

Such an improvement Adam! It is now an object with a personality. It didn’t have that quality before. Well done!

[@bzqp2]

If painted black it would look like one of these New Hope droids that would crawl throuh the Death Star's hallways.

[@aomedina3844]

Pass a tube through another flexy hose stack and then your solder wire dispenser could be placed and oriented in any position that might be useful for some reason. You could end the flexy hose in a nice aluminum tube or cone with a center hole. I woke up this morning thinking about making some sort of tool box for my soldering station. Never thought about making it rechargeable. It's awesome.

[@Lee1978R]

I love your one day builds, especially when they are for your tools and storage. I especially like watching you problem solve as you go. It makes me try to think of ways or things I would tweak or change if I was building it and if it were me I would add something that could keep the soldering irons cable/lead neatly out of the way when not in use to stop it catching or getting in the way like a kind of hook or loop that it can be wrapped around or passed through etc. love how it makes my brain think thank you. 👍🏻💙

[@danielwendt3927]

These kind of one day builds are like meditation.

[@ryan_j_peck]

That was such a great rebuild! The new version is very clearly an improvement over all the areas the original fell short. Also, your first order of retrieval methodology stood out in this video and has really inspired me to implement some of them based on how easy it was for you to find what you needed so quick. And I really have to invest in that Proxxon system!!!!!

[@jajaman531]

Perfect timing on this.

[@CaoticoFanegasO_o]

I just realised I can't hear "scrapwood" without singing "scrapwood challenge, scrapwood challenge" in my head. Thank you, Pask Makes.

[@TheJesselopez1981]

One of the things I like to do for projects like these is prototype one out of cardboard boxes and live with it for a while to see what works and what doesn't. Then finalize it out of the materials I want.

[@gl15col]

I love cardboard; glue together pieces if you need a stronger section, glues together like a charm. I make lots of little one-off projects out of cardboard that wind up never needing replacing.

[@TheJesselopez1981]

@@gl15col i made lightweight shelves for a travel trailer like that.

[@GarrettCrosgrove]

Not sure how I missed this video when it was originally released but I watched the original video and thought to make a soldering station for myself. Funny cuz just the other day I realized that I out grew it and needed to find a different solution which I did. I love making super custom holders and things such as this and I'm always inspired by your designs and ideas. :)

[@billbostabbins4262]

Loved the original build as well. I use mapp gas a ton so I have augmented my build based off of you original design to accommodate it

[@JamesThompson-xl4yu]

All the work taking it apart, you could just cut parts for a new one! Fun to just cobble things and come up with new useful things. I recently took and old led house light defuser from a dead lamp and formed a holder for in front of a flashlight. Used a plastic bottle to shrink a mating holder with a heat gun with the round defuser inside. fit snugly to the flashlight. When on it spreads the light making finding parts on the floor much easier. Fun and useful!

[@ryan_j_peck]

I can picture the editor of this video when they got to the "rap" thinking 'yeah that was not great; but it is absolutely making the cut'. Loved the audio cue at the end of it!

[@tobiaslinn7964]

Awesome build as always! One thing I have in my mobile soldering station is a pair of forceps that keep coming in handy when soldering in tight spots that I can’t get into with my helping hands. Not always ideal, but more often than not much better than pretty much anything else I have come up with so far.

[@chefjeff1366]

Adam dropping Young MC rhymes at 6:40 had me revisiting the classic track "Nonstop" - in which Young MC references both RoboCop and Ghostbusters... two franchises obviously beloved by Adam

[@tomdewey9690]

So nice. Press fit joints were so satisfying. I would’ve put the helping hands on the other side so you could easily access the soldering iron with your right hand while something was in the hands.

[@ninjamonkey4]

I have picked up several tools you have shown on here, but by far, my most used has been the proxon dremels. I use them so much that i have bought 2 of the big bases, and 3 of the pencil dremels as well as 2 of the mini sanders. They are fantastic tools and have defenatly converted me from Dremel to Proxon.

[@National_Oscillographic]

It worked out very well! Big Like!

[@ernststravoblofeld]

Oddly enough, I'm going to be building something like this soon. This is practical info for me today.

[@roblesterjr04]

Adam, not sure if you only have dewalt, but in Milwaukee and ryobi batteries, the battery safety circuits are built in. They stop discharging when they reach critical levels. There are also cheap modules you can buy to insert in your circuit with a programmable low voltage cut off relay. Helpful when you don’t want to trash your batteries! Been there on my creations as well!

[@revmichaelm]

I wonder if auto photo of you. I love all you do for science, and the sci-fi community

[@1MysteryZ1967]

That’s a fun upgrade build, right there. Nice share. And! My hovercraft is full of eels.

[@rhombo323]

I just watched this all over again a few days ago, and now he's redoing it 🤣

[@Vickie-Bligh]

Excellent, Adam. I like these kinds of builds. Thanks

[@ckaspersen]

Your drill has the same alarm sound that I never wanted my refrigerator to have

[@waveformdistortion]

"It can come up and over like a roll of toilet paper" I'm glad to see Adam understands the correct way to hang toilet paper.

[@ManaBDew]

My pep peeve is something you mentioned. Wire an solder won’t cling together at times & lots of different compounds. It is Awesome to see spin heat welding at NASA A FRIEND DESTIN OF SMARTER EVERY DAY at you tube shared it I’m like 🤩 WOW

[@MrAcuta73]

Yeah, I need to emulate this. I have pretty much the exact same setup but still no carrier for it. Just stuffed in a drawer that isn't convenient. This looks pretty fabulous!

[@KasumiRieko]

I love these build vids the most!

[@Point221b]

Thats interesting, because I just rebuilt my own version of that solder station! It was made during a very strange time and it means a lot. 🙂

[@christopherjunkins]

30thou? OOF! Yea that's pretty much right in half, those moments are always (Scottish accent) GLORIOUS!

[@giant3909]

My favorite one day build of all time. It's a really good example of always keeping your tools sharp and I learned lots of lessons I can apply to my craft of software engineering. I am delighted to watch this rebuild.

[@tested]

Thank you for the kind comment -- we'll pass along to Adam!

[@_minzez_2926]

I would love separate videos of Adam talking about tools, and comparing ones he's used to ones he's using right now. Pros/Cons kind of videos. All tools have there uses after all, no matter how short a life span. Even one time use ones.

[@azimalif266]

I've seen a lot of other makers make one of these, after you made yours, all different of course. I want to make one too.

[@nathkrupa3463]

Great accuracy adam sir very nicely build thanks for sharing sir.

[@johnbowen8917]

I don't know when I picked it up but I've been addicted to tinning blocks. I probably got it at Quements lol. Cleans the tip very well for me.

[@kristianreinhart]

Hey Adam, The third hands / helping hands clamps look like "jewelry soldering third hand" or "welding third hand clamp", fairly easy to find in google image search with these search terms. Many versions are available, though most get quite pricey. An expensive version you can look for ist the GRS Third-Hand Attachment.