Sometimes old tools are better.

[@antoniorodrigo310]

My life's goal is to have my son talking about me, the same way Jeff talks about his dad. Too wholesome

[@BozesanVlad]

And *with*

[@jawshogga]

Seeing you and your dad geeking off together really makes me miss my own dad. Keep up the good work.

[@MrAshpool]

Me too... My dad was a TV and video engineer and passed on this year. Hard not to have regrets, especially as I'm only just getting back into tech more as I'm an arty type too.

[@_Turbocat777]

honestly glad they didn't rubberize the grip since most rubberized coating doesn't last long and gets sticky. -this is cool, I grew up learning on an old maroon soldering gun and it had a light.

[@ScottPlude]

My dad was good at his trade, and I have those skills too. Sadly, my dad passed many years ago and I miss him. I would give anything to have him playing a part in my life. I am so glad you still have yours, and ittruly warms my heart to see the two of you together doing stuff. Thank you!

[@ldandco]

My dad is an Electronics Engineer . He used to have his small lab and factory back in Venezuela. I learned electronics there. You made travel back in time because that same soldering iron is the one I used to solder with quite often as a kid. Thank you

[@ventusprime]

body iam in east eu we learnad on that soldering irons to solder,in school The CUBE

[@ldandco]

@@ventusprime Keep creating, never stop

[@dieSpinnt]

Those soldering irons and soldering stations have been developed and produced at the German site in Besigheim, Swabia (in Germany) for over 50 years. By the way, I'm currently using my WECP-20 soldering station, right now!:) The nice thing about this quality tool of good old fashioned design is that if you own two... you can easily repair one with the other without much effort. Controlling and replacing spare parts is so unproblematic that mine has been in use for over 25 years. Greetings to Venezuela, to Eastern Europe and to the rest of the world from Germany. Happy soldering, friends! :)

[@gorak9000]

The only thing I question about that iron is the physical aspect - how you hold it. After soldering with a micro-pencil for years, that thing looks like it'd be like trying to solder with your left foot. Even now going back to a "regular" fat iron, like any standard weller hand piece, feels like cave-man technology

[@jonbee5481]

I love the bond you and your father have, and enjoy seeing you nerd out together!

[@EFazy]

I stopped buying canned air long time ago. I'just grabbed a small air compressor with a ~5 liter airtank, a pressure regulator, and a rectractable hose with a drum, and some moisuter separator stuff. it's not quiet, when filling up the tank, but i don't need to spend and blow gases out, no frezeeing, and I can also pump up balls/car and bike tires, etc :)

[@JeffGeerling]

Just make sure you drain the tank now and then! I had one old tank get a bit rusted before I realized it was important to maintain it through the seasons :)

[@techmouse.]

This is so adorable. Even at that age, they're still like "See, daddy? See?" I hope my daughter is still showing me stuff like that when she grows up.

[@b4uc2far95]

I just wish I knew how to get the “magic smoke” back into the device once I let it out. 😂

[@iso_2013]

That's what soldering flux is for

[@misamokuzelpizu]

If you know the magic with the soldering wand, sometimes its possible!

[@acubley]

you go to the same store that sells board stretchers for when you cut one short...

[@szucs3860]

That’s the neat part. You don’t

[@XenHat]

This quote will go down in history. Great show.

[@WilliamHollinger2019]

My father had scsi cards that were internal for PC in the 80's and early 90's too. My dad even used to built power supplies with blueprints.

[@v8trauma]

Bought my iron around 78/79 and i still have it and the original bits. Think its a different brand though, but has a grey square button that locks. Same base and orange case. Moved onto gas irons, suppsed to be better, but never were.

[@petereit]

LOL! This is so cool! My dad had one of those cordless soldering irons my gosh, 30-35 years ago? I used it for EVERYTHING! Just a couple months ago I was lamenting that I didn't snatch it before my mom got rid of all of his "junk" after he passed away in 2003. So HUGE props for bringing that up and letting me know they're still making them!! WHOOP!! WHOOP!!

[@ouroesa]

This is bitter sweet to watch as someone who lost their dad before hitting 20years old. Happy to see your absolutely awesome relationship with each other.

[@Yukeake]

Something that you may find useful since you put the monitor arm on the workbench - they make laptop trays that attach to VESA mounts. Since you may not always need the computer at the workbench, this might save you needing to find room for a keyboard/mouse/trackpad.

[@JeffGeerling]

I'm going to start with just a wireless keyboard/trackpad for now, and see how that goes. It can be stashed up on a shelf, or I might get a little tray to hold it underneath soon.

[@JohnR31415]

I use an old cry wall mount - the bar happens to fit my pole mounts…

[@aleksandersats9577]

@@JeffGeerling I recommend finding a wireless keyboard with a trackball for a mouse. I have one and you can actually be very accurate with it compared to a trackpad

[@terryclair2914]

Boy this brings back memories. Iso-Tip was a big step in tech at the time. I had one of the original ones when they first came out. Being able to go work on an aircraft and doing wiring repairs without stringing extension cords was a major life improvement. OK so where is your Soldapullt hand solder sucker? You got to have one on the bench! I still have two and used one last week. Thanks for the memories!

[@Tropeas]

I'm very happy to see that you can do that with your dad, taking some of his prior evolving things, I would like to have the fortune to do the same but unfortunatelly it didn't happen.

[@dazealex]

My dad's an Electrical Engineer. He had a really gun soldiering iron and a solider sucker, etc. I learned how to soldering when I was like 8... A needed skill.

[@JeSuisNerd]

Thank you, this was an incredible experience to share! Very nostalgic, my dad was helping me learn a lot of computer things in the same era, and you reminded me of several fleeting memories of those experiences.

[@scoops2016]

Watch out for the LEDs on the bench as a serious source of noise. I think EEBlog Dave had issues with noisy PSUs on some strips. Great to see you and your dad talking about the old days. Love the channel.

[@JeffGeerling]

Yes; that's one thing I think we hope to do over time, monitor spurious noise from different things, and then I'll try to call out any *really* bad devices/chargers. They're allowed to spew out stuff within a certain range and power level, but shouldn't black out AM radio or anything!

[@ZeljkoMikulec]

i upgraded both of soldering iron you show here. First isotip with li-ion 3000mah (get hot in 6 sec and since no temp control tips wears out fast) Charger for 1 € on the back side with usb-c magnetic connector on the front led very strong light Second: modern soldering iron without light as you complain, i added same led light like above and 6 x li-pol cell 200mah on the back side so its truly wireless. Working time 2 min. Separate switch for turning it on and security switch bellow. Now this is the only 60W soldering iron worldwide with light that works without cable to my knowledge at least.

[@mnoxman]

In the late 80s Radio Shack/Tandy used to make a knock off of the Isotip. Tandy also made one of the first butane powered soldering Irons. Those were really handy but the tips were easily worn through.

[@ernestgalvan9037]

I had two of the Radio Shack IsoTip ‘clones’….. back when they had enough market clout to get ‘branded’ clones made for them. Sadly, they ‘disappeared’ during my divorce…. I still have my Weller ‘Big Iron’ solder guns… including a massive 320W model.

[@JohnnieFoxcsm]

My family history includes an isotip soldering iron. We bought my Dad one sometime in the 70’s. It looked like the gray one that you had on your bench. I spent many hours at my dad’s bench playing with it.

[@MrJumper68]

I still have my weller Iron... had it since 1984. Its 230v. You can still buy it new. I also Got a gas powered one

[@johntang9173]

how nice to see such great interaction between a father and a son.

[@crosleyfiver8686]

I about a year ago got the Blue version of the iso-tip. I have a couple soldering stations but they are tucked away in plastic storage boxes. Wanted something for when a small job is needed . This fit the bill 100% Tinning 10 gauge wire, no prob!! The heat is par with the soldering staion! Very content ISO-TIP!

[@JeffGeerling]

Yeah I've already used it on two tiny projects where if I didn't have it, the projects would've just been placed on the workbench, to be done at a far later date since they'd be forgotten!

[@crosleyfiver8686]

@@JeffGeerling I was kind of second thinking but so glad I got it!! You take care of your dad!!:) I'm a dds and kids are all over USA

[@paulsander5433]

If you work on computers, a logic analyzer is a must. So much equipment now can be accessed and controlled via USB: Oscilloscope, multi-meter, logic analyzer, waveform generator, even power supplies. Many have Python apps you can hack.

[@JeffGeerling]

Yeah; these bench tools all have USB ports (and two at least I remember seeing Ethernet too!). The scope has a logic analyzer addon for something like 16 channels, but when I glanced at Tektronik's price tag for it, I balked a bit :D

[@sonosus]

​@@JeffGeerling have a look at second hand gear - expensive equipment tends to be thrown out in bulk when manufacturers go bust/move overseas and makes its way to ebay. I have a similar scope with a 10 channel logic analyser that I bought used online for £50.

[@joenichols590]

the odd looking end that wasn't the DB connector was a centronics connector usually used for printers

[@dougf94912]

I remember ordering one of those soldering irons when they first came out in the 80s. I quickly discovered that they weren't much use outdoors when I tried to repair a mic cable while up a tree at a remote broadcast. The heating element was no match for the ambient temperature of an English summer! 😀 I think I pulled the element and just used it as a flashlight. 🤓

[@TD-er]

If you're looking for a monitor on that workbench, maybe look for a small one like 20 or 22 inch and more importantly which has a VGA connector. Those can be had for less than 100 euro. Also one with multiple HDMI inputs (or use some HDMI switch on the desk) as you will see your will switch inputs quite often when testing some Raspberry Pi, small PC or maybe even some video switcher/recorder like Black Magic has. You did mention to mount some LED strips, but those still have quite some 'directional light'. I did buy some TL-like LED lights for under my shelves. Those are really cheap and give way less directional light but just flood your bench which is what you want. Also place some Ethernet switch on your desk. I do miss lots and lots of power outlets on your desk. You never can have enough of those, so maybe add some 19" power strips on the side poles of your desk. Especially one which has a power switch per outlet. Only one, as it can be really frustrating when using some power adapters blocking (or pressing) the flip switch, but for other cords it really is practical to be able to turn stuff on/off instead of pulling a cable. I also have some galvanic isolated 1-to-1 transformer. This is much more safe for your own to work on stuff or connect probes to your scope (or PC for programming tools)

[@transistorbrains]

Highly recommend getting some kind of light on an adjustable arm as well. Super useful for working on electronics since you can move the light around to exactly where you want it

[@radijoe]

Light/magnifier combo!

[@MrAshpool]

I just replied to a dad comment and now see how many there are here. My dad passed on, earlier this year and it's hard not to have regrets. Even though we were close, I'm only just not getting back more into tech, being an arty soul too. My dad was a TV and video engineer, into sound tech and all sorts so I have a lot of old equipment to sort out and some I might play with.

[@rangefreewords]

Wire label maker, Magnifying lamp and a fume hood, hazmat cabinet for acetone, isopropyl, resins, paints, adhesives,sealants, and a hazmat disposal bin. A solid bus bar for heat gun, etc. built into the work bench, a under counter drawer of flush cuts, forceps, precision screwdrivers, T pins, fox and hound, rolls of wire and bins for heat shrink, fuses, a couple bread boards, cheat sheet conversions and charts for wires and hardware sizing as well as resistor ID, etc. cheesecloth, lentfree rags, Megger for bonding, burnishing brushes, alodine, still trying to think of what to add. Could always get a lab coat or apron for the upcoming lab videos.

[@TranscribeYT]

I feel like the carrying case for the Iso-Tip is one 3D print away!

[@jasonboles1526]

if you plan to do any high-voltage repairs (power supply, etc), you should add an Isolation Transformer to your list of bench stuff to buy. Just be careful that it offers true isolation - most modern ones for medical (Tripplite for example) tie the input and output grounds together, which can get you killed (other YT videos explain why and how to modify it). Also helpful (but expensive) are high-voltage differential probes for your scope. Some recommend 2 isolation transformers, 1 for DUT, and 1 for scope. Seems (to me) like you could alternatively just use a battery-powered scope, but "the internet" is still arguing about that.

[@BenGoldNYC]

I love that it’s still made in USA! That’s pretty impressive. Love my pinecil but it kinda makes me want to get one just to support them

[@BismuthOxide]

Dude! This reminds me so much of my grandpa teaching me to solder with a Portasol butane iron. I still use it all the time.

[@nrdesign1991]

I have used Ergotron arms in a few projects at work and can confirm they are very durable and reliable.

[@gerbil7771]

I picked up a Milwaukee 12 volt soldering iron a while back for fixing stuff where my weller station is awkward. It’s got a nice light and it’s pretty comfortable.

[@klausstock8020]

Finally someone found it out for me! Finally I know that *old tools are better!* Had no chance for a comparison myself as my seriously battered 1979 Weller soldering station still stubbornly refuses to die. Soldering microscope is an MBS-10, no clue how old that is.

[@gorak9000]

One thing that's noticeably missing is a microscope. Everything these days is so small that a microscope is useful for nearly everything. I prefer an optical (tri-nocular so a camera could be added), but some people use a digital-only. After I got one, I use it for way more than I thought I would. It's also very handy (along with the sharp tweezers I use for smd parts) for sliver extraction too - I've pulled countless slivers and thorns out of my hand under the "soldering" microscope!

[@JeffGeerling]

Yeah; I'm now trying to figure out if I should go for something in the $100-300 range, or wait a little and splurge for something $500+... I can maybe justify it if I get a could camera adapter and have some videos where I record through the scope!

[@gorak9000]

@@JeffGeerling I got the AmScope one Louis Rossman uses - I like it, a lot. I originally ordered it from amazon, but a day after I ordered it, AmScope had a sale on, and amazon wouldn't match the price (it was a significant savings - like over 100 less), so I returned the Amazon one and ordered it again directly from AmScope. With labor day right around the corner, they might have a sale on now too. They'll probably have one around Jul 4 as well

[@ralphshoop8822]

I've had several Iso-Tip irons over the years but stopped using them because of how fast the tips wear out and how delicate the tips are, as well as the short run-time. I now use a Pinecil with a Ryobi battery and holder I 3D printed. It's almost as portable and has more features than the Iso-Tip. It does lack a LED light but until you brought it up I never thought about it and honestly I don't really miss it.

[@myyardsaleitems]

WOW…Thank you for the super quick reply…fantastic…I Pray you and your family as well as your channels continue to be richly blessed.

[@quadmods]

I worked at an audio post house with 4 machine rooms on 3 floors. The engineering director had 1/4” patch points in the patch bays to plug a Weller soldering iron into. His way of solving portability. Like your dad described there used to be a lot more soldering in trouble shooting. Cheers 👍

[@Rob_65]

My dad and I used to have that same soldering iron ❤. My workbench looks a bit different. I love the Siglent range of equipment and have some python scripts for automated test setups. The only thing I am missing on the power supply is having a keypad to quickly select a different voltage or current limit. Using the encoder knob to change from 8.2V 2A to 3.3V 20 mA takes quite some time.

[@Rich77UK]

I remember looking at this goofy looking thing on a lab bench once wondering if Noah used it on his arc. I then used it...its surprisingly good and a LOT better than many newer battery powered soldering irons. It's nice to see some unchanged items (because change for changes sake is not good use of resources) still being made.

[@justbeeeb2061]

I recommend watching Louis Rossmann's video about fume extractors. Great info

[@michvod]

perhaps add a swivel lamp? I used to have it on my bench, about 15W LED so it was quite powerful, and it came always handy. Especially when I was restoring / recapping lots of tube equipment :) About the soldering irons, I have a proper hakko soldering station, that I rarely use now, I only use it when doing SMD rework. I am now daily driving a really cheap Chinese soldering iron for $10, that I got as a backup (and expected to be really bad). But I've been using it for 3 years now and I discovered that it heats really quickly (1.5-2 minutes max to full temp), tips last forever (still have the original tip on), has lots of thermal mass for being that cheap and small. Also it has temperature regulation that is reasonably good. I recapped probably 20 vintage radios with it, and it always worked perfectly, even when soldering to a chassis. Before that I used to own a 35W Weller soldering iron, that had no regulation, took ages to heat up (probably close to 5 minutes), and didn't perform well. Also it ate tips like crazy, despite my best efforts. And it cost like $40 in 2012, when I started with electronics :)

[@aerodesic1]

I built an Imsai 8080 computer, several S100 boards and a Heath oscilloscope using the *original* from 1971 (I think I bought it in 1972 when I got my job at the campus computer center.) I still have it somewhere and it's batteries and tips have been replaced many times. Except for temp control, none of my current irons are as convenient. Oh and mine was black.

[@pcfreak1992]

Some stuff that came to my mind that you might be missing: hand tools like pliers, screw drivers, side cutters, wire strippers, etc. Also maybe some heat shrink tubing and a hot air gun for it. On devices: maybe an LCR meter or a simple component tester, those are very cheap these days and can tell you what size capacitor or inductor you have at hand. For soldering I’d recommend getting good flux and maybe "copper ribbons" for desoldering. A desoldering pump can also be useful. A fume extractor is definitely a good idea.

[@ryanamberger]

For field work, my Milwaukee M12 Soldering Iron has been a God send. Uses M12 batteries, uses standard Tips, and has a light.

[@walterbordett2023]

I still have a Craftsman branded iso-tip iron that is 40 years old. On its third set of NiCad cells. I also have two Weller temp controlled irons, Weller guns and several heavy duty 100 Watt 3/8 diameter irons for the big stuff.

[@Derakkon2]

I tried mounting LED strips under the shelves of my workbench but found that it wasn't enough for me either. For additional lighting, I'm personally using an LED panel that's marketed for photography/videography and have it mounted on a flexible microphone arm with a desk clamp. It can get really bright, has a high CRI, adjustable color temp, and I can focus it right where I need it most. For air filtering, I tried making my own desktop filter with a computer fan and a Joby GorillaPod but couldn't get it exactly where I needed it due to center of gravity issues. I upgraded that to a KOTTO desktop fume extractor. It has a flexible suction hose that you can position wherever you need it.

[@IanZainea1990]

14:49 oh man!!! I had a dazzle very similar to that. Was my first editing set up as a like 12 year old. I was stoked!

[@elmestguzman3038]

For the LED strip may I recommend BTF-lighting RGBW strips and zigbee controllers. I did a bunch of "smart" lights in my house and the BTF look the best and the controllers and very responsive.

[@muhammedatasoy7711]

I got a usb soldering iron with a 20000 mah powerbank, i can usr it on the go easely but i can also just plug it in the wall, love it

[@Danielddiniz]

The nerd in me envies each centimeter of fun that your new office became!! Awesome 😎 🏆

[@gamerpaddy]

i recently built my new bench almost like yours just a little wider, with a equipment shelf above and a free worktable. for me it was important that the first shelf was high enough to be able to put a hifi equipment im working on, on its side and still be able to slide below. unfourtainly this rises the shelfheight in most cases 40 to 45cm above the table. this strains my neck quite a bit as i have to look up all the time when measuring stuff. now i tend to rather use a worse portable dmm over my top notch bench dmm because of this, let alone the scope. if i ever rebuild my workbench, i definately make the table surface deeper, from just 60cm to 85..100cm so i can place the equipment infront of me where my eye vision is 99% of the time anyways. less critical equipment like "set and forget" stuff (psu, function generators etc.) can stay on the shelf above. but scope and dmm gotta be on the table. at 100cm i still have 50..60 to work on stuff and 35..40 for equipment which should be deep enough. next is having multiple soldering stations at once, it is most of the time more annoying than convenient. i got a soldering iron, hot tweezers, hot air station and desoldering station on the table. (well the handpieces in their holders anyways, the control units are on shelf above to save space.) and those damn wires are allways are in the way. maybe some dog leash mechanism above that pulls they wire away when not in use would be a good addition. having a wireless soldering iron like yours or more recently a "TS1C" would be a good, until you gotta do a bigger job where you need more power than the battery/supercap can hold. a position for the most commonly used screwdrivers on your dominant hand side without reaching behind something or needing to stand up is also on my priority list. right now i positioned mine on the left side ( Im right handed...) and on the wall all the way back. worst decision ever, built right into the furniture and if working on mains equipment is a thing, a galvanically isolated variac with optionally a dim bulb tester mode is a must, for safety and convenience.

[@itsmatka8384]

That pic is you at the macintosh!?. You are a splitting image of your father! So awesome. Happy Father's Day man. Wish my dad was still around.

[@Mitch3D]

I think a very useful tool I’ve wanted was a solder vacuum gun. Desoldering throughhole stuff much easier than using a plunger.

[@mikafoxx2717]

Thankfully the fumes come from the pine rosin flux in the solder - you can't vaporize the lead. Definitely suggest washing hands before eating after handling leaded solder, though.

[@MrEric377]

This makes me miss my dad....both of you are great and find it really cool. Keep up the good work

[@elektroger]

Just the intro made me want a capable (4 chan, 100 MHz) scope. That's a tool, that alone has so much potential knowledge power to offer... (worked in a failure analysis lab before, had one like that). I think I have to get one. Even if it is just for show. Period!

[@iiidiy]

Your bench is coming along nicely! And thanks for the trip down memory lane :)

[@Roeham]

Absolutely. Have you used a tape measure from the current era? I acquired one of my dad's older ones a while back and when I can find it, it just works. Nothing special But of the few tapes I've purchased myself I'm pretty sure every single one has broken in one way or another

[@markcohen5094]

Love the old record needle cleaner

[@CAIDMASTEROFPYRO]

Imagine a pinecil/ts100 style iron with an 18650 or 21700 in the handle and a little LED, would easily be significant improvement on these older irons the main thing making them good is that the heater is in the tip unlike most modern irons but the same as pinecil and ts100 irons

[@site_alpha_Liberty_Cat]

Great branch, dad & Spencer. Trifecta!

[@4nk8r]

Love the new bench ! Maybe a dim bulb tester, variac:)

[@m_a_s6069]

I have 3 Iso-tip soldering irons. (two grey, one black) Oldest one is ~25 years old. And I never remember seeing an orange one.

[@aspzx]

I have the Pinecil too and it's great but I didn't even know there was such a thing as a cordless soldering iron. Thanks for demoing!

[@dfgdfg_]

Is the pinecil worth it? I'd need to save up so it needs to last for me

[@aspzx]

@@dfgdfg_ I'm not the best person to ask because I haven't done a ton of soldering but it's much better than the basic soldering iron I had before. My basic iron barely got warm enough to melt non-leaded solder so it was very frustrating to use. The Pinecil has a heating element in the tip so it heats more efficiently and more effectively. It also automatically cools down when you leave it on the desk and heats up again when you pick it up. The Pinecil is also pretty cheap at $25.

[@amirpourghoureiyan1637]

I've seen portable butane soldering irons before but seeing an old rechargeable iron (especially from 3 decades ago!) was a surprise lol. That and the light to shine on the work area made me feel like a caveman with my old corded iron 😅

[@SoundToxin]

@@dfgdfg_ It's quite good, I've used a v1 Pinecil as my main iron for some years now and done plenty of projects with it, from building keyboards and arcade controllers to modding GameCubes and Xbox 360s. It's pretty affordable too, I think under $30 from Pine64 directly, not counting shipping or cost of the extra tip sets (a chisel tip is useful). I guess you need a USB-C PD charger as well, but you might already have one around from a phone or laptop.

[@stephengansky2694]

Have not had mine for years but might have new tips left. If I can find them I’ll send them to you

[@bzuidgeest]

Look into the Weller magnastat soldering irons, I believe they have been available from the 70's. I can still get all the parts for mine or even buy a new one. It's not wireless, but it's a design that stuck around for many years, maybe there's something about soldering irons that enabled this, you rarely see such long product lifetimes in any other market

[@osgeld]

funny your workbench looks like it has the same layout as mine ... and I got it from an electronics lab looking to thin the herd so its a real deal setup with loads of power outlets and a esd top. Also for sure you want a pc on your bench, its so handy and it doesnt have to be a powerhouse (I used a 2012 mac mini)

[@WalterDeans]

I love seeing videos of you two geeking out! What an amazing relationship you both have!

[@kuroshinin1]

OMG When I saw the preview I had to watch because I still have the orange IsoTip Model 7700. I recently rebuilt it with NIMH and a charging circuit with led indicator. I hope the tips are still available

[@B0M0A0K]

Couldn't agree more about older tools. I just keep going back to my older soldering iron because it just does a better job than most of these new fangled versions.

[@rickmaudlin2160]

Cordless soldering irons are critical if you have to make a repair on a live circuit or one that can not see a path to ground.

[@Roobotics]

This is a great random 'sponsor' I never even knew who made that style! Back around the time those were released I purchased a radioshack 'coldheat' :( it was so baddddd, they used 2 carbon electrodes and the idea of creating a short circuit between them at the tip to generate the heat.. brilliant.. you could easily fry the item you tried working on, using that tool.

[@clintstevenson1214]

I still own/use that iso tip model. Granted it has had several battery replacements

[@martinblouin3639]

i like how your dad is really pragmatic, i subbed!

[@funkbungus137]

man. I wish I could relate to my dad like this. makes me smile :)

[@ahbushnell1]

you need a strip of LED's under the shelf to light your work space. I love that.

[@nickdibart]

It's worth getting rechargeable li-ion AA batteries for that Hakko iron. The extra voltage provides a much better experience than N-MH batteries.

[@maxbaszkiewicz3199]

in poland we have a ZDZ transformer soldering iron, it orginated in the 70s and it's still popular today!

[@WagnerGimenes]

Lovely video with Papa Jeff there. I love the warm relationship you two enjoy.

[@BozesanVlad]

When engineers stopped smoking, Invention died giving birth to Subscription.

[@melvync]

SCSI… the flashbacks! I remember all the addressing and terminating and wondering why one drive is offline because of a lose connection on HP workstations “back in the day,” and honestly, I don’t miss that one bit. 😊

[@ChaseFreedomMusician]

My first soldering iron was a yellow one of that same model!

[@harrkev]

A lot of that test equipment could be replaced by a USB device. I have a Digilent Analog Discovery 2. It covers all those bases. Not to nearly the same precision, but given that it's a small device, it takes up practically no space. I do actually have a really nice oscilloscope, but it is one of the thicker ones, and takes up a ton of desk space. Overall, I'll take small and compact any day.

[@richj120952]

Other than that 3rd tier, your bench looks a lot like the one I built just after I retired. I had a lot more test gear though, as I intended to fix DC to light equipment (Stopped before fiber optic equipment as finding used test gear is expensive.) Good job with the bench. I had access to rechargeable soldering irons, but preferred my Weller. Most TV studio repair did not require a soldering iron while in service. We swapped out, and took failed equipment back to the bench.

[@JeffGeerling]

Fiber is a whole different world! But I'm considering playing around with it for some networking experiments. It looks fun doing fusion splicing :)

[@richj120952]

@JeffGeerling Buying a fusion splicer is expensive. There are mechanical splices that have low losses that would be better if you are only interested in learning about fiber construction. OTDRs are also too expensive as well. Power meters will be cheaper and be good for learning

[@AbdelkaderBoudih]

Iso-tip should add a RiscV architecture in the soldering iron, so we can compile the kernel every month.

[@JeffGeerling]

Haha!

[@amirpourghoureiyan1637]

gonna need a battery recharge/kernel compile time statistic lol

[@lawabidingcitizen5153]

The amount of lead in the fumes of leaded solder is negligible, but the fumes from the flux are more than enough reason to use fume extraction anyway

[@DoctorX17]

Kinda surprised they didn’t put an LED in the newer iron - could be socketed so it’s easily replaceable, but the incandescent light probably isn’t a huge draw I’m guessing… I have many very old tools that I would never replace. Particularly heavy tools like big screwdrivers, mallets and hammers, calipers… although having cheap modern ones that I can abuse is also nice, lol

[@michaellegg9381]

I had a gas jet flame SOLDERING IRON!! was better than the rechargeable battery garbage form the 90s and early 2000s!! I still have it and all its tips which are still like new after 20 years of use!! Sure this electronic iron might be okay for soldering stations but my gas 1 is better in every single way. It has different temperature ranges controlled by the flame strength and adjustable distance from the tip of the flame to the bottom of the tips.

[@michaellegg9381]

Also saying that i have used good newer rechargeable irons but especially for the household wiring and car wiring harnesses and other stuff i do my gas powered one rules the toolbox. It was expensive though especially compared to the USB C one's so they are not useless but for portability my gas one with a refill can lasts for ever and is completely reliable and never will have to worry about battery packs dying and needing replacement ect. So I say gas powered is better than battery powered.. same applies to cars as well 😂

[@km_photo]

I have a new soldering iron AND it has light: T85 - little led light, nice to have but not enough light.

[@AB-Prince]

I have a parkside rechargable wireless soldering iron. which has LED lights, and a charge indicator.

[@churblefurbles]

Its good they never rubberized, so many of those coatings broke down into a sticky mess.

[@uiopuiop3472]

SCSI my beloved❣

[@RNMSC]

I wonder if the replacement/upgrade LED bulb for the full size Maglight flashlights might present a n alternative for swapping out the incandescent light bulb. I don't expect it would improve service time on the soldering iron, as I expect that the Incandescent bulb is a trivial use of power compared t the iron element. I don't think that bulb will do it, it is held in place by the flange with a screwed on sleeve, vs being screwed into the socket that it looks like these are, but it may mean simply looking for an LED bulb in the market.

[@fattomandeibu]

Man, seeing them SCSI cables makes me think of the daisy-chained external CD-ROM(a whole 1x speed) and 56k modem I had hooked up to my old A1200 via PCMCIA-to-SCSI adapter. The software drivers were called Squirrel, no idea why that sticks out in my mind.