Portable Soldering Station with Dewalt Battery

Zachary Goode does a lot of mobile soldering work while repairing lab equipment and 3D printers. Although there are portable soldering iron options available, such as the TS80 and the Pinecil, he prefers the feel of his benchtop Hakko iron, along with the array of tips available for it.

Goode, therefore, decided to make his own portable soldering station that can accommodate Hakko handle/tips and uses a Dewalt battery as the power supply. It can also take advantage of wall wart power as available, allowing for a theoretically unlimited soldering time.

The new device uses a purchased T12-952 DIY soldering iron controller as an interface. It also integrates a custom PCB for battery protection and to supply a constant 24V, rather than the standard 16.5-20V battery voltage. The board also switches between wall and battery power as needed.

A 3D-printed frame holds a set of T12 soldering iron tips, and includes space on top for a brass wool holder on top. The battery forms the base of the arrangement, which gives it some extra heft. Print and electronics files are available via the project write-up if you'd like to build your own.

While it might not be portable as in stuff-in-your-pocket, it’s certainly backpack-able, and it appears functional enough to be used for significant soldering sessions without issue. Goode reports he’s “extremely happy” with how the device turned out. He does, however, have some ideas for future improvements, including adding a switch to the handle to sense if it's being used.