The main tool for working with polypropylene products is an electric soldering iron or iron. In the factory kit it is equipped with sleeve attachments for soldering pipes and fittings of standard diameters. They can also be purchased separately. But there are times when, for some reason, a factory soldering iron is not available and there is no way to buy it, and of all the parts, only welding attachments are available. This is where a homemade plumbing soldering iron comes in handy.
This homemade product is one of those “blow, spit, and do the job.” You can literally assemble it on your knees from an old iron and a wooden block.With such a homemade heater you will definitely save the situation and cope with soldering polypropylene pipes. And now we’ll show you how to do it.
What you need to assemble a soldering iron
- An old iron with a working heating sole;
- Wooden block, approximate cross-section 40x50 mm, length 40-50 cm;
- Four self-tapping screws, 3x14-16 mm;
- Sleeve attachments for a plumbing soldering iron with a clamping bolt;
- Power cable with plug;
- Electrical tape, 45 mm self-tapping screws.
The tools you need to have are: a drill or screwdriver with a Phillips head for self-tapping screws, drills with a diameter of 6-8 mm, a grinder or sandpaper, a painting knife, pliers and a hammer.
Assembling a homemade soldering iron for polypropylene pipes
First of all, we disassemble the household iron, disconnecting the soleplate from the thermostats. We won't need the rest of the iron anymore.
Next, prepare the wooden block. If necessary, it can be sawed, planed, or simply cleaned on an emery wheel, as the author of the homemade product did (photo).
To secure the bar, we drill several holes on the sole of the iron, in an area free from the heating element. The diameter of the drill should be less than the width of the screw head.
We insert the block adjusted to the cross-section into the groove of the sole, and attach it to several screws using a screwdriver and a Phillips bit.
There are bolts at the end of the heater contact group. We drill slot holes for them on both sides of the block, and unfold the contacts with pliers to connect them.
We press the contact plates with several self-tapping screws - press washers.
Not far from the end of the sole, we drill a hole for the clamping bolt for the sleeves. Now you can attach several paired welding attachments.We place them on the clamping bolt and tighten them with a hex wrench.
All that remains is to connect the power cable to the contact group, and wrap the contact area on the handle with electrical tape.
The soldering iron is ready for use. Such a device can be used for soldering polypropylene pipes and fittings, making plumbing or heating wiring.
Conclusion
Despite the simplicity of the design, it cannot be considered completely modified. It does not have a heating thermostat with automatic protection. The ergonomics of the tool also leaves much to be desired, because such a device must stand firmly on its edge during operation. However, this homemade device serves as proof that, if desired, even a specialized instrument can be assembled from scrap parts.
