Simple Beetle Robot Uses Smoking Soldering Iron

As robot projects go, [creative ideas km]’s isn’t going to impress many Hacakday readers. Still, as an art project or something to do with the kids, it might be fun. But the reason it caught our interest wasn’t the actual robot, but the improvised soldering iron used in its construction.

The robot itself isn’t really autonomous. It is just a battery, a motor, and a switch. The motor vibrations make the robot scoot around on its bent copper wire legs. Some hot glue holds it all together, but the electrical wiring is soldered.

If you look at the video below, you’ll see the soldering is done with an unusual method. A disposable lighter generates a flame that hits an attached copper wire with a coil wound in it. The coil acts as a heat exchanger, and the wire becomes a soldering iron tip.

We doubt you’d want to use this kind of soldering iron for anything serious. Even a cheap iron would be more convenient. On the other hand, you might find this hacked soldering iron handy as a field expedient, especially when you don’t have access to AC power.

We doubt you’d improve this hack to make it ultrasonic, unless you let the robot straddle your lighter. Maybe you’d be better off with a homebrew iron that uses commercial tips.

Filed under: robots hacks, tool hacks

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