04-23-2009, 10:01 PM
One of the most usefull gadgets I have on my bench is a simple lamp dimmer which I can switch into my power supply terminal box (really just a regular plastic outlet box with a six socket adaptor and a switch. One way, the wiring goes straight through, the other way, it goes through the dimmer. I use the dimmer position to slow down the ancient electric drill for tasks that are either dangerous or produce too much heat at full speed, or to manage the heat of a soldering iron when workomg on delicate areas like printed circuits or non-conventional uses like melting the crud out of capacitors so you can stuff them later on with modern equivalents. You can also use this in lieu of a variac to get a gross approximation of a radio's condition for a "first look" inspection. Just don't touch anything when you do this, lest you fry as well.
Down side, if the load shorts, the dimmer will probably burn out or short. So what, replace the dimmer switch for a couple of dollars. For decades I have used the venerable Weller 8200K gun, (I'm on my third example, the 100/140 watt switch burns out after XXX hours, and it will only withstand only so many falls from the workbench to the cement floor), and the there is a larger version, and I have one of them too for chassis connections, and of course the indestructable Weller pencils. A long time ago I had a set of Ungar pencil irons, and they were OK, but have been lost in one of my many moves.
For my recycle operations which include cleaning out tube sockets and other components, I use pencils from the 99 cent store along with the dimmer. When they fail or can't be filed down again and be re-tinned, I toss them. Don't use your good stuff when doing a salvage job. I always clean up and save terminal strips, tube sockets, connectors, hardware, in spec power resistors, good transformers, variable capacitors, coils, knobs, faceplates, and the like when I trash a project, which is not all that often. Ask your dentist or hygieniestfor a worn out scaler instrument to help you pick out the crap from terminals when you are reclaiming components. There is nothing sweeter than knowing you have a nice loctal tube socket in your stash when you need one.
I hope this is helpful!
Down side, if the load shorts, the dimmer will probably burn out or short. So what, replace the dimmer switch for a couple of dollars. For decades I have used the venerable Weller 8200K gun, (I'm on my third example, the 100/140 watt switch burns out after XXX hours, and it will only withstand only so many falls from the workbench to the cement floor), and the there is a larger version, and I have one of them too for chassis connections, and of course the indestructable Weller pencils. A long time ago I had a set of Ungar pencil irons, and they were OK, but have been lost in one of my many moves.
For my recycle operations which include cleaning out tube sockets and other components, I use pencils from the 99 cent store along with the dimmer. When they fail or can't be filed down again and be re-tinned, I toss them. Don't use your good stuff when doing a salvage job. I always clean up and save terminal strips, tube sockets, connectors, hardware, in spec power resistors, good transformers, variable capacitors, coils, knobs, faceplates, and the like when I trash a project, which is not all that often. Ask your dentist or hygieniestfor a worn out scaler instrument to help you pick out the crap from terminals when you are reclaiming components. There is nothing sweeter than knowing you have a nice loctal tube socket in your stash when you need one.
I hope this is helpful!
