Solder Reel Dispenser

thingiverse

Yet another solder reel holder! This one is what I use at work as an Electro-Mech assembler. What I found so frustrating was that just having a solder reel on its own meant pulling the wire vertically from the reel resulting in a rather messy coil of solder wire which then had to be straightened before applying the solder to the joint - a lot of time wasted if you do the time & motion calcs. Cue this holder, which keeps the solder both tidy (no messy coils lying around) and straight, as its pulled from the holder - and thus ready to feed into the joint. It also avoids the wire getting tangled under the reel and you can move the reel around without having to touch/ handle the solder itself too much with your fingers - healthier if you still use leaded solder! There is a circular ridge around the base of the spindle which reduces friction, thus easing rotation. There is a cavity in the base which can house a metal disc, (76mmx8mm) to lower the holder's centre of gravity and avoid being dragged (use 'bumpons' etc.), or toppled over. Alternatively, one can use waste solder deposits and with the underplate being glued into place, sealed closed. The hole in the side of the 'tiara' piece is to guide the wire away from the bottom of the solder reel and also keep it straight, while feeding it into the joint being soldered - a rather simple but nonetheless elegant method in keeping things tidy. When finished soldering, any length of unused solder wire can be retracted back onto the reel by merely rotating it in reverse.