Soldering aid, 18650 mod

thingiverse

This is an 18650 mod for a type of soldering aid that has two leds and is powered by 3x1.5AAA. (see pictures). This mod is an extra base that holds an 18650. The metal clips and springs that hold the AAA cells is re-used for the 18650 and re-soldered onto the leads. There is a 20 Ohm resistor on the red lead, leave it there. It seems the leds are 3.3V. The voltage with the 18650 using the built in resistor is 3.1V so the leds might be a tad dimmer. An 18 Ohms resistor should give the same current at 4.2V as 4.5V and the leds should be as bright, so change it if you want. an 18650 should power this for a long time, and it also gives the base some extra weight. You will need some longer screws though, but I might make a version that works with the old screws. If you need this, let me know.