wiring pen - solder helper

thingiverse

I've been making electronics for years now, but I never had a wiring pen until recently - and that was only because the one you can buy are ridiculously overpriced for what they're worth. I've seen other designs online, but I designed my own as you can see it, and you can check out alternative versions of a DIY wiring pen at http://www.instructables.com/id/Wiring-Pen/. Here are some more resources: http://www.vk2zay.net/article/208 for a better look, and http://info.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Workshop/advice/grotwire/usingPen.html to learn how to use it. I first used a wiring pencil recently, and now I wonder why I ever bothered using the old method - it's a really useful tool when making prototypes on stripboard, speeding up the soldering process greatly. The design is meant to fit different standard pens with varying diameters. The pencil I'm using here has a diameter of 10mm at one end, leaving some space available for customization. It was my first project made entirely in Tinkercad: https://tinkercad.com/things/8cJFuIqMTbA and also in Tinkercad: https://tinkercad.com/things/09uVoq5sOZn, Tinkercad too: https://tinkercad.com/things/iF4llk7EkKT Print Settings: * No rafts used * No supports necessary * 0.2mm resolution chosen * 30% infill rate used Notes: The print was made with ABS plastic, but I think PLA would be better because it's more solid. Post-Printing Steps: Firstly, build the components together: Print one spool tube, one pen closure, two sidearms, and find a suitable standard pen that fits snugly into the pen closure. Four M4 screws will be required for assembly, along with a spool of your favorite copper wire. I glued the pen closure onto the standard pen. Next, I installed a small medical needle (hollow needle) at one end - by fixing it using some shrinking tube to hold the needle in place on the pen's tip. And that was it! Keep on soldering!