Ok, for years Ive used a current detector to turn on a flashing light outside my workshop, to tell me that Ive left my Soldering Pencil on. I know, I know, its not going to burst into flames, its just hard on the tips, and tips are now more expensive than Gold.
The Current detector works ok, but frequently misfires, probably due to me buying such things on Ali Express. Ive got a million Infared Diodes (LED5mm style case) can I use one of them to detect my iron being on, because of the heat?

 

Hi,
Please use Thread Titles, that give a meaningful description of the query.

Moderation.

 

ok, How do I change it?


Done: Mod...

 

The Current detector works ok, but frequently misfires,

What is this detector circuit?

 

What is this detector circuit?

Actually, the current sensor is a self contained unit, that you pass the HOT wire through, its kinda boring

 

Actually, I just found this, maybe I can just mount the thermister above the cage of my iron, Its only a buck

 

orrrrr....this
I would still like to somehow try an ifared detector, as I have so many of them

 

 

Actually, I just found this, maybe I can just mount the thermister above the cage of my iron, Its only a buck

Why not plug the soldering pencil into a timer module?
Something like this:

 

Often I forget to shut my iron off too. I took a control panel from an old microwave oven and used the relay that provides power to the magnetron to be used as a plug. Whatever I plug into it I can set the timer for up to 99 minutes and 99 seconds. (1 hour, 40 minutes and 39 seconds). I most often set it on for 10 minutes for quick projects, 20 minutes for fixing something and the full 1h, 40m. And sometimes I have to re-enter a time to keep soldering if I ever end up doing so.

The ONLY thing that is annoying to me is the beeper that lets you know when the cooking is done. It can get insistent and I have to hit Cancel in order to shut it the h-mmm up! Now, if I leave and forget it all together the beeping is down stairs and unlikely to bother me until the next time I go in. The iron has been off for a long period of time and only the beeper has been making any noise. If I really want to I can disable the beeper. But then the circuit is active and I have no way of telling. Perhaps I can replace the beeper with an LED. Easy enough, and not anything I've thought before this post.

The control board is mounted in an aluminum enclosure and bolted to the bench so it doesn't fall over when my cat is being a bother. I'll post a picture of it later today. Maybe.

 

Why not plug the soldering pencil into a timer module?
Something like this:
View attachment 359642

Thank you, sure!

 

Often I forget to shut my iron off too. I took a control panel from an old microwave oven and used the relay that provides power to the magnetron to be used as a plug. Whatever I plug into it I can set the timer for up to 99 minutes and 99 seconds. (1 hour, 40 minutes and 39 seconds). I most often set it on for 10 minutes for quick projects, 20 minutes for fixing something and the full 1h, 40m. And sometimes I have to re-enter a time to keep soldering if I ever end up doing so.

The ONLY thing that is annoying to me is the beeper that lets you know when the cooking is done. It can get insistent and I have to hit Cancel in order to shut it the h-mmm up! Now, if I leave and forget it all together the beeping is down stairs and unlikely to bother me until the next time I go in. The iron has been off for a long period of time and only the beeper has been making any noise. If I really want to I can disable the beeper. But then the circuit is active and I have no way of telling. Perhaps I can replace the beeper with an LED. Easy enough, and not anything I've thought before this post.

The control board is mounted in an aluminum enclosure and bolted to the bench so it doesn't fall over when my cat is being a bother. I'll post a picture of it later today. Maybe.

Cats, the only thing that disturbs my bench in this house

 

The whole purpose of an iron is to get hot and melt solder. The problem isn't shutting it off if it gets too hot it's shutting it off when not in use. Temperature sensing will take a very tricky balance between the iron resting for a few minutes versus being left on for hours. And use of a timer that appears to be related to Christmas lights might try turning the iron off after the onset of darkness. Sure, you can set it to be on for X hours. But what about when you turn out the lights? Or 24 hours has passed and the timer thinks its time to turn the lights back on. And can it handle the current a soldering iron draws as opposed to a string or strings of Christmas lights?

This is my timer, the one mentioned earlier. It's from a microwave oven. Using the control relay that turns the transformer and magnetron on and off, I control the right outlet. The red light indicates when that plug is active. Otherwise it's just cold. The left plug is always on and has USB charging ports and I can plug something into that when I want to plug something in including charging a phone or a mouse or other chargeable device. As mentioned before, its longest period can be set as entering 9999 then hitting start. It will run for 1 hour 40 minutes (and 39 seconds if that matters).
View attachment 359732
What you see plugged in is my soldering iron. The iron itself is always switched on. But only comes on when I enter a time on the control panel. The light is out - the plug is off - the iron has no power. If I forget to shut it off the worst thing I get is an annoying beep every minute to remind me my food is done cooking. I can also control the power by selecting a power less than full power. But then the iron switches on and off every several seconds to on and off every minute. It's not a true power regulator, so why try using that function. Been using this for probably close to if not a full 10 years now.

What you need is a count-down timer. One that can activate a relay to turn on an outlet. Not something that can turn itself back on every 24 hours. I have a Christmas light controller similar to the one sghioto shows. The way I've set mine in the past was to activate at dusk and remain on for 6 hours. Then the next time it's dark enough the timer comes on again. I could set it to come on once every 24 hours and to be on for up to 9 hours at a time. But if I turn the lights off I don't want my iron coming back on when there's nobody there to monitor it.

 

The whole purpose of an iron is to get hot and melt solder. The problem isn't shutting it off if it gets too hot it's shutting it off when not in use. Temperature sensing will take a very tricky balance between the iron resting for a few minutes versus being left on for hours. And use of a timer that appears to be related to Christmas lights might try turning the iron off after the onset of darkness. Sure, you can set it to be on for X hours. But what about when you turn out the lights? Or 24 hours has passed and the timer thinks its time to turn the lights back on. And can it handle the current a soldering iron draws as opposed to a string or strings of Christmas lights?

This is my timer, the one mentioned earlier. It's from a microwave oven. Using the control relay that turns the transformer and magnetron on and off, I control the right outlet. The red light indicates when that plug is active. Otherwise it's just cold. The left plug is always on and has USB charging ports and I can plug something into that when I want to plug something in including charging a phone or a mouse or other chargeable device. As mentioned before, its longest period can be set as entering 9999 then hitting start. It will run for 1 hour 40 minutes (and 39 seconds if that matters).
View attachment 359732
What you see plugged in is my soldering iron. The iron itself is always switched on. But only comes on when I enter a time on the control panel. The light is out - the plug is off - the iron has no power. If I forget to shut it off the worst thing I get is an annoying beep every minute to remind me my food is done cooking. I can also control the power by selecting a power less than full power. But then the iron switches on and off every several seconds to on and off every minute. It's not a true power regulator, so why try using that function. Been using this for probably close to if not a full 10 years now.

What you need is a count-down timer. One that can activate a relay to turn on an outlet. Not something that can turn itself back on every 24 hours. I have a Christmas light controller similar to the one sghioto shows. The way I've set mine in the past was to activate at dusk and remain on for 6 hours. Then the next time it's dark enough the timer comes on again. I could set it to come on once every 24 hours and to be on for up to 9 hours at a time. But if I turn the lights off I don't want my iron coming back on when there's nobody there to monitor it.

HOLY CRAP, THATS HUGE!!!!!

 

HOLY CRAP, THATS HUGE!!!!!

Huge as in it's very big versus something much smaller? It's as big as it is because that's the size of the box I had. Didn't want to cut it down. Even then it would only stand 5 inches shorter at the most.

Back side view (rear panel pulled out)
View attachment 359741

 

well, using this is handy for sure, but man, it IS BIG!

 

Similar to Tony's; Sawed-off wind-up style working decades since the ages of older microwave ovens before the touch panels. Mounted in an electrical 4x4 box and serving a timerless oven. Saved my house from fire a couple of times. Dings too.

 

VERY PRACTICAL!

 

Similar to Tony's; Sawed-off wi• • • yada - yada - yada

That spawned an idea: Buy one of those light switches that you push a button for 5 min, 10, 15, 30 and 60 minutes. Mount it in a duplex box and wire it to a 3 prong extension plug. If you plan on working for more than an hour you may have to re-energize the timer. Here's one now.

Heck! I might even go this route. The only down side is I lose the outlet with two USB charging ports.

[edit]
I could get a triple gang box, put the timer switch on one slot, a plug that is always hot (second slot) and in the third slot an outlet that is switched. Three gang light switch plates are plentiful too.
[end edit]

 

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Your proposal is for the wealthy...
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