Sure beats the prices you posted

 

Sure beats the prices you posted

From experiences they don't last though.

One thing that I have never gone cheap on is tools.

Buying cheap tools is false economy, because often they are the reason why the job is stuffed up.

 

To the OP (original poster), look here for a lot of 555 info and projects.

http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/blog.php?b=190

 

For just getting started and not spending a fortune, this would work well.......

http://www.mpja.com/30-Watt-Soldering-Iron-and-accessories/productinfo/16431+TL/

Those solder suckers work quite well; and MPJA sells both a soldering iron and that solder sucker together for what you would pay the same price each for either at a Radio Shack store.

After my old Weller died, I bought one of these from MPJA:
http://www.mpja.com/TEMPERATURE-CONTROLED-SOLDER-STATION/productinfo/18895+TL/

They work well too, but you need to pay attention to the part about allowing the iron to cool completely before changing the tip, and cleaning the oxide out of the barrel. If you fail to keep the barrel oxide-free, it becomes quite difficult to remove the tip. There is an oxide coating on the tip where it fits into the barrel; it expands when heated to provide good heat transfer while in use.

 

Yes Weller is good.

I prefer Hakko tools personally (same as GOOT) -- but Weller is a top quality product that will last for years.

Never had but have used and heard all good.

 

After my old Weller died, I bought one of these from MPJA:
http://www.mpja.com/TEMPERATURE-CONTROLED-SOLDER-STATION/productinfo/18895+TL/

Geez that is cheap for a temp controlled station.

 

It was a buck less when I bought mine.

If I were going to be doing a lot of soldering, I'd get a Hakko. They're around $800 here in the States. The Wellers are still quite good - if you get a nice one, they start around $200. I just haven't been doing much in the way of soldering the last few years, so there wasn't much point in spending a good chunk of money on one.

 

Everybody, thank you very much. Now I can get a soldering gun that will work for what I need and for less than I thought. Even if it is a toy! That's OK-this is for my hobby. Thank you Bill for that link, I'll go there and try to learn a few things.

Joe

 

If you aren't into building timer circuits from components, you could use one of these.........
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/DA...cm_sp=IO-_-IDP-_-RR_VTV70300505&cm_vc=IDPRRZ1

If, on the other hand, you want to build something, a 555 circuit triggering a FF would work. The FF could then, through a proper driver control a SPDT relay.

What is FF?

Could the time delay relay go between a single driver and the two separate sets of LEDs? Then I'd only need one driver fo both scrubbers.

 

FF = flip flop; in this case he's talking about a toggle flip flop.

And yes, the driver could be used for both sets.

You might use such a toggle F/F to control the gate of a pair of N-ch MOSFETs; one MOSFET provides the ground path for one string of LEDs, and the other MOSFET for the other string.

The current source is used for both strings.