Suggestions for a dremel and soldering iron As the title says I am looking for a dremel and soldering iron for customizing. What type of soldering iron is ideal for pin removal and would a cheap one suffice? Also what dremel attachments are a must? Any links or suggesttions are highly appreciated! ***I realize my spelling in the title is stupidly wrong... posted the thread without thinking.
It's called a soldering iron, and yes - a cheap one will do for pin removal. It just needs to have a nice pointy tip.
You can get a soldering iron anywhere that sells decent tools, and also electronics shops like Radio Shack. I got a multi-purpose iron that came with attachments for wood-burning and to attach an x-acto to use as a hot knife, and it cost something like 20 bucks. I wouldn't get a large one...small ones are lower wattage, which means they take longer to get hot and have a lower maximum temperature. As mentioned above, you'll want to get a small tip...you may have to buy one separately. As for Dremel, I had been using a rechargeable and don't recommend it. It's handy when you have to do some quick field work, but that's about it. I just bought a Dremel 4000, which is awesome and powerful but certainly overkill for kitbash work. That is, unless you're planning on some massive cutting, grinding, and routing. It's a tad unwieldy for custom-work, to be honest, but that's not really what I got it for. I'll use the hot knife or mini-hacksaw/x-acto saw for what little I actually do. Look for a rotary tool that has a speed selector...but if you have a variac on-hand, you don't really need speed selection. If you find one with lots of attachments, make sure it has a routing bit, a drill bit (preferably a selection, but you'll need collets to fit...that's a separate purchase), a good cutting wheel (I just bought a diamond wheel off Amazon), one of those bits with a ball at the end for digging plastic out of holes, an engraver (for fine work), and some grinding bits. If you're cutting lots of plastic to size, you might try a router guide with bit, but unless you're building a Fort Max replica you probably won't need it. Finally, Dremel is just one brand; Black & Decker, Craftsman, etc. make 'em , too. Try to find a good deal, but stick with a known brand. I got a Pro's Kit rotary with a tool kit at work, and it was utter garbage.
I use a Dremel Stylus. Bought it on clearance for $30 at a local Walmart and I've been using it for 4 years. As for a soldering iron, I bought a cheap one at the Walmart craft section. It's used for wood engraving, but it also has default bits for pin removal.
