Model Engineers’ Workshop – August 2019

August 2019 31

Quick Change Toolholders

Ø10

Ø16 35

Mat’l: Mild steel

Holder Spacer

60.5

31

9

9

Ø10

6

Holder Tongue

Mat’l: Mild steel

Fig.1 Fig.2

R

eaders of Model Engineer will be familiar with Geoff

Theasby’s Club News column. His combination of bad

jokes and randomised photograph captions has given him

the reputation of being both politically incorrect and pictorially

inaccurate. Geoff he also is a deep well of workshop ideas, so we will

be featuring some of his ‘wrinkles’ from time to time, here’s the fi rst

from our very own luminaire luminary:

Simple Solder Stand

One from the junkshop! Solder dispenser, using off cuts of steel

angle and bar, aluminium sheet and Plastikard. It’s weight kept

it strong and stable, even in Storm Theresa... (That would be the

meteorological one – Ed.) The solder reel doesn’t wander about

the bench whilst I’m building a circuit board and it supports the

solder if making a joint in mid-air. Plastikard (Through which the

solder feeds) is available in several thicknesses, this is 1.5 mm, can

be cut with scissors and has no sharp edges to damage the solder.

Embossed brickwork etc. fi nishes are available, if you feel like

building a Southern Railway “Tavern Car” model, or even a rustic

solder dispenser.... The solder feeds from below, keeping the height

down (It’s 65 mm high overall) the reel is a 500 gram size and hung

on an M8 bolt. It could be fi tted with non-slip feet if required. The

steel bar was 25 x 10 mm, and it took me 15 minutes to hacksaw

through it. (Memo to self, must get power hacksaw going again!) No

dimensioned drawings, it depends on what’s in your scrap box. ■

Theasby’s Wrinkles

Simple solder stand from steel and plastic card.

Solder Stand