Author: Spencer Gould

Weller 40 Watt Soldering Station (Product of the month)

/ Spencer Gould

 

My go to Soldering Iron station, with its 110V plug on the side you can plug in other brand / specialty soldering irons and still control power, give it a place to rest & clean off the tip.

 

The Weller WLC100 Soldering Station includes everything you need to start using solder to join metals and create efficient, electrical connections. Designed with the hobbyist and the do-it-yourself enthusiast in mind, this kit features a high-quality, lightweight pencil iron with variable power control, a cushioned foam grip with a replaceable heating element, and a safety guard iron holder. And it’s from Weller, the world leader in soldering since 1945.

Durable, Easy-to-Control Pencil Iron
At the heart of the WLC100 Soldering Station is a high-quality lightweight pencil iron with an ST3 iron-plated copper tip. To ensure that you can work comfortably for long stretches of time, the iron has a cushioned foam grip that sits comfortably in your hand as you work. It has a replaceable heating element, so you can continue using the same iron for a long time to come.

Easy-to-Adjust Variable Power Controls
Unlike many basic soldering kits, which can be difficult to adjust, the WLC100 features a variable power control that lets you adjust the power level from five to 40 watts with a simple turn of the knob on the base unit. This lets you choose the precise setting for each unique job that you tackle. The base also includes a “power-on” indicator light and on/off switch to help keep you from leaving a hot iron on accidentally.

The workstation also provides a built-in iron stand to keep your workspace organized and a natural sponge tip cleaning pad to keep your tip ready to go at all times.

High-Quality Accessories for Dependable Performance
The WLC100 includes an ST3 iron-plated 1/8-inch screwdriver tip. Weller also offers a wide array of compatible ST series tips to perform a variety of applications (additional tips are sold separately).

All Weller tips are constructed of solid copper and plated with iron, as well as nickel and chromium to protect against corrosion and solder creep, helping to ensure that your tools perform reliably over time. Additionally, Weller tips are pre-tinned with tin/lead solder.

This WLC100 Soldering Station is UL-listed, which means it has been tested and meets independent safety standards. It is backed by a one year warranty against manufacturer’s defects in material and workmanship.

 

 

Evolution RAGE-B 7-1/4″ metal cutting saw (Product of the month)

/ Spencer Gould

Cut Steel & Aluminum like you would wood.

Ive been a big fan of evolution power tools for a while now and like their innovative approach to cutting metal with the familiarity and cost of wood cutting saws.

I bought this unit a few weeks ago and have been truly impressed with its performance

This is a UK brand saw and is offered in multiple voltage and frequency options  to suit what ever country you are in.

Evolution RAGEB 7-1/4 in. Multi-purpose Circular Saw is capable of cutting steel, aluminum, wood with nails in and plastics with just one blade. When cutting steel, the RAGEB cuts cold, no coolant is required. Because the material is cold it can be handled and worked on immediately. A combination of a hi-torque motor and gearbox, heavy duty construction and ultra high grade TCT blade enables the RAGEB to cut materials which simply weren’t possible before. A blade can cut up to 165 ft. of 1/4 in. mild steel before a replacement is required. Includes Evolution’s 3 year warranty.

  • Multi-purpose; cuts steel, aluminum, wood and plastics
  • 1200-Watt/10 Amp motor
  • 3900 RPM no load
  • Compact and portable
  • Bevel tilt from 0 degrees-45 degrees
  • Includes 7-1/4 in. RAGE multi-purpose cutting blade, 24 teeth
  • 20 mm blade arbor
  • Optional specialty blade available for masonry cutting
  • A mobile solution to cut metal in the field
  • Includes Evolution’s 3 year limited warranty

Here are some pictures of me easily cutting thru .060″ steel

use a 4-5/16″ off set for the left side of the saw to setup your fence.

This saw does the job of a full metal shear all at 1/15th the cost and 1/15 the size

compare to this G5772 from Grizzly

 

Black Friday / Cyber Monday Ideas for Dad, Husband, Brother…

/ Spencer Gould

Men, feel free to forward this to your personal Santa (Wife, Parents, siblings etc).

Safe bet, most dudes like power tools.

One of the best bet / useful tools is a cordless drill & driver set. DeWalt is one of the leaders in the industry, used by professional contractors & is a brand known for it’s quality. the 20V Lithium Ion / Brushless setup is very powerful & long lasting.

 

 

I’ve used / owned Dremel products since 1991 and its one of my most used power tools in the shop.

Dremel 4300 variable speed multi tool is one of those things that you don’t know how you got by before you had one.

The included carbide wheels can easily cut thru Carbon Fiber, Fiberglass, Wood & even Steel rods

The sanding drums can profile wood & foam to a desired shape or even prep metal for welding and bonding.

The bell housing can turn this tool into a mini router.

list goes on & on.

an older video but a good intro to Dremel

and a video of the Dremel in action.

 

 

Very clever item, a magnetic wrist band, perfect for holding bolts, screws & nuts on an installation. this one is a #1 best seller on Amazon

 

 

 

Howard Leight by Honeywell Impact Sport Sound Amplification Electronic Shooting Earmuff,

Cancel out the noise but still be able to hear the important stuff.

Perfect for the Rifle range, running power tools or even mowing the lawn.

 

 

Gorich Cut resistant gloves, great for avoiding trips to the ER

 

 

Electronics

 EK7000 Action Camera

An Excellent alternative to taking out a small mortgage to buy a Go Pro Hero Black. 4K recording, remote control & cell phone app control along with multiple rigging brackets open up all kinds of action recording possibilities.


To see the EK7000 Action Cam in action here is a dash cam video I made driving down the Martin Highway 714 in South Florida

 

 

ASUS ROG STRIX GL502VY-DS71 15.6″ FHD Gaming Laptop, NVIDIA GTX980M 4GB VRAM, 16 GB DDR4, 1 TB HDD, 128 GB M.2 SSD

Asus is my go to brand when it comes to serious computer hardware, this heavy duty lab top is perfect for the gamer or the business on the go type.

To see what the ROG brand is all about check out

 

 

Sandisk 500gb solid state drive (SSD)

SSD’s offer ultra fast load & transfer times, longer life & higher durability over older mechanical hard drives. Can be used as a boot able C drive or a Data drive.

 

 

Lets not forget Drones, (multi rotors)

The Blade Nano QX ready to fly is still one of the best options to get into a rugged / high quality quad copter that will teach you the piloting skills to take on larger, more expensive & more fragile machines.

Works in doors & out

You can even bind it to a Specktrum Transmitter (including modules that plug into Futaba & JR)

A Flite Test video running the Nano QX thru its paces

 

 

Ready to step up your game and jump into FPV racing?

Looking for a plug and play / ready to fly solution?

The Arris X Speed 280 quad racer can be the answer, using standard XT60 plugs for a 4S battery & 5.8 Ghz FPV channels add your favorite lipo & FPV googles of choice and you are off to the races.

 

 

If plug and play is not your thing and you want to bust out the soldering Iron the LHI 220 quad racer kit can be the answer.

 

To see what all this quad racing is about check out this video

 

The thing that started it all, all the way back in 1991 AND THEY STILL MAKE IT

Estes Alpha III

  • Launch controller, launch pad, and rocket assembly kit with materials and instructions required to assemble the rocket
  • Orange plastic nose cone, body tube, one-piece plastic tail fin unit, and self-stick decals for level E2X (Easy to Assemble) assembly skill
  • Projected maximum altitude of 1,100′ (335m), 12″ diameter parachute for rocket recovery
  • Recommended for ages 10 and older with adult supervision up to age 12
  • Requires model rocket engine, starters, recovery wadding, and glue (all sold separately)
  • Easy to assemble
  • Almost ready to fly

Estes Blast off engine pack

 

  • Estes Blast Off Flight Pack Flying Model Rocket Engines
  • 24 Rocket engines – Six A8-3, Six B6-4, Six C6-3, Six C6-5
  • Plus 30 igniters, 24 plugs and one package of recovery wadding
  • For ages 14+. Use with adult supervision. Must be 14 to purchase in CA and NJ.
  • Flammable – ships parcel post only, takes several additional days beyond Amazon Shipping estimate.

 

 

Best thing to store model rocket engines in is a Military grade Ammo can

 

 

 

Nov EAA 203 Meeting

/ Spencer Gould

Scott brought the Dash L39 Albatross over to the hanger & showed videos from his Reno runs

The team also rigged up a 360º active  camera where you can move your view while watching the video by moving your mobile device or click and drag with your mouse. Very impressive technology & great footage of Lake O from the L39.

Bud put on a demo on the RV3 elevator repair covering riveting & aluminum cutting.

 

S Gould