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Just a little update on how i spent my afternoon today here

I´ve been using a professional Rothenberger resistance soldering unit for years, when ever the need to reduce creeping heat, and generally try to avoid damaging anything with an open flame, has been mandatory.

Today a good friend of mine, who owns a plumbing company, fried his own unit, and asked if he could "borrow" mine.
Being that it is a large and unhandy unit for smaller projects, made for soldering copperpipes in water and heating installations, and thawing heating installations during winter, i decided to let him do so, and make another more handy unit myself.

Have seen loads of DIY videos about these on YouTube during the years, and figured that it would be an easy task...and it was, at least for as far as i got today goes.

Took a 4 mile drive, and salvaged a microwave from the dump.
Removed the transformer (and the tablemotor, for a future selfrotating Lazy Susan).

The transformer was then liberated of the high voltage coil with a hacksaw, a couple of punches and a hammer.
I just cut the windings off flush at each side, and banged the remaining interior wiring out with the punches:
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Then i figured it would be a bit of trial and error, so started out with 2 windings of 35mm2 (2 AWG) on the secondary side (which eventually turned out to be perfect):
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A while ago i ordered a cheap 10A footpedal switch, as i´ve had this project in mind well before i was "robbed" of my unit today:
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Installed that on a powercord, and connectors to the outputs:
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Time for testing. Voltage has to be low, as i don´t want any tickling sensation:


...and to test if it´d supply some amps/heat.
The test-subject is a 5mm brass tube, with a thickness much like a Jensen steamline or similar.


The only things remaining now, would be to mount the electric components properly, and inside a cabinet of sorts...and make a proper solderinghandle to hold a piece of carbonrod.
But even before doing so, i´d consider the project a success, and the afternoon well spent.