No Workbench? No Problem! Make a Portable Soldering Setup

2025-03-18 | By Zach Hipps

License: See Original Project Solder / Desoldering

I love working on big and small projects at my soldering workbench, but let's be honest. ‎Not every project can be brought here. It's no secret that I like working on big things: ‎giant boxing robots, my large-format laser cutter, and even outdoor builds like my Wi-Fi ‎weather station. The problem is that hauling everything back to my workbench just isn't ‎practical. My soldering iron and fume extractor are the two main things that keep me ‎anchored to my workbench. Both are tethered to the wall for power, so how do I cut the ‎cord and go mobile?‎

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The soldering iron problem was easily solved. After a quick DigiKey order, I had an ‎iFixit portable USB-C powered iron in hand. I tested it, approved it, and checked it off ‎the list.‎

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The fume extractor, however, was a different beast. Portable fume extractors apparently ‎don't exist. For me, for electronics work, a fume extractor is non-negotiable. So, ‎naturally, I did what any self-respecting Byte-Sized Engineer would do… I decided to ‎build one. Before diving headfirst into design, I looked at my existing fume extractor. It ‎turns out that it's basically just a computer fan and a carbon filter. Simple enough, ‎right?‎

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First, I needed to find the right fan. My initial digging turned up a 12V fan, but it was too ‎small and definitely not going to cut it. I returned to DigiKey and found a 120mm 12V ‎fan, much closer to the size of my benchtop model. I made sure that the CFM and ‎noise ratings were acceptable for this application. Nice, I can check the fan off the list! ‎Next up: the carbon filter. I did another DigiKey search and found one that perfectly fits ‎the 120mm fan. Filter checked off the list as well. Now, I need to decide how to power it ‎and enclose it all, so it is truly portable.‎

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My first thought was a LiPo battery, but the 3.7V it outputs wouldn't be enough for a ‎‎12V fan. I would need to mess with boost converters. No thanks, it's too complicated for ‎this project. Next, I considered a 9V battery. It might spin the fan, albeit slower, but it is ‎worth a shot, right? Out came the soldering iron (back to the workbench…ugh), and I ‎attached a battery clip to the fan, and it worked! It had decent airflow, but the thought of ‎constantly swapping and recharging 9V batteries was just too much. All of a sudden, I ‎had another idea. I grabbed my drill and a battery adapter, which lets you power stuff ‎directly from the drill battery. These batteries are readily available and easy to charge, ‎but there’s a catch. Drill batteries are 18V. Hooking 18V to a 12V fan? Let's just say it ‎created a lot of airflow. (Is anyone else thinking of a mini-hovercraft project?) While ‎impressive, running the fan at 18V long-term isn’t ideal. I’d need a buck converter to ‎step down the voltage to 12V. battery_9

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But then, I noticed something on my iFixit portable soldering station. It has two USB-C ‎ports! One for the iron and one…for whatever I want? I grabbed a USB-C cable and a ‎basic USB-C breakout board. When I plugged it in, the fan spun slowly because the ‎USB-C port was only outputting 5V. It turns out that the basic breakout board lacked ‎the power delivery circuitry to request more voltage. Enter the USB-C Power Delivery ‎‎(PD) breakout board. This little guy lets you select your desired voltage. A quick solder ‎bridge on the 12V pads and I was in business…or maybe not. Back at the workbench ‎‎(again!), I connected everything together but was still only getting 5V output and a slow ‎fan feed. What was going on? Then, I unplugged the soldering iron, and the fan sped ‎up. Now I was getting 12V! It turns out there's some quirk with the USB-C Power ‎Delivery on the iFixit unit. If you plug in the fan second, it doesn't seem to provide 12V. ‎That’s weird. It is a newer product, so hopefully, they are aware of it and are looking ‎into it. Luckily, the workaround is simple: plug in the fan first, then the iron. That’s good ‎practice, anyway.‎

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With the power sorted, it was time for a case. I fired up my 3D modeling software and ‎got to work. I wanted everything to be one unit integrated with the soldering station. I ‎even snagged a 3D model of the iFixit unit itself, which is cool that they have that ‎available. I modeled the fan housing, complete with a hexagonal grille. Then, I ‎designed a way to attach it seamlessly to the soldering station, incorporating its existing ‎curves. As a bonus, I designed a little brass sponge holder that clips onto one of the ‎accessory knobs on the side since one isn’t included.‎

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After printing all the parts, it was time for the final assembly. Of course, I needed to ‎solder the fan wires to the breakout board, which meant yet another trip to the ‎workbench. (Seriously, how inconvenient is a non-portable soldering station?) Finally, ‎everything came together: the fan, the filter, the case, and the sponge holder. It looked ‎amazing, and it worked! The fan spun at the correct speed, and the soldering iron ‎heated up. I’ll call that a success!

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Now, I have a truly portable soldering station, complete with a built-in fume extractor. ‎No more being tethered to the workbench! I'm ready to take my projects on the road. I'm ‎excited to work on my next project with this portable soldering station, a custom macro ‎pad, right here at my…well, wherever I want, actually. The star of this whole show? ‎That USB-C PD breakout board. It made the 12V fan possible. It's a similar chip to the ‎one I used in my USB-C breadboard power supply project. This portable soldering ‎setup is a game-changer—no more excuses for not tackling projects too far from the ‎workbench. Now, the workbench comes to me.‎

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