This is review is for the Dremel Versa Tip butane soldering torch (Amazon link). It’s sells for around $38 on Amazon Prime. This is a portable soldering iron/heat gun/hot cutter/wood burning tool, that runs on butane. You click to light it, use the lock to keep the flame on, and then you adjust it for the temperature you need.

This week on Maker Update, an RC strandbeest that shoots fireworks, Raspbian gets an update, a shape-shifting dragon drone, motorized cocktail umbrellas, warped audio boxes, cardboard techniques, the Adafruit Feather M4 Express, making custom LEDs, and does Bob Clagett have too much glue?

This week on Maker Update, Alexa presses buttons, Google gets a laser, robot fish, robot dogs, 1-dimensional pong, drill bits, speed squares, an unholy union of DeWalt and Ryobi, and a resistor kit roundup.

Project Notes

Original project by Jay Rugland:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1248463

Blue Spade Terminals (Amazon Associate link):
https://amzn.to/2MJLz0C

Similar Dewalt 18 volt to Dewalt Lithium Ion 20 Volt Adapter, but w/ Battery Monitor
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1270617

$20 Surebonder Dewalt-to-Ryobi adapter:
https://surebonder.com/products/dew-20v-ryobi%C2%AE-to-dewalt%C2%AE-battery-adapter

They also make a Milwaukee-to-Ryobi adapter (Amazon Associate link):
https://amzn.to/2tinJB7

More project reviews:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHvctKwAXIO_ewpuKb1RXqez5NCSbeANj

This week on Maker Update, an Alexa-powered L3 droid, a pedal-powered art machine, a robot snake, robot bread, an FPV rover, last call for cocktail robots, and creative clamping techniques.

If you do any soldering you probably have a pair of helping hands, or some bulky heavy thing like this that can hold your project or components steady while you wire them. They’re useful, but a little clunky to travel with, and often overkill if you’re just splicing a wire or two.

In terms of price and portability, poster tack (a.k.a. poster putty) is a great alternative.

This week on Maker Update, a paper airplane machine, Microsoft gobbles up Github, a comic vomit bot, a LEGO-style megaphone, printer cable coasters, counting bees, joining wood with plastic bottles, and actual reality games in Hong Kong. This week’s Cool Tool is the Komelon 25Ft tape measure.

This week for my 1-minute tool review brought to you by Cool Tools, I’ve got gaffer tape from Gaffer Power. I’ve got two flavors here, Gaffer Power Gaffer Tape 2 Inch X 30 Yards  and Gaffer Power Gaffer Tape 3 Inch X 30 Yards. 

This week on Maker Update, a soap-vomiting unicorn, two new boards from Arduino, a mini marblevator, a neopixel thumb war, pool noodle box bots, gendered razor holders, Lego pinball, an Android tape deck, a business card stylophone, Hobart’s entry level MIG welder, the Voronator, and the Adafruit Crickit. This week’s Cool Tool is the Hobart Handler 140 MIG Welder.

This week on Maker Update, felted electronics, new 3D printers, wire bending, an angry woodpecker complaint button, a big head box, 3D printed tulle necklace, cordless sawzall, perfect painting, Tinkercad scribbling and Maker Faires. This week’s Cool Tool is a cordless reciprocating saw.