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GLASS CUTTING TOOL
WITH OIL RESERVOIR
$12 amzn.to/3ihuCJq
For stained glass or making your own
picture frames, you need to cut some glass.
The vintage style of the tools used for this
task has a tiny cutting wheel at the tip of a
simple, contoured, pencil-like instrument.
Proper use entails the operator dipping the
tip into cutting oil before scoring the glass.
In recent years, however, an updated style
has become popular. Its general shape and
usage remains the same, but the handle is
very slightly larger, as it holds an internal
reservoir for the cutting oil. Press the tip to
score the glass and the oil flows onto the
wheel, saving you from having to re-apply
during a job. Easy! (Be sure to keep it in the
plastic case when not in use, as lighter oils
can seep a bit.)
I bought mine, a carbide-tipped
version, on Amazon for just over $10,
and it’s been a useful addition to my
toolbox —I mostly use it for cutting
bottles. As with any tool, however,
you’ll get the best results with
good technique, so be sure to
practice on glass scraps and
spare pieces before diving
into your masterpiece.
—Mike Senese
CONTROLEO3 REFLOW
OVEN BUILD KIT
$249 whizoo.com
If you’ve taken the plunge into using small
SMD components in your electronics
projects and you’re tired of soldering
pins by hand or using a hot air station,
you may be longing after a reflow oven
like the professionals use. Converting a
kitchen toaster oven into a reflow oven is a
great option for the serious DIYer, and the
Controleo3 Build Kit from Whizoo is the
consummate way to confidently compile a
complete chip cooking contraption.
The Controleo3 is the controller board
that drives the heating elements of the oven.
It’s powered by open source software, and
the included touch screen makes it very
easy to navigate the menus and settings.
The kit includes everything you need to
completely convert a toaster oven into a
reflow oven and a very extensive guide with
abundant hi-res reference photos. I only
wish that the guide listed all the tools you
need at the beginning. You will need a lot of
different drill bits! Notably, the build kit does
not include a toaster oven (I recommend a
model similar to the one used in the guide).
The whole conversion process took about 12
hours spread over several evenings.
After programming in the reflow profile
for my solder paste, I popped several boards
into the oven and was astonished when they
came out looking professionally assembled.
See my build log and boards at projects.
jazzychad.net/oven. —Chad Etzel
Chad Etzel
123
makeprojects.com
M75_122-4and126_Trollbox_F1.indd 123M75_122-4and126_Trollbox_F1.indd 123 10/10/20 11:38 AM10/10/20 11:38 AM
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