Gene Breniman's Blog

First Impressions of the FNIRSI SAG-55 (Pro)

genebren

About a month ago I saw an ad for the FNIRSI SAG-55 Intelligent Hot Air Gun, so I asked if anyone in the community had any experience with this device (Does anyone have any experience with the fnirsi sag-55 intelligent 550w hot air-gun?) I did not fi...
- 7 Aug 2025
Continuing to improve my workspace.

genebren

I have posted several of my organization projects in the past. Some of these projects have helped me to be more organized, but that hasn't stopped me from making a mess. Between my constant need to bring home more tools and my continu...
- 7 Apr 2025
Playing with Polydoh

genebren

I know that shabaz has mentioned Polydoh in several blog entries. I have always been interested in this product, so earlier this year I ordered some. I have been waiting for a suitable project to try it out and today I have finally c...
- 24 Mar 2025
Board Holder with Tilting Base

genebren

Recently I completed a cleanup of my soldering station ( Solder Station Cleanup and Organization Project). When I was in the process of setting up my workspace, I found a very low-profile board holder that I thought would work great in my ...
- 16 Feb 2024
Solder Station Cleanup and Organization Project

genebren

As I am waiting for my revised PCBs to arrive for my Road Test project, I have been doing some cleanup and organization projects in my office. This time I am working on my soldering station. I have rearranged my Worksurface and shelving s...
- 22 Jan 2024
X-Acto Knife upgrade

genebren

Freezing weather has forced a stop on my backyard fountain project, which happens to be a part of my Roadtest of the Keysight E36731A Battery Emulator. I have been working on firmware for my controller boards for the project, but a last minute ...
- 16 Jan 2024
Outdoor Lighting - Light Up My Path

genebren

In a prior blog ( Off the Shelf - Outdoor Lighting System Revamp ), I added outdoor lighting to my deck. Now I am extending the lighting from the deck, through the newly constructed path and garden (automatically controlled with the ...
- 21 May 2023
SMD tweezers adapter for my DSO-TC2 component tester.

genebren

In my prior blog ( TC2-DSO - Subtractive machining a SMT test adapter ), I used some shop tools (drill, file and scalpel) to build a SOT23 component adapter. While this was somewhat successful, I felt that a set of tweeze...
- 19 Feb 2023
TC2-DSO - Subtractive machining a SMT test adapter

genebren

In my prior blog ( TC2-DSO review - SMT test adapters ), I used my 3D printer to create some SOT23 and 0603 component adapters. While the printed parts worked, they were by no means perfect (not close to enough resolution with my nozzle o...
- 17 Jan 2023
TC2-DSO review - SMT test adapters

genebren

In my prior blogs ( Post Christmas shopping find - TC2-DSO review.and TC2-DSO review - Continued ) I tested several leaded component with the TC2-DSO meter. This is all well and good, but I do not use many (if any) leaded comp...
- 13 Jan 2023
TC2-DSO review - Continued

genebren

In the comments from my prior blog ( Post Christmas shopping find - TC2-DSO review. ) , dougw had mentioned "One thing to check is - Does it turn off completely or is it always drawing power?". So my curiosity got the best of me...
- 9 Jan 2023
Post Christmas shopping find - TC2-DSO review.

genebren

Since reading dougw post more than 2 years ( This Device Tickles My Fancy ) the TC1 component tester has been on my radar. Several times I have considered purchasing one, but somehow I never quite pu...
- 5 Jan 2023
And then there were four. Mr. Machine gets its main spring fixed.

genebren

This a continuation of my Mr. Machine saga, following from my last post ( And then there were four. A fourth Mr. Machine has joined the crew. ). After playing around with the latest Mr. Machine, I decided to jump in and repair the main sp...
- 30 Dec 2022
And then there were four. A fourth Mr. Machine has joined the crew.

genebren

This a continuation of my Mr. Machine saga, following from my last post (/members-area/personalblogs/b/gene-breniman-s-blog/posts/and-then-there-were-three-unwarping-the-wheels-and-soon-there-maybe-four ). A reproduction Mr. Machine has been purchase...
- 28 Dec 2022
And then there were three. Unwarping the wheels and soon there maybe four.

genebren

In my prior post ( And then there were three. A vintage Mr. Machine has joined the crew.) I introduced you to the newest (oldest) member of the Mr. Machine family. Yesterday I set out to see if I could fix Mr. Machine's wheels. Over...
- 22 Dec 2022
And then there were three. A vintage Mr. Machine has joined the crew.

genebren

Two years ago, in the Project14 - Recycle & Retrofit, I entered with an upgrade of my Mr. Machine ( Mr. Machine gets an upgrade - Mostly working, but still needs a little some help.). Now there is a new member to the family. A recent ...
- 21 Dec 2022
Attaching an ISP module to SMT pads on a PCB

genebren

As a follow on to a couple of my prior posts ( Hand soldering a VQFN24 part to a PCB and Hand soldering a VQFN24 part to a PCB - part 2 ), this is an update on the progress of that board and a overview on my newly built ISP adapter. In the initi...
- 13 Nov 2022
Hand soldering a VQFN24 part to a PCB - part 2

genebren

In my prior post (/members-area/personalblogs/b/gene-breniman-s-blog/posts/hand-soldering-a-vqfn24-part-to-a-pcb), I was very happy with the end result, but a little disappointed with the preciseness of the alignment of the chip on the board. S...
- 1 Aug 2022
Hand soldering a VQFN24 part to a PCB

genebren

The part shortages are really causing me to consider new parts and new packages as I struggle to find parts to support my current and future products. One of that parts that has caught my eye are some new parts from Microchip (formerly Atmel), ...
- 16 Jul 2022
Programmable DC Load connection adapter.

genebren

When I first acquired my BK PRECISION 8500 (used on eBay), I was a little disappointed with the screw knobs that secured the leads to the device being loaded. I had hoped that the screws were cross drilled so that I could easily connect strippe...
- 14 Jul 2022
Kitchen Lighting System

genebren

I have over the past few years blogged about my kitchen lighting system, starting more than five years ago with Kitchen lighting system - take 2 . Then in 2019 I had started a project to update the lighting system, which culminated in winning a...
- 8 Nov 2021
Having fun with a KORG volca modular synthesizer

genebren

A few weeks ago, while shopping on Ebay for a used, inexpensive synthesizer I came across this little beauty. This a patchable synthesizer, based on the "west coast" synthesizer concepts (more of an additive approach to adding harmonics, versus the o...
- 19 Oct 2021
Continuing to organize - Soldering tools - part 3

genebren

In my prior blogs (Continuing to organize - laser marking upgrade to lightring. and Continuing to organize - laser marking upgrade to light ring - part 2 ), I was busy working on my soldering station. Well no big surprise, I still trying to imp...
- 5 Sep 2021
Outdoor LED Lighting revival project - part 2

genebren

In my earlier post Outdoor LED Lighting revival project , I focused mainly on the hanging LED lights. On this post I am looking more at the stair LED lights. Initially I had done a quick modification to my reflector design by enlarging the LED ...
- 7 Aug 2021
Outdoor LED Lighting revival project

genebren

Back in August 2020 to October 2020, I was working on a smart solar lighting project for my new deck. Now I am revisiting this project with a goal to getting some lighting working on the deck. Prior blogs on this subject: Smart Solar Ligh...
- 3 Aug 2021