The Pinecil Diaries: How a Pocket-Sized Soldering Iron Rekindled My Repair Spirit

For a long time, soldering felt like one of those niche skills best left to professionals. I had some experience here and there (mainly with motherboard & PSU capacitors), but I never truly embraced it until I picked up a tool that made me want to. That tool was the Pinecil.

I discovered it during one of my many late-night deep dives into repair culture and affordable tools. The Pinecil stood out: USB-C powered, open source, compact, and fast. The fact that I could plug it into my ThinkPad’s USB-C adapter and have it ready to go in seconds made it instantly more accessible than any soldering iron I’d used before. Suddenly, fixing things didn’t feel like a chore — it felt like an opportunity.

Rekindling the Joy of Repair
The first projects I tackled weren’t repairs at all, but fun electronics kits I ordered off Amazon: a pair of battery-powered FM radios, a sound-reactive light board, and a few other beginner-friendly kits. I wanted to get a feel for the Pinecil before trusting it with something more delicate. Every time I clicked the tip into place and felt the heat rise almost instantly, I smiled. This wasn’t just a tool — it was an invitation to build.

Soon enough, the Pinecil earned its place on my desk as more than just a toy. I used it to fix Monica’s work speaker. I reflowed solder on a NES cartridge that had been glitching during gameplay, and the graphical issue vanished. I started looking at old electronics not as junk, but as puzzles that deserved another chance.

Plastic Welding? Yep, That Too.
Interestingly, learning to solder electronics opened a door I hadn’t expected: plastic repair. While I don’t use the Pinecil for this (different tool, same spirit), the technique mirrored what I loved about soldering — controlled heat, bonding broken parts, breathing life back into something others might throw away. I’ve fixed cracked plastic housings, a broken storage container, and more, using nothing but patience and technique.

Storage, Community, and Sharing the Spark
Because of course I couldn’t just leave it loose on the desk, I turned to Thingiverse and printed myself a magnetic case to store the Pinecil and its accessories. It’s sleek, satisfying, and fits right in with the rest of my workspace.

I even recommended the Pinecil to a friend of mine, Alex, who now uses his for elevator board repairs. On older systems where parts are scarce or nonexistent, the ability to do even small solder jobs can keep things running for years longer than expected. That’s the power of knowing how to fix instead of replace.

Final Thoughts
The Pinecil didn’t just help me make clean solder joints — it reignited my belief that repair is an art worth practicing. It reminded me that with the right tools and a willingness to learn, we can extend the life of the things we depend on, and maybe even inspire others to do the same.

So if you’ve ever been curious about soldering, but felt intimidated by it — this is your sign. Start with something small. Pick up a Pinecil or whatever fits your budget. Build a kit. Fix something broken. You might just surprise yourself.

I did.