This website is turning into a real HDD Synth blog, which represents the fact that I'm enjoying working on this project rather than spending time on games at the moment.

Games are a great source of escapism or to directly scratch that pleasure centre of the brain that lights up when you feel like you're achieving something. So it's great to get that reward actually creating something within the real world

As the work on the HDD Synth MKII moves nearer to completion, I've been investing in some bench tooling and equipment upgrades so that I can create and package the prototype boards to send out

A few years ago I bought a Antex XS25 Soldering Iron after having it recommended to me as a replacement for the cheap one I bought from Lidl some time prior.

It's certainly a well made device with a much better cable than my previous one, however it's always struggled with lead-free solder. So basically it just wasn't getting hot enough, as the lead-free variety has a higher melting point.

The first HDD Synth MKII board that I assembled has some pretty embarrassingly soldered joints on it, so I finally bit the bullet and invested in a variable temperature soldering station

A little research pointed me towards the T12 which can be found all over eBay in a variety of configurations. I decided to get the metal handled version along with a selection of different tips.

After giving it a spin I'm very impressed! It heats up within seconds and it's very easy to alter the temperature with the dial. I wish I'd had this a long time ago

I've also purchased some anti-static plastic bags to shield the HDD Synths when they're sent out. I mean, that's the professional thing to do right?

In addition I've had some bespoke card box packaging created that will allow me to ship out the prototypes in style. It's fun creating a product