Ten Useful Things

After doing some electronics, it occurred to me I can write a list of my ten most useful tools & accessories for electronics that might help others. Not in any order:

1. Temperature controlled soldering iron
2. Hot air rework gun
3. Proper wire cutter/strippers for small gauge wire
4. Oscilloscope
5. Digital multimeter
6. PCB holder or helping hands
7. Stainless steel needle on a handle (for removing tiny shorts)
8. Hand lens (for finding the shorts in the first place)
9. Basic bench power supply
10. Scope/meter probes with tiny clips on the end

Not really a tool or accessory so I feel safe to add a copy of The Art of Electronics.

Who else has a list of ten useful things for various hobbies/activities?

Add a retractable scalpel to your list, good for cutting, picking, scraping and other things.

Edited By Richard Marks on 15/01/2018 22:22:27

Yes, but then it would be eleven, I marginally use a needle more than a scalpel. Strictly it's a dissecting needle too

I bought one of these the other day. One of the nice things is that additional jaws in any shape/size you want can be 3D-printed.

Observant Model Engineers might notice that the rest of it might make a suitable, short shop-project.

Solder sucker.

Or does the 'rework gun' do that?

Or don't you make mistakes?

Edited By Mick B1 on 15/01/2018 22:59:56

I bought a Wowstick electric screwdriver. It sits on the back of my desk and lends the whole room a air of class. Occasionally it's wafer thin, white LED switches on to show it is diligently keeping it's battery in peak condition. The decks are patently cleared for action, I know that one day I will find a use for it and it will be glorious

I've never needed a temp controlled iron, used an Antex X25 for decades. Rework gun? No. Soda-Wick is much cheaper. Analogue meter by choice. Mostly, you don't need three places of decimals to check a voltage. You only need a digital meter for checking resistors. Wire stripper - fibreglass automatic, Light in weight, in constant use at Theasby Electronics. Pay about £20. Helping hands, Yes! Solder dispenser, otherwise the solder reel is forever rolling about. Head mounted magnifier. Desk lamp. Art of Electronics is good, but I have since discovered EPE's 'Teach in' series. They are VERY good.

Geoff

1 lb ball pein hammer, oxyacetylene cutting torch, electric stick welder , 1/4" punch, 7/16 and 1/2" combination wrenches, gas line antifreeze liquid are what tools I am mostly using these days - no, not making watches or gauge 1 live steam locomotives - repairing various gas/petrol powered snowblowers from the neighborhood. Lots of snow at times, and very cold this year here in Ontario Canada, so people are finding out the hard way what is weak/marginal/would have been a hell of a lot easier to fix in August in their snowblowers.

It's a balmy -8 deg C here tonight just FYI. Forgot to mention long johns in the mandatory tool section above.

The same iron for me and before that a Henley Solon 25W which I still have.

John

A 52mm OE spanner, especially when the central heating pump connection starts to leak and not a single plumbing /tool shop in the town has one. "We can get one ordered for you, sir " !

I made one in the workshop while I was waiting.

A 52mm OE spanner, especially when the central heating pump connection starts to leak and not a single plumbing /tool shop in the town has one. "We can get one ordered for you, sir " !

I made one in the workshop while I was waiting.

Eleven, eleven useful things, Blue Tac.

Among our useful things are.........

Edited By john carruthers on 16/01/2018 08:06:53

Freq gen, component tester, lots of Chinese goodies on eBay for peanuts.

I know we have now exceeded 10 but why restrict yourself.

Just got myself a component tester (one of the better class ones!) assembled (for £2) for £12 + a self assembly plastic case, all came in under £15 so will not trouble HMRC.

Don't keep us guessing - what are you making Neil?

On soldering irons: I've used the Antex / Solon types in the past. When I started doing electronics as a job every bench had a Weller iron and it was a revelation. The big advantage is that you have lots of power to get the tip hot, but controlled so it doesn't overheat. This minimises the chances of a small tip getting chilled when you place it on the job and thus the chances of overheating the component. Maplins for one have quite reasonably priced TC irons and it's well worth having for electronics work, plus a few different tip sizes, and spare sponges. One bit of advice - when you buy the iron, buy several spare tips as they may not be available in future! Fortunately with mine it turned out that Weller tips work fine in it.

Solder sucker in at number 10 and we lose the mini-clip leads

15W Antex CS (well two of them) for forty years, but then a 50W Antex TCS and then a full rework station with iron and blower. Bliss.

I made a JYETech DSO Shell, a pocket oscilloscope kit, then knocked up a portable power supply from an old phone battery, LiON charger board, boost voltage regulator and a switch.

It is awesome that a <99p board the size of a stamp can give me an output adjustable to 9.00V, spot on, and then when attached to a device requiring 150mA the output drops to 8.99V.

Neil

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 16/01/2018 09:45:43

How about 8 fingers and 2 thumbs

Mick

John Haine, yes, I too started with a Henley Solon. Still got one. Re: the Weller irons, they ARE an industry standard, but having used one professionally for many years I'm not sure why. The bits are hollow and soon burn through, and the base unit holds only a transformer which fails rather too often. I built my own half/full base unit for the Antex (1N4007 diode and switch) which works well. Nowadays I would use a lamp dimmer or motor control circuit to vary the temperature, roughly calibrated when completed.

Geoff