Tools to make the job easier?

[artifus]

+1 but make sure you do this first!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brF5z2XKrcA

ha! beautiful! i haven't watched that clip in over a year and just had a genuine lol! 

i like to imagine that ayayay! performs this routine after every successful debug!

[davent]

What do you guys use if you need to cut out a sizeable chunk of a perfboard?  Not just a straight line for example.  Say a whole corner. 

Just grab the hacksaw and the bench hook(and wear a dust mask), then cut away.

dave

[bluesman1218]

What do you guys use if you need to cut out a sizeable chunk of a perfboard?  Not just a straight line for example.  Say a whole corner. 

Dremel with diamond cutoff wheel http://www.harborfreight.com/1-1-2-half-inch-cut-off-wheels-3-pack-34749.html

[bluesman1218]

Gut shots:


And Rob (My name too), you are correct.

Glad I asked. I thought you soldered lugs to an enclosed (Marshall style) jack and didn't see the 2nd jack! Thanks, Rob.

[Perrow]

that looks really cool....nice...i love home built stuff...

good use of an atx psu box too...bet it was a bitch to cut those square holes...

What do you guys use if you need to cut out a sizeable chunk of a perfboard?  Not just a straight line for example.  Say a whole corner. 

To answer both questions in one go, I use my trusty diamond cutter wheels on my Dremel But yes, those square holes were a bitch, mostly because the metal was quite hard and I had to try and be as quite as possible due to when and where I was working. I can recommend wearing protective glasses while cutting stuff with the Dremel especially if you use the standard cutting discs as they break so so easily.



Posted those somewhere before, might have been this thread. There's almost no end to what you can do with a Dremel and those wheels (and the other diamond bits I have).

[ayayay!]

i like to imagine that ayayay! performs this routine after every successful debug! 

Yup! 

Naked.

At Lowe's.

So yeah I was trying the dremel approach, but I guess I need those Diamond cutters, thanks.  Been doing the score-and-snap thing for a long time but this latest one requires some cutting/routing that's more difficult. 

[CodeMonk]

that looks really cool....nice...i love home built stuff...

good use of an atx psu box too...bet it was a bitch to cut those square holes...

What do you guys use if you need to cut out a sizeable chunk of a perfboard?  Not just a straight line for example.  Say a whole corner. 

To answer both questions in one go, I use my trusty diamond cutter wheels on my Dremel But yes, those square holes were a bitch, mostly because the metal was quite hard and I had to try and be as quite as possible due to when and where I was working. I can recommend wearing protective glasses while cutting stuff with the Dremel especially if you use the standard cutting discs as they break so so easily.



Posted those somewhere before, might have been this thread. There's almost no end to what you can do with a Dremel and those wheels (and the other diamond bits I have).

Tip:
NEVER EVER use those cheap composite cutting discs. They shatter if you look at them funny.

[Perrow]

Tip:
NEVER EVER use those cheap composite cutting discs. They shatter if you look at them funny.

Yeah, and they're easily amused.

[Seven64]

my favorite tool is my desoldering iron

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062731

really liked that cap tester a few pages ago, gonna order one before long.

also need to start looking at dremels and a scope.....

[bluesman1218]

really liked that cap tester a few pages ago, gonna order one before long.

also need to start looking at dremels and a scope.....

Many decent + DMMs have cap testers built in. Might be a better investment than a standalone cap tester and, as posted in another thread, if it has a transistor tester, that can be used to check LEDS.

[Seven64]

i have 2 multimeters, and i think my multimeter actually does HFE.  the only reason i would upgrade is to get a cap tester and temp probe.  that cap tester is only like $8, so its not too bad.    and then i can start saving for a good scope, which i think would help me start to understand theory and how all this stuff actually works!

[Ronsonic]

Tip:
NEVER EVER use those cheap composite cutting discs. They shatter if you look at them funny.

My Kung Fu is powerful. I can carve it up with those things. True, for the first dozen or so I thought this was some sort of sick joke or maybe Allen Funt was going to jump out. Eventually I got adept and those things cut amazingly well if your hand is steady and true.

Then I discovered the fiber reinforced wheels and mostly use them.

[MoltenVoltage]

After years of using inexpensive harbor freight calipers, I finally bought precision Draper dial calipers - machined and hardened stainless steel.

There is really nothing like having precision tools.

It's much better to buy quality used tools than cheap new tools.

[Kearns892]

I have found that simply setting a small magnet on my bench helps me tremendously keep up with small resistors, caps, screws, etc. The cylindrical shape of screws and resistors makes them prone to rolling away, with a magnet, problem solved!

[MoltenVoltage]

I have found that simply setting a small magnet on my bench helps me tremendously keep up with small resistors, caps, screws, etc. The cylindrical shape of screws and resistors makes them prone to rolling away, with a magnet, problem solved!

Oh yeah, I use these little magnetic trays constantly:
http://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-magnetic-parts-holder-97825.html

Because of the magnet, they have a nice heavy base too

[.Mike]

Oh yeah, I use these little magnetic trays constantly:
http://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-magnetic-parts-holder-97825.html

Because of the magnet, they have a nice heavy base too

I'm going to have to get me a few of these! I don't know how I've missed them at my local Harbor Freight. I've been using a very strong magnet that I ripped out of a dead hard drive. Works great for picking component leads out of the carpet... heh.


In a totally different direction, I've found two new uses for my clothes pin suggestion. 1. Prying off knobs. If you disassemble the clothes pin, you have a nice, soft wood lever that you can use to pry knobs up without damaging the knob or the pedal finish. 2. I fashioned an in-a-pinch DIY version of this $22 tool for assembling the Tyco version of Molex KK 0.1" headers. Clothes pins. What can't they do?



Mike

[deadastronaut]

just got one of these off evil bay...brilliant tool.....only £7.00....

no more rulers...or guessing!...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220781919682&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

[jasperoosthoek]

just got one of these off evil bay...brilliant tool.....only £7.00....

no more rulers...or guessing!...

Watch out for dirt and sawdust. I have a cheap one like that, similar price different brand (Topcraft). After fixing the neck pocket of my guitar with a router and checking the depth with the caliper it started to display random numbers. It also didn't want to turn off anymore. Only after I opened it and rinsed the inside with WD40 it was ok again.

WD40, will fix almost anything...

[Processaurus]

I like glass ashtrays to keep track of parts to the current project and keep them from getting mixed up with other things or rolling off the bench.

[Kearns892]

just got one of these off evil bay...brilliant tool.....only £7.00....

no more rulers...or guessing!...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220781919682&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

I got a cheap pair of calipers from harbor freight and I love them. They are not the best quality, but it have noticed I am able to drill boxes much more accurately and repeatably when I use these.