Tools, and Their Place in the World
Its always said that a bad workman always blames his tools. A corollary of this is a good workman can only be as good as the tools he is using. In this section, we'll look at the toolkit you will need to assemble in order to get started as an electronics hobbyist.
When buying tools you should go to a well established retailer and only buy tools made by reputable manufacturers. It is far better to spend some time saving up to buy the best tools you can afford, rather than to compromise on cheaper ones which will not last as long, and which may not be as satisfying to use. This is particularly the case with tools that will be put to heavy use such as hammers, spanners, pliers, screwdrivers, cutters and strippers.
Before we start with our wish list, it's worthwhile mentioning that there are very, very few injuries suffered when a well designed tool of good quality is used correctly for its intended purpose. The well known banged heads, scuffed elbows, skinned knuckles and puncture wounds that give us the walking wounded of the DIY wars are only caused when the right tool is used for the wrong job or a tool is forced beyond its designed limits. Using the correct tool generally means that you'll get the job finished quicker, you won't injure yourself, and you won't break or spoil anything else whilst working.
Some important tools are given below Try to buy them before you enter the project world
Screwdrivers
The better quality screwdrivers have tempered shafts and hardened tips so that they won't slip on the screw head and damage the screw, the workpiece, or most importantly, you. Try to aim to have at least four sizes of flat head screwdriver, and four sizes of posi drive screwdriver, along with a decent set of flat headed and posi drive jeweller's screwdrivers for dismantling or assembling smaller components. For ease of use, those with the softer contoured handles are far better than those with the traditionally shaped plastic or wooden handles, and they generally provide far better insulation - this is a must when working with electrical gear. You'll be surprised at just how much use your screwdrivers will be put to, and how much it will hurt if one slips, so buy the best that you can possibly afford.
In use, it is important to remember that a screwdriver is only for the fixing and removal of screws. It is not a chisel, a hammer, a crowbar, a counterweight, a hook, or any of the other things that the many improvised uses I have seen may suggest. Years of experience has taught me that screwdrivers are sentient beings in their own right. If you misuse them they WILL bite back.
Spanners 
You won't need anything in the monkey wrench league for electronics work. A good quality set of open ended and ring spanners which go from 3mm to 13mm in 1mm increments will be ideal for your purpose. If you're going to be restoring old equipment then it may be an idea to get hold of similar-sized set of imperial spanners as well, though these needn't be anywhere near the top of your list otherwise. As usual, make sure that what you're buying is the best you can afford.
Pliers and Cutters
Again, there's no need for a pair of water pump pliers with 40 inch knurled vice grips. Try to aim for a good quality set of pliers which consists of two or three sizes of needle nosed pliers, a couple of sizes of flat nosed pliers, and a couple of different configurations of wire cutter. As usual, look for good quality well made examples with comfortable moulded grips that provide high electrical resistance - this is very important. Cheap and nasty pliers are particularly prone to shattering when being used with enthusiasm. When they do give way, bits of razor sharp metal fly everywhere at incredible speeds, so you're not even safe when standing behind someone who's using a pair of bargain basement specials.
Knives
Frowned down upon by some enthusiasts, but invaluable in my view. I have a set of scalpels for fine work, a pair of Swiss Army knives for general use, and a couple of large lock knives for stripping the insulation from heavy duty cables that won't fit in my wire strippers. Do not even think about using something other than a good quality lock knife when you're going to be applying some pressure to the workpiece in order to cut through it - pen knife blades can simply close against your fingers whilst in use. No further description necessary I fancy.
Hammers
There's nothing to be ashamed of - even the most refined of us occasionally need to resort to the rough stuff in order to finish the job. To be fair, it's rare that you'll ever need a hammer when working with electronics, the two just don't go together. However, having a small toffee hammer tucked away in the corner of your toolkit can be invaluable, for example when working on racking or equipment mounts. To be honest, it's so long since I bought a hammer that I have no idea how to go about selecting the correct one. They used to be sold by the weight of the head and I have two in my toolkit stamped at six ounces and one pound respectively (roughly 170 and 220 grams). If possible, try and get hold of a ball peen hammer with a head weight of about 150 grams and a good quality wooden handle. For the use that I suspect it will get, going broke buying it is not essential, but remember to steer away from the really cheap and nasty stuff.
On the subject of hitting things, a set of centre punches is essential if you intend drilling holes (which is hard to avoid most of the time). A centre punch allows you to carefully mark a small indentation on the workpiece before you start drilling, and it will stop the drill bit from wandering all over the place until it finally decides to make a hole in the wrong place. "Automatic" centre punches are also available - these do the same thing, but you only need to press down on the tool - a spring provides the tension, and a pressure sensitive release "lets go" at the preset pressure and makes a nice little indent for you.
Reading Lamp 
What ? Nothing for nipping, gripping, bending or knocking ? Nope, just a plain old reading lamp. Nowadays reading lamps come in all shapes and sizes ranging from the standard old anglepoise to space-aged low voltage halogen designs with the transformers hidden inside an art-deco base. I would avoid the really expensive models as I suspect you're paying a lot of money for design and styling which will never be appreciated in the workshop. A simple flexible necked reading lamp with a nice heavy base and a 40-60 watt bulb fitted to it will be more than adequate for your needs.
While you are at it especially for fine work, and more so if you are getting old, like me a good magnifying lamp or headband magnifier is worth its weight in ruined circuit boards. Drill and Drill Bits
a smaller battery powered drill for lighter duty tasks such as working with plastic, or drilling very small holes the battery-powered drill means that you can work with very delicate items at extremely low speed to minimise the risk of damage to the workpiece. As usual, buy the best unit that you can afford from a reputable manufacturer.
This is also true for the drill bits. It is often more economical to buy these in a set and you should aim for good quality items made from high speed steel. If you can buy a set of drill bits which also includes one or two hand or power reamer bits then this is ideal. Whilst all drill bits will eventually go blunt and need replacing, the better quality ones do give much longer service than the cheaper ones. When drilling any material, considerable friction is generated between the drill bit and the workpiece. It is important that you don't allow the bit to become too hot, as this can sometimes cause it to soften and become ineffective.
During drilling, do not apply too much pressure to the drill as you will almost certainly snap the bit. Over time, you will develop a 'feel' for when the bit has nearly penetrated the bottom of the hole, and you will know when to ease pressure on the drill in order to avoid the jaws of the chuck coming into contact with the workpiece and damaging the surface.
To extend the usefulness of your mains power drill, you will also want to invest in a good quality drill stand and press. Its probably a good idea to buy one made by the manufacturer of your drill as you can then be sure that everything will fit together correctly. If the drill press comes with an optional vice that attaches to the bed of unit and allows workpieces to be held rigidly whilst drilling then all the better.
Wire Strippers 
These will separate the professional amateurs from the amateur professionals every time. Unless you're working with thick armoured cable, or very heavy duty solid core cable, you're showing yourself up if you try and remove the insulation from the wire with your thumb and the blade of a knife. Not only is it guaranteed that you'll eventually slice a chunk of yourself off, but it requires an incredibly light touch and almost a lifetime of practise to feel when the blade has passed through the insulation and is about to damage the conductors. In multi-cored cable such as mains cable, you can cut through the outer insulator and damage the inner cable sheaths in one smooth movement. Assuming that you even notice this potentially dangerous mistake, the only thing to do is cut the whole lot off and start again. I'm sure that if all the cable that this slapdash approach wastes each year were to be put end to end then we'd be well on the way to the moon in no time.
Soldering Iron and Desolder Tool 
You'll be using your soldering iron almost as much as your wire strippers so it's worthwhile getting a good one. Go to a shop where the assistant will let you pick up a number of similar irons and chose the one that feels comfortable and well-balanced. The heating element should be ceramic cored and the iron should be designed in such a way as you can change the tips as and when necessary. If you can select a model with low tip leakage current then all the better. As well as the iron itself, you'll need a good heavy stand, ideally with an integral sponge. Its also a good idea to buy a number of different tips of varying sizes for different types of work. The more advanced (and expensive) temperature controlled soldering irons and soldering stations are overkill for the beginner, though you may want to think about one if you're doing a lot of work, or if you become very serious about your hobby.
Desolder tools come in a dizzying array of shapes and sizes. For the hobbyist, the spring-loaded plunger design is more than adequate. Be aware that these tools do need to be dismantled and cleaned, practically after each session, and the tips and 'O' rings do need to be replaced periodically. If you can buy a supply of 'O' rings and tips along with the desolder tool itself then all the better.
With regard to the solder itself, buy a decent quality 60/40 solder, and NEVER EVER use plumber's flux when working with electronics. Its not necessary, makes a hell of a mess, and is highly corrosive.
Desoldering Tool
Desoldering tools and materials include the following:
- Solder wick
- Heat guns, also called hot air guns
- Desoldering pump
- Removal alloys
- Removal fluxes
- Heated soldering tweezers
- Various picks and tweezers for tasks such as pulling at, holding, removing, and scraping components.
- Vacuum and pressure pumps with specialized heater tips and nozzles
Terminology is not totally standardised. Anything with a base unit with provision to maintain a stable temperature, pump air in either direction, etc., is often called a "station" (preceded by rework, soldering, desoldering, hot air); one, or sometimes more, tools may be connected to a station, e.g., a rework station may accommodate a soldering iron and hot air head. A soldering iron with a hollow tip and a spring-, bulb-, or electrically-operated suction pump may be called a desoldering iron. Terms such as "suction pen"[2] may be used; the meaning is usually clear from the context.
Multimeter
In my opinion, you should buy now a DMM (digital multimeter), not a analog (with handle) multimeter. The best is DMM with analog bargraph.
If you agree, so we will talk about what you need pay attentions to a DMM:
1. Accuracy: if you are not a metrology engineer, so a standard accuracy is good enough, as most of DMMs now have the accuracy of 1% or better for DC ranges 2% or better for AC ranges. You should know that the analog multimeter usually has the accuracy of 2.5% or worse. So accuracy for DMM is not the problem.
2. Input impedance: most of DMMs now have 10 Mohm or higher for DC voltage ranges, 1 Mohm or higher for AC voltage ranges. That is quite good, so this parameter is not a problem either.
3. Measurement features: most of DMMs can measure: AC voltage, DC voltage, DC current, AC current, resistance, continuity, diode check.
You may want some more features: capacitance, frequency, temperature, humidity, pressure, transistor hFE measurement
4. Automatic switching ranges: cheap DMMs have no this feature, while it is very useful and safe, especially, when you need to measure the unknown high value of voltage, current. On the other hand, DMMs with this feature also have good enough input protection, that is the most important.
5. Measuring ranges: most DMMs have good enough wide ranges: DC voltage of 100 mV to 700...1000V, AC voltage of 400 mV to 600...1000V, DC and AC current up to 10A, resistance from tens to 30...40 Mohm.
You may want the lower ranges of DC or AC voltage ranges, so check carefully with the DMM's manufacturer documents. In general, the DMM itself cannot have higher ranges of measurement due to instability If you want higher ranges, you should look for the auxiliary attachments.
7. The last word: the best DMM I ever love is of Fluke USA. However, they are expensive, and the accuracy is much higher than I need. A few years ago, it also made the cheap Fluke 17, Fluke 19 for China and other low-end markets, but it never informed on its website, and discontinued very soon after. The other brand names are HP/Agilent, Wavetek, Yokogawa, Sanwa, Kyoritsu, ...
Files
Buy a good quality set of needle files for close work, and a set of larger files for general metal working. The now familiar caveat of buying good quality is still relevant even for files. Cheap and nasty files have uncomfortable handles which will do nothing but give you blisters and snap when you're using them. The teeth are poorly machined and they'll just make a mess out of all your hard work. A piece of metal worked properly with a good quality file can sometimes not be distinguished from one which has been machined. A couple of flat (preferably "bastard" cut), round and square files in different sizes will allow you to make odd shaped holes for connectors and switches.
Hacksaw(s)
A good quality full size hacksaw and a "baby" version - but not the plastic bodied types - they are useless. Cutting pot and switch shafts, reducing screws to a sensible length and a multitude of other essential cutting tasks will be a lot harder if you have to chew through them with your teeth.
Steel Rule
Absolutely invaluable this. Buy a good one with both metric and imperial divisions. A couple of cheap plastic rules will also come in handy. For marking out panels before drilling, an accurate 90 degree square is a good investment.
Hands
Vice
On the subject of holding things in place, I also find that a collection of artery forceps and a number of different sizes of 'G' cramp are often just what you're looking when there just aren't enough fingers or hands to go round.
You don't need a huge engineer's vice for normal electronics work, a small woodworker's vice will do just nicely. If you can get one that comes equipped with a quick release mechanism so that you can move it to whichever corner of the workbench takes your fancy then this is excellent. One which will allow you to fashion and fit jaw covers made of wood or plastic is also a good idea, as the standard cast or wrought iron jaws will almost certainly damage a lot of the components that you will be working with, no matter how careful you are.
On the subject of holding things in place, I also find that a collection of artery forceps and a number of different sizes of 'G' cramp are often just what you're looking when there just aren't enough fingers or hands to go round.
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