Getting better with electronics? What tools?

[Deleted member 22482]

Hello!

I'm going to the store today or tomorrow to buy myself some new tools because every problem I have met when building my first C6 host laser has been that I don't have the tools... And I want to get into electronics aswell, so what tools should I get when I go to the store? I have a $800 budget.

This is what I'm getting:

- Soldering Iron
- Vice
- Digital MultiMeter
- Solder core
- Set of Allen Wrenches
- Mini screwdrivers

Please expand my list! I am currently only with the hobby lasers, but I want to start with R/C stuff aswell.


Oh and, do you guys have any websites or a youtube channel which can be used to get better with electronics? I want to create my own drivers in the future and be able to hack ordinary electronics and make them to something fun.. Not buy everything finished.

And also, is rcuniverse.com the forum/website to go with if I want to get into the R/C hobby? When looking in all forums, I can't see any beginners asking for help or any threads with information for new people, so it seems like a forum for people who have done r/c stuff for like 10+ years? Aren't there any forums for novices?

Thanks!

 

[Flaminpyro]

Please listen as I am telling you straight out if you are really serious about electronics
and soldering then don't buy a cheap soldering iron, get something that is going to
perform well and for a long time.

I like Weller irons as I have been using them for over 40 years now and have used
others on occasion and would not trade mine for any other !

Here is what I suggest for you, this is a good iron but one with built in temp control and no
external dial is a better choice but look at this one any way, it's free shipping from here.

http://www.testequipmentdepot.com/weller/solder/wes51.htm

So here is some of the small hand tools on my work bench and these are the ones I am using the most.


I like the solder sucker over solder wick because with the wick You have to heat the board to a high temp for a
longer time than you do with a sucker, I have de-laminated the copper pads of stubborn solder joints using
solder wick on boards before.
All it takes is a little practice and you'll get good at it.

Solder flux is a very good thing to have even if your solder is a flux core type
the after market flux makes all your joints a lot better !

If you do more than the casual solder joint you might want to even think
about more than one kind of flux, like if your doing some surface mount
you may want "tacky flux"

So I really do use all of them tweezers depending on the job to be done.

You will want a set of Allen wrenches in metric and SAE sizes.

Some small needle nose pliers and a couple different types of close in cutters
some small screw drivers, don't buy cheap go to sears and get some good stuff !

That pair of flush cutters there with the x-acto knife in between the handles cost me
$79.00 they are EREM model 776E and are Swiss made and worth every penny, if you
want to do the job right you have to have to right tools !

X-ACTO knives came in handy get more than one size.

Dental picks or pointy steel objects come in handy also.

It's good to be able to see them small items so a good loop is needed, I also
have a OptiVISOR with a 5 power lens and it's a life saver if you want to see
them small parts up close while you work.

Diode presses are a must also if you want to do a good job and not possibly
destroy a good laser diode by using a jerryrigged press.

I use a jewelers tweeter stand instead of helping hands, I just like it better.

Hope this helps, Have fun and be Safe

 

[Deleted member 22482]

Please listen as I am telling you straight out if you are really serious about electronics
and soldering then don't buy a cheap soldering iron, get something that is going to
perform well and for a long time.

I like Weller irons as I have been using them for over 40 years now and have used
others on occasion and would not trade mine for any other !

Here is what I suggest for you: BRB

Yes I know. I just got my pay check so I am buying a good station. Is weller the thing?

 

[Polonium210]

Get some solder wick and a solder sucker. Also you can pick up a pocket DSO on eBay pretty cheap.

 

[Hiemal]

You'll want wire snips, a pair of pliers, and wire cutters too. These are indispensable when working with electronics. You should also get a "helping hands" which is basically just a little base with some alligator clip leads coming off of it. It helps hold things steady when you're soldering.

 

[Deleted member 22482]

You'll want wire snips, a pair of pliers, and wire cutters too. These are indispensable when working with electronics. You should also get a "helping hands" which is basically just a little base with some alligator clip leads coming off of it. It helps hold things steady when you're soldering.

Is the wire snips used for removing the insulation or whatever it's called around the wire?

What tool will I need to "melt" the heatshrink tubing around cables? Can I use ordinary matches or do I need a tool for it?

 

[Hiemal]

To shrink heatshrink, I actually just use my soldering iron... xD

And, wire snips CAN be used to remove the insulation.

What else you may want are wire strippers, specifically made to cut insulation off of wires.

 

[Deleted member 22482]

Please listen as I am telling you straight out if you are really serious about electronics
and soldering then don't buy a cheap soldering iron, get something that is going to
perform well and for a long time.

I like Weller irons as I have been using them for over 40 years now and have used
others on occasion and would not trade mine for any other !

Here is what I suggest for you, this is a good iron but one with built in temp control and no
external dial is a better choice but look at this one any way, it's free shipping from here.

Weller WES51 Analog Soldering Station, Weller WES51 - at the Test Equipment Depot

So here is some of the small hand tools on my work bench and these are the ones I am using the most.


I like the solder sucker over solder wick because with the wick You have to heat the board to a high temp for a
longer time than you do with a sucker, I have de-laminated the copper pads of stubborn solder joints using
solder wick on boards before.
All it takes is a little practice and you'll get good at it.

So I really do use all of them tweezers depending on the job to be done.

You will want a set of Allen wrenches in metric and SAE sizes.

Some small needle nose pliers and a couple different types of close in cutters
some small screw drivers, don't buy cheap go to sears and get some good stuff !

That pair of flush cutters there with the x-acto knife in between the handles cost me
$79.00 they are EREM model 776E and are Swiss made and worth every penny, if you
want to do the job right you have to have to right tools !

X-ACTO knives came in handy get more than one size.

Dental picks or pointy steel objects come in handy also.

It's good to be able to see them small items so a good loop is needed, I also
have a OptiVISOR with a 5 power lens and it's a life saver if you want to see
them small parts up close while you work.

Diode presses are a must also if you want to do a good job and not possibly
destroy a good laser diode by using a jerryrigged press.

I use a jewelers tweeter stand instead of helping hands, I just like it better.

Thanks man!

I'm buying most of those things. I also found a good weller station. May I ask, what is the wattage that you want to use for most electrical soldering, such as circuit boards, lasers, etc. 15W? 30W? 50W? 100W?

 

[Flaminpyro]

Plazma Speaker Really :thinking:

Could I get two really small ones mounted on a helmut so I can listen in stereo :na:

You'll want wire snips, a pair of pliers, and wire cutters too. These are indispensable when working with electronics. You should also get a "helping hands" which is basically just a little base with some alligator clip leads coming off of it. It helps hold things steady when you're soldering.

@ ginhev123 I would not get any thing less than a 40 watt station, it will only get as hot as it needs to because it's either going to be regulated or you will set the temp, depending on which model you get.

So if you get a really low wattage iron and you are doing a lot of soldering it may not be able to keep up and you could end up waiting for it get get hot, solder some then wait to get hot, solder some then wait to get hot, so don't get any thing less then 40 watts 60W would be good.

 

[Deleted member 22482]

Plazma Speaker Really :thinking:

Could I get two really small ones mounted on a helmut so I can listen in stereo :na:





@ ginhev123 I would not get any thing less than a 40 watt station, it will only get as hot as it needs to because it's either going to be regulated or you will set the temp, depending on which model you get.

So if you get a really low wattage iron and you are doing a lot of soldering it may not be able to keep up and you could end up waiting for it get get hot, solder some then wait to get hot, solder some then wait to get hot, so don't get any thing less then 40 watts 60W would be good.

Okay. I found one Weller for $140 here. So I'm going for it.

 

[Flaminpyro]

Which one ?

Okay. I found one Weller for $140 here. So I'm going for it.

 

[Deleted member 22482]

Which one ?

They have a limited sale here in Sweden of 3 units in a store with these:
Weller lödstation WD 1000 HPT - Lödstationer | Köp Online

The price you see on the website is 5509 kronor, about $900 but they are on sale for $140. 120W.

I have to hurry up, going in two hours to the store to get it.

 

[Flaminpyro]

Wow could you possibly get two of them I will pay for the second one and the shipping to get it to me and give you some store credit for doing it for me ?

They have a limited sale here in Sweden of 3 units in a store with these:
Weller lödstation WD 1000 HPT - Lödstationer | Köp Online

The price you see on the website is 5509 kronor, about $900 but they are on sale for $140. 120W.

I have to hurry up, going in two hours to the store to get it.

 

[Deleted member 22482]

Wow could you possibly get two of them I will pay for the second one and the shipping to get it to me and give you some store credit for doing it for me ?

I just went there after leaving my little brother at his school, they were sold out. Crap. I was thinking about buying two, I knew someone would ask but no

But I asked them if they'd have more in the future, and they said that they are going to close down that specific store in 6 months, so they are slowly making deals. I think I'm going to wait with the soldering station for some weeks and in the meanwhile do my soldering at my friends house, until there is a new deal popping up. Next time I'm running there as soon as I see a good deal.

EDIT: The store next to them sells them for $690, but I just checked Amazon and they are $620 there, so I'm not buying that soldering station, even though it looked pretty and was looking super high techonologic.

 

[Flaminpyro]

Yep right now they are $589.00 at Sears

If you find it again for $140.00 please pick up two or even three of them, I'll buy one for sure anytime at that price !!!

Have a good one

I just went there after leaving my little brother at his school, they were sold out. Crap. I was thinking about buying two, I knew someone would ask but no

But I asked them if they'd have more in the future, and they said that they are going to close down that specific store in 6 months, so they are slowly making deals. I think I'm going to wait with the soldering station for some weeks and in the meanwhile do my soldering at my friends house, until there is a new deal popping up. Next time I'm running there as soon as I see a good deal.

EDIT: The store next to them sells them for $690, but I just checked Amazon and they are $620 there, so I'm not buying that soldering station, even though it looked pretty and was looking super high techonologic.

 

[Deleted member 22482]

Yep right now they are $589.00 at Sears

If you find it again for $140.00 please pick up two or even three of them, I'll buy one for sure anytime at that price !!!

Have a good one

I will do so.

I have heard about the store Sears somewhere.. In some programme where they build houses or something..