Tools of the trade

This is my list of some tools of the trade (some may not be needed, some may not be listed)

Mechanical
• Pliers- needlenose, linesman, diagonal cutters, duck bill, round jaw, slip joint, arc joint, wire stripper,and crimper
• Wrenches-(standard and metric) box end, ignition, and 6" and 8" adjustable spanner
• Sockets-
  • (1/4" drive) 5/32 to 9/16 shallow and deep, 4mm-14mm standard and deep, ratchet, breaker bar, and spinner handle
  • (3/8 drive) 1 /4 to 1" shallow and deep, 6mm to 22mm shallow and deep, ratchet and breaker bar
• Screwdrivers- phillips, torx, flat, allen, tamper proof. (Warning: Magnetic screwdrivers CAN damage data on disks and may damage other electronic components.)
• Dusting brush and/or computer vacuum cleaner and/or canned compressed air
• X-Acto knife (Be VERY careful with this)
• Drill with an assortment of drill bits
• Dremel Mini-Mite and bits
• 6" and 12" combination square and scribe
• Inspection mirror

Electronic
• 15W soldering iron, stand, solder, desoldering tool/braid, soldering tools (Be careful with this too)
• Wire wrap tool
• Integrated Circuit (IC) tools
  • IC pin straightener
  • Chip extractor/ inserter
  • Anti-static wrist strap or two
  • Anti-static foam
  • PLCC extractor (for PLCC chips)
  • maybe an anti-static workstation
• Digital Multimeter and adapter clips
• Logic probe for digital work
• 6-24V automotive test light
• RS-232 troubleshooter
• RS-232 break-out box
• Battery tester (Radio Shack RS22-090)
• Phone line tester
• AC outlet analyzer (regular and GFCI)
• Connector pin extractor and crimper-- .093, .062, and RS-232
• Highlighter or colored pencil for tracing over lines on the schematic that you have tested or hooked up

Supplies
• Fuses-auto, glass …
• Wire-usually 30 (wire wrapping), 22, 18, 16, 14,12, or 10 gauge; may need others, and wire clips and ties, shrink tubing
• Electrical tape (some duct tape too)
• Connectors and pins (molex, RS-232, and others)
• Heat sink compound, anti-seize compound, grease, light oil
• Extra computer cables and brackets
• Glue and epoxy
• Switches and electronic components (too many to name)
• Ear plugs, safety glasses, and a first aid kit
• Sheet metal screws, machine screws, mounting hardware, pieces of metal (aluminum downspout to fabricate 9V battery holders)

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