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Vintage Test Gear and Workshop Equipment For discussions about vintage test gear and workshop equipment such as coil winders.

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Old 7th Dec 2019, 4:19 pm   #21
Diabolical Artificer
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Default Re: Tools/Equipment You Can't Be Without

"Buy yourself a “diamond picker” for only a few quid." That looks brilliant Jeremy, I'll definately get one. Oh the happy times I've spent mucking about trying to get washers on the ends of bolts and screws while balancing a chassis precariously, screwdriver in left hand in the screw head, washer gripped in tweezers, washer on after 10 attempts....then the tiny wretch jumps off the screw and hides in a dark corner somewhere on the floor. After repeating this half a dozen times the air is blue and my left eye is twitching : )

"I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned a lamp limiter yet" Good point Tony.

I'd never buy a DMM - a Tenma - with auto off again, the last thing you want is a loud beep when your working on high voltage. I wouldn't be without the Fluke 25 I bought to replace the Tenma thinking about it.

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Old 7th Dec 2019, 5:18 pm   #22
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Default Re: Tools/Equipment You Can't Be Without

All your posts are being copied and pasted into a word document for quick reference; thank you.

I wish I had seen the posts regarding Cif for cleaning those rotten Philips belts off the deck and pulleys before I wasted my time with methylated/white spirit and 200 cotton buds; what an amazing product. Should I come across another Philips deck when the current one is completed, it will be so much easier.
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Old 7th Dec 2019, 5:35 pm   #23
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Default Re: Tools/Equipment You Can't Be Without

Quote:
Originally Posted by Diabolical Artificer View Post
"Buy yourself a “diamond picker” for only a few quid." That looks brilliant Jeremy, I'll definately get one. Oh the happy times I've spent mucking about trying to get washers on the ends of bolts and screws while balancing a chassis precariously, screwdriver in left hand in the screw head, washer gripped in tweezers, washer on after 10 attempts....then the tiny wretch jumps off the screw and hides in a dark corner somewhere on the floor. After repeating this half a dozen times the air is blue and my left eye is twitching : )

"I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned a lamp limiter yet" Good point Tony.

I'd never buy a DMM - a Tenma - with auto off again, the last thing you want is a loud beep when your working on high voltage. I wouldn't be without the Fluke 25 I bought to replace the Tenma thinking about it.

A.
First thing I did on my Uni-T DMM (from Maplin) was to work out how the auto-off worked and then short-circuit the appropriate switching transistor. The instrument works fine but will not power-down when I am working on something. I often have to 'buzz out' cableforms, backplanes, etc and the last thing I need is for the continuity checker (i.e. that DMM) to turn itself off.

A trick for getting a washer onto a screw, stud, etc in a tight corner, assuming you can arrange for the screw to point upwards is to slip the washer over a long rod-like thing (screwdriver, engineer's scriber, etc). Then hold the washer on the rod, put the point/end of the rod on the end of the screw in the unit and let the washer go. It will slide straight down onto the screw most of the time.
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Old 7th Dec 2019, 5:45 pm   #24
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Recently I discovered that the centre zero function (+/- 5 and +/- 25V) of my cheap Maplin analogue meter is (almost) indispensable when tracing power lines on a PCB. It goes up and down (no surprise there) quickly, unlike a DMM where you have to wait and look for the weeny "-" sign, and the vague magnitude of volts visible in your peripheral vision.

Back on topic, I could do without almost all tools and bodge away, the minimum reasonable kit is, analogue multimeter, good cutters, good soldering iron, pliers and a cordless drill (with screwdriver bits).
 
Old 7th Dec 2019, 8:28 pm   #25
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Default Re: Tools/Equipment You Can't Be Without

Head band magnifier. without which nothing will be done.

Good screwdrivers, I use Bahco, one of the few that mark the width and depth of the flat blade, I find this important.

No complaints about 'anyones' power screwdriver bits, last amazingly well.

A good pair of 8" side cutters. Can be used to cut off rusted screws, pillars, holes in chassis, adjustable spanner and lots of other tasks. Probably the most used tool I have, can wear a pair of Knipex ones out in a year. The Stanley ones are ok.

A good temperature controlled iron and lots of tin/lead solder. Mine is Antex, soldered up thousands of PCBs.

If you want a scope than I have an ancient Japanese single channel one FOC. It is also digital, but bandwidth is probable only 1MHz, analogue possible 5 or 10MHz. Works ok.

An adjustable spanner, I like the wide opening ones you can get, try 6" size.
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Old 8th Dec 2019, 10:37 am   #26
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Default Re: Tools/Equipment You Can't Be Without

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned PC based scopes. For real detail, sure a proper instrument is what you need, but something like a Picoscope is a lot cheaper, and when not in use takes up much less space. At work, I use one as a first port of call, especially as I can so easily run it on the same PC my test programs are running on, and simply grab screenshots to explain what I'm seeing. It also includes an arbitary waveform generator which I can also use to simulate power supply disturbances with the addition of a power opamp.
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Old 8th Dec 2019, 11:03 am   #27
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Default Re: Tools/Equipment You Can't Be Without

What's the overload robustness like on PC-based scopes ? In valve circuitry a probe slip can easily expose the scope input to well over 100V.

Cheers,

GJ
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Old 8th Dec 2019, 2:19 pm   #28
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Default Re: Tools/Equipment You Can't Be Without

Quote:
Originally Posted by GrimJosef View Post
What's the overload robustness like on PC-based scopes ? In valve circuitry a probe slip can easily expose the scope input to well over 100V.

Cheers,

GJ
Just checked the spec on mine, +/- 100v protection.
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Old 8th Dec 2019, 4:21 pm   #29
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Default Re: Tools/Equipment You Can't Be Without

The things I find useful but are rarely encountered in 'amateur' toolboxes are:

Nut-runners. The really-deep ones are the perfect thing for fitting/removing the nuts on potentiometers, jack-sockets, wavechange-switches, toggle-switches etc; you can put on plenty of torque and unlike a conventional open-ended spanner there's no risk of the thing slipping and gouging the panel. Smaller nut-runners are also useful when fitting/removing nuts that are buried in amongst 'classic' point-to-point component-wiring around valve-bases, coil-packs etc.

Artery Clamps: I'm really amazed more people don't use these. They conveniently lock-on to component leads making it much easier to solder without burning your fingers. Also handy when threading replacement wires through birds-nests of components.

Scalpels: a clean cut can be made in a small space, and packs of blades are cheap.

Cocktail Sticks. Yes - the wooden ones are perfect for poking solder out of the holes on PCBs, component tags etc.

I also wouldn't be without my set of RS coaxial-fitting spanners when it comes to getting the right tightness on BNC, C or N connector glands.
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Old 8th Dec 2019, 4:41 pm   #30
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Default Re: Tools/Equipment You Can't Be Without

If Brian follows the excellent advice in this thread he'll have a fully equipped workshop in no time at all. Probably have to move house to accommodate it all.

Alan
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Old 8th Dec 2019, 5:06 pm   #31
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I'm really impressed with all of the advice and recommendations; just have to prioritise my shopping list now.

Thanking you all once again.
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Old 8th Dec 2019, 7:33 pm   #32
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Exclamation Re: Tools/Equipment You Can't Be Without

"Tools you cannot do without". This isn't intended to be funny, etc., but it is blindingly obvious. One 'tool' that none of us ever could part with or go without is simply functional eye-sight. It's easy to take it for granted - too easy! If you're ever doing anything where your eyes even might become damaged, use protective glasses. To quote Lidl: "When it's gone, it's gone".

Al.
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Old 8th Dec 2019, 9:43 pm   #33
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Default Re: Tools/Equipment You Can't Be Without

Nut runners, yes, but do you find there are many sizes for pots, BNCs etc?

An AC/DC clamp meter, the £25 ones are fine.
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Old 9th Dec 2019, 12:00 am   #34
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Default Re: Tools/Equipment You Can't Be Without

A split screwdriver.

https://www.amazon.com/Screw-Holding.../dp/B0002RIA3K

How many times have you spent ages or become frustrated trying to refit a screw in an awkward position.

Al
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Old 9th Dec 2019, 2:33 pm   #35
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Hi!

One of those small white case TC1 Colour Screen Component Testers – they'll give a quick test of normal semiconductors – mine will show up triacs, IGBTs and SCRs and they'll also read zener diodes up to about 33V breakdown – useful for all those Asian diodes that only have a green or blue band on 'em!

I wouldn't be without mine and I'm employed doing industrials!

(Technical Note for owners – the 4u7 and the 0u1 50V MLCC caps C11 & C12 do short on these – if anybody's got one with a black screen that doesn't come on – look at these two caps first!)

Chris Williams
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Old 10th Dec 2019, 11:46 am   #36
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Default Re: Tools/Equipment You Can't Be Without

There are really 2 different categories of tools needed for repair of 'vintage' equipment. Tools to repair the mechanical / physical side and the diagnostic tools for the electrical / electronic parts.

For electrical / electronic diagnostics you already have tool #1, the DMM! An analogue meter can be useful but personally I wouldn't bother as I would use a scope (tool #2) anywhere the DMM wasn't suitable. You really need a probe or two for the scope as well, X10 but don't waste cash on very expensive high bandwidth ones - these are great, but only if someones else is paying The final item is the dream item (so don't expect to get one without getting a second mortgage) - a current probe, especially one of the ones that look like a felt tip pen

dc
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Old 10th Dec 2019, 12:02 pm   #37
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Default Re: Tools/Equipment You Can't Be Without

Although I am not really into chassis bashing or scratch building, I often find my BA tap and die set (plus a few small metric taps) often comes in handy. Always on a shelf, near to reach.
I also like the squeeze handle automatic wire strippers, though sometimes use just wire cutters, carefully! My last pair were £2 or £3 but work very well.
Rob
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Old 10th Dec 2019, 9:50 pm   #38
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Default Re: Tools/Equipment You Can't Be Without

Not sure if anyone has mentioned the obvious tool !
A decent soldering iron is a necessity.
A small box or tray for any parts when dismantling items. even a saucer will do.
Small torch and batteries for when you drop something inside or on the floor.
A toolbox is handy obviously if your tidy .
Peter W Reelguy.
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Old 10th Dec 2019, 10:08 pm   #39
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Thanks for your posts, as previously mentioned, all your info is being put into my shopping/advice folder.

Brian
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Old 12th Dec 2019, 1:28 pm   #40
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I think power supplies are under appreciated, possibly because of their relatively high cost compared to, say, a half decent oscilloscope.

I have a home constructed 0 to 30V supply with variable current limiting and an output current meter. I used a multi-turn pot and turn counting dial to set the output voltage. At 10V/turn, it’s easy to ramp up to the voltage setting you need to 0.1V resolution. This is useful for powering partly constructed projects, charging batteries, and repairing battery powered stuff where the battery holder only works with the case fully assembled.

I also have my “luxury” mains supply, an isolation transformer plus variac with output metering and cut out all in one box. This is used for any unknown or potentially faulty stuff on my bench, and slowly increasing the voltage whilst monitoring the current has saved more than one set of expensive silicon.

I use either one of these supplies far more than I use my oscilloscopes.

Stuart
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