Electronic tools and equipment

To get the job done quickly, you must choose the right drill bit. A bench vise is a mechanical apparatus used to hold an object while performing work on it. Bench vises do not necessarily need to be attached to workbenches—as long as the working surface is stable, a bench vise can be attached either directly to the surface or the side. Bench vises vary according to their strength, durability, and application.

Heavy duty and medium duty bench vises are commonly used for industrial operations. Helping hands are the nifty tools that hold together components when soldering or assembling projects. It has a magnifying glass, clippers that can keep the parts in place, and an adjustable jig used in craftwork. Like the other tools, this will save you time and avoid having many difficulties, especially when holding things together.

Using helping hands, especially in soldering, is very important when working with circuitry in electronics. When purchasing this tool, make sure it has a strong base or stand. Having a magnifying glass is optional, but really helpful.

They are useful when trying to see labels on components or trying to find broken solder joints. Thus, they are usually present in electronic and electrical laboratories. A multimeter is an electronic measuring instrument that has multiple functionalities; hence it is also called a multitester.

Typically, these functionalities include the ability to measure voltage, current, and resistance. This measurement tool is essential for troubleshooting due to its capacity to measure with a high degree of accuracy. This device with a positive and a negative indicator is a useful tool that helps users from simple tests, faults detection, to sophisticated diagnostics.

Electricians, engineers, and even students find it necessary to have a multimeter in their possession. Multimeters come in analog and digital versions. These are available in a wide range of features and prices. A variable power supply is essential for your circuitry to work. A battery is an example of a power supply. Now, in experimentation and tests, it is best to use a variable power supply that can provide a range of voltages and currents.

Variable power supplies are always present in electrical or electronic laboratories. It is beneficial to have one. Oscilloscopes are used to test, service, and repair electronic circuits. Oscilloscopes can detect electronic waveforms and digital signals, and display them in an easy to read way on a monitor.

Oscilloscopes can detect sine waves, sawtooth waves, and square waves. The waveform can be analyzed for properties such as amplitude, frequency, rise time, time interval, distortion, and others. Signal generators are electronic devices that generate electronic signals. These generated signals are used as a stimulus for electronic measurements, typically used in designing, testing, troubleshooting, and repairing electronic or electroacoustic devices.

Signal generators have different types for different purposes and applications. It includes function generators, RF and microwave signal generators, pitch generators, arbitrary waveform generators, digital pattern generators, and frequency generators.

Most of these are in electrical and electronics laboratories. A function generator is usually a piece of electronic test equipment or software used to generate different types of electrical waveforms over a wide range of frequencies. Some of the most common waveforms produced by the function generator are the sine wave, square wave, triangular wave, and sawtooth shapes. These waveforms can be either repetitive or single-shot. So there you are! Ready these tools and equipment as you start your own electric and electronic projects.

Feel free to leave a comment below if you have questions about anything! You cover parts of soldering but left out the actual solder. What kind of solder do you recommend? There are so many choices! If I press 63 or any other number respective LED only should glow. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email.

I agree to these terms. Related Posts. For health and safety I would suggest a lead-free solder Reply. Leave a reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Search Search for:. Follow Us. Figure shows a set with slotted, Phillips, hex, Y, and other styles. Although inexpensive combination sets might seem like the answer to all your driver needs, you should bear in mind that you get what you pay for. The handles can also become loose or even break if stressed too much.

That being said, sometimes the only place to find that oddball driver you really need is in one of these imported combination kits. The pliers available from a hardware store or other locations are acceptable for many tasks, but they are not always ideal for working with electronics. Figure shows a selection of typical tools you might find at an auto parts or home improvement store.

The large jaws of the common pliers are good for gripping stubborn bolts or holding a stiff spring while maneuvering it into position. But those same large jaws cannot really deal with things like resistor leads. For that type of task, you need a different tool. Specialty pliers are available with narrow tips, and even with a degree bend. Needle-nose pliers, shown in Figure , are a common tool in any electronics toolbox. But, as with any tool, they are intended for a specific set of applications, which are discussed in not available.

They were originally developed for use by electrical linemen, hence the name. These tools are rugged and versatile and can be used to bend large-gauge wire, cut screws and small bolts, and pull cable through narrow channels or conduit, and some types have cut-outs to crimp lug-type connectors.

Figure shows a typical example. You can find them at hardware and home improvement stores, online suppliers, and most electrical supply outlets. As with pliers, the typical wire cutters from the hardware store are suitable for cutting wires for home wiring and automotive work, but they are not designed for electronics. Specialty cutters are available with blades designed to cut flush against a surface to trim component leads on a printed circuit board PCB as close as possible, and some types have built-in retainers to prevent cut leads and wires from flying off.

Figure shows the so-called flush cutter type, which is most commonly used in electronics. The diagonal cutters shown in Figure , along with a pair of end cutters also known as nippers , are common types of wire-cutting tools. As mentioned earlier, these are not designed specifically for electronics work, but they can, and should, be used for tasks that are too demanding for the flush cutters.

Diagonal cutters come in a range of sizes, from small ones like the tool shown in Figure to large cutting tools used by electricians and in industry. The end cutters are useful for nipping off wires close to a surface and can be used to carefully! There is one important thing to keep in mind when you are using wire cutters intended for electronics work: do not cut hard items that can create a nick or notch in the blades. Once your flush cutters have been nicked, that portion of the blade is useless except perhaps for stripping small-gauge wires, but there are better tools for that.

Trying to strip the insulation from wire using something like a pair of flush or diagonal cutters is risky, at best. Unless you are very, very good, there is a distinct possibility that the wire will be nicked, and when that happens, the nicked spot can cause the wire to break. A better option is a tool made specifically to strip wires, like the one shown in Figure You can adjust the wire strippers shown in Figure using the set screw seen on the lower handle.

If set correctly, they will do a good job of removing most types of insulation without damaging the underlying wire. Manual wire strippers like these can be adjusted to any wire size from 10 down to 24 AWG American wire gauge , but they can be hard to use on larger wire gauges.

There are, of course, fancier wire strippers available, such as the automatic strippers shown in Figure Automatic wire strippers cut and remove up to 1 inch of insulation in one step, repeatedly removing the same amount of insulation each time. The tool shown in Figure handles 8- to gauge wire, and a replacement blade set is available for to gauge wire. As you might expect, there are also electric versions of automatic wire strippers.

There is also a style of tool that incorporates lug crimper, machine-screw cutter, wire cutter, and wire stripper capabilities into the same tool. With the two types of stripping tools shown here, you can either set the tool for exactly the right size or you can rely on the blade set and grabber jaws to do a clean job without requiring you to wrestle with the wire. If you are working with connectors that utilize crimped terminals, then a crimping tool is essential.

There really is no other way to make a good connection with these types of connectors. Rectangular connectors that use insertable socket terminals are readily available, and they come in a variety of styles and sizes. Crimping tools range from simple things that look like pliers to aerospace-grade ratcheted devices with interchangeable crimping parts, called dies , for different contact sizes.

Figure shows a relatively inexpensive tool for working with crimp contacts like those used in rectangular connectors. Do not try to use a crimping tool from an auto supply or hardware store for miniature electronic connectors. Those tools, like the one shown in Figure , are made to be used with connectors such as the spade lugs and barrel splices found in automotive wiring, and for those types of applications they are fine.

Note that the crimping tool in Figure has other things going on besides the crimping points. A tool like this can cut and strip wires, as well as trim machine screws. It can come in handy in an electronics shop on occasion, but it might not see a lot of heavy use. Try to use the correct tool made for specific contacts or terminals. You can find tools for video and telephone connectors at a well-stocked home improvement store, and there are multiple sources of RJ45 Ethernet-cable-making kits available online.

You can find a basic socket set at any auto parts, hardware, or home improvement store. It depends on how much you are willing to spend. Sockets come in metric sizes as well. Figure shows a typical kit in a plastic carrying case. But, like many other common tools, these sets are not intended for the electronics industry. Rather, they are designed for automotive and other heavy-duty applications. Still, it is a good idea to have a decent socket set around. Rather, the kit is a set of tools that plug into a common handle, or each tool has an integrated handle, like the set shown in Figure Also note that the combination tool kit shown in Figure comes with seven metric sockets, and still other kits are available with long i.

For hex-socket-head screws and bolts, you need a hex wrench or hex key, also called an Allen wrench. These hex wrenches have ball-type ends, and thus are sometimes referred to as ball drivers. This is a handy feature that allows the wrench to apply torque to a fastener without having to be directly aligned with the axis of the bolt or screw. This type of tool is popular in the optical sciences, where it is used to make fine adjustments to lens mounts and mirrors, and it is sometimes found in aerospace fabrication environments.

These tools are less frequently seen in electronics labs or shops, however. Clamps are designed to exert pressure to hold something, whether that is a single piece of wire, an electronic component, or two pieces of metal.

Some types of clamps look like thin jaws with scissor-like handles. Also known as hemostats , these are just repurposed medical tools. Figure shows some of the various types that are available for purchase from multiple sources. In the past, tools like this were used as heatsinks for soldering things like transistors into a point-to-point circuit. A hemostat is useful when you need to hold some parts in place for soldering, such as two pieces of wire or component leads.

They are also useful for holding things while an adhesive sets or for just keeping something out of the way. For larger jobs, there are various types of clamps available, from miniature C-clamps to plastic spring-loaded devices that look like clothes pins on steroids. Many of the clamps employed for woodworking can also be used for electronics work, so long as you keep in mind that things can get hot, and plastic clamps intended for wood might not fare well if the work pieces they are holding get too warm.

For dealing with metal, the ever-popular C-clamp is often a good first choice. Figure shows some of the types available. I recommend keeping several of the smaller ones in your toolbox. You may or may not ever need the larger sizes, but having a couple around is not a bad idea.

A small vise is an essential tool in any shop. Figure shows one type of bench vise commonly used in electronics work. Unlike its larger cast and forged cousins, this vise is lightweight, the head can rotate and swivel into various positions, and the jaws are padded with plastic strips to prevent damage to delicate items.

This one happens to be made by PanaVise, and it consists of a model base and a model vise head. The small vise shown in Figure can also be incorporated into a compact workstation, as shown in Figure In addition to the vise itself, it includes a soldering iron holder, circuit board holder, and a heavy base. Critical if working with EMT conduit, flex, etc. If cutting a lot of metal, then an electric reciprocating saw will save you time.

If working with conduit, you will need a hickey bender or any bending tool designed for the conduit you are working with.

A fish tape is very handy, and essential if working with conduit. A fish tape or fishing tools are required if you are installing electrical in existing walls or ceilings and are trying to minimize the damage you may cause by cutting as few access holes as possible.

For when you need some extra light for dark places, or when the power is off while working on existing systems. I have given you a list of many electrical tools and equipment here that you may need; some are absolutely essential, and some that will not be required or are just nice to have, depending on the complexity of the job at hand. There are many more electrical tools available, and lots of gadgets that are designed to make the job easier. Some work well, some not. I will be adding more articles taking a closer look at some of the electrical tools and equipment listed here in the near future.

If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Electrical-online will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated and helps support my efforts to produce more helpful articles and videos!

Email: [email protected]. Electrical Tools and Equipment. Before you tackle any electrical project, having the proper tools is essential to getting the job done efficiently, correctly, and most important, safely!

The old saying, use the right tool for the job, couldn't be more relevant, especially when it comes to electrical work. Share on facebook. Share on twitter. Share on pinterest. Share on linkedin. Personal protective equipment PPE Your personal safety should be the most important consideration. Circuit Testers You need to have a voltage tester of some type for electrical work, and one that you trust is working properly! Screwdrivers It is essential to have a good quality set of screwdrivers.

A basic set of screwdrivers should include the 3 main types of screwdriver heads. The recessed square shank or Robertson tip You need at least two sizes of each, but a full set would include: 1.

Electric Drill For larger projects, with a lot of drilling required wood studs, etc. Knife You will need to have a good knife, and I prefer a standard utility knife for stripping the PVC jacket from Romex, stripping large gauge wire, and for many other jobs as well. Wire Strippers Have a good quality wire stripper. Standard, Long-Nosed Pliers Also known as needle-nosed pliers. Diagonal Pliers Also known as side-cutters. A standard duty diagonal plier should also be a part of your kit.

Hammer Have a good quality, 16oz. You will need this for driving staples, nails, etc.