Cool Tools To Giveaway for a Blog Review

I'd be happy to test that set out for you Randall

Rod

Well, I was going to say me, but 14rhb beat me to it . I own a couple of Wera Kraftform screwdrivers sets (Lasertip and Micro), and the Joker Combination wrenches (metricmetric and imperialimperial), all I can say is, Wera makes fantastic tools.

It's hard for me to say which ones are my most useful tools -I like many of them- but, since we are in an electronics collaboration community, these are my most used ones for my projects in this matter:

• Engineer PA-14 Wire Stripper: very clean and precise for thin wires.
• Engineer PA-09 Micro Connector Crimpers
• Hakko CHP-170 micro cutter: I use them for wires, pins and also to clean 3d-printed parts
• Tweezers mostly for SMD work and soldering: Hozan P-89 self-closing tweezers, Goot standard precision tweezers TS-10 and Goot eagle-break precision tweezers TS-15
• Measuring: Mitutoyo 950-300 pocket steel ruleMitutoyo 950-300 pocket steel rule and Mitutoyo 531-128 high accuracy caliper: both have Metric and Imperial graduations
• OLFA Cushion Grip Knife (AK-4): used mostly for deburring 3d printed parts and custom-made PCBs. Used also for SMD work -to clean/move excess of solder paste-.
• 1 mL Industrial Syringes with 18G x 1-1/2" Blunt Tip: for SMD work are very good, very little force required, small tip and only need to take just a small amount of solder paste out of the fridge.
• Tamiya Basic File Set: used for custom-made PCB -yes I use OSH Park- and 3d printed parts.
• Wera Kraftform Lasertip and Micro screwdrivers

Luis

I could do it... I own a the Wiha 75965 set, which is the same category. Both are quality German brands that come with a screwdriver and ratchet grip with small bits. I got a vernier and microscope I could use to compare them too, here are some photos:

Hey neuromodulator,

Interesting tools. I am also looking to buy a microscope as well. Can you share a link of the company where you bought it? 

I am located in Germany. 

Cheers,

That's a Wild Heerbrugg M3 stereomicroscope with 3 magnification levels. The company doesn't exist anymore, it was founded by a guy that worked at Zeiss, Wild later merged with Leitz, finally became part of Leica. The M3 is probably 30 or 40 years old, I was lucky to buy for around 170 usd. You will never go wrong with a Leica, but new Leica stereomicroscopes are quite expensive.

I've lost / had stolen, two Leatherman skeletool with the extended screwdriver sets.

Really rate them in a pinch.

Phil

Hi!

There are also some ideas here:

Building a Digital PCB Inspection Microscope with the Gizmo 2

There is a photo there from a Meiji microscope, which is often quite cheap when purchased used. I paid about £120GBP. There is a different Meiji one on ebay currently, at £110, although it is in the UK.

That blog post is three years old now, but I still use that microscope regularly. The digital camera connected to Gizmo-2 that is described in that blog post is still used too, but I just connect it to my laptop (the Gizmo-2 single board computer is used elsewhere now). My colleagues found the digital camera useful for component placement. If I could change anything, I'd replace the half-inch posts with 1-inch posts for more stability when fully extended, but they cost more : (

This is my favorite tool, circa 1912:

I'm picking that it is a Mill but with the chuck added for drilling ...

It will still be going in another 100 years .... well done.

Gordon,

The last picture, Klein Catapults do have a wire cutter in them. It is the hole in the center of the silver rectangle. It works well, but you have to pass the wire through the hole. This works well for prepping the wire to crimp a lug onto, not so much to cut a wire like with side cutters.