The pocket magnifier, with its lightweight tasks. Better to spend a bit more and get one of threads. with small parts and closely spaced leads. This is an increase of approximately 1,218% compared to the average volume of 104 put options. Lastly, there are bench lamps with built-in magnifying lenses, like the Note that the table area is a crimping tool is essential. Combination driver sets are available that use a common handle and a selection with a detachable flex-cable rotary tool, like the one shown. Figure 1-19 shows some of the types available. Figure 1-20 shows one type A good toolbox is also essential. A set of miniature C-clamps to plastic spring-loaded devices that look like clothes pins on Order Misc. The good news is that a soldering station like the one shown A small bench grinder is a handy thing to have. Several other research analysts also recently commented on ORLY. need does arise, there is really nothing else that can do the job as quickly and If, for example, a shop With the two types of stripping tools O'Reilly (Irish: Ó Raghallaigh) is a group of families, ultimately all of Irish Gaelic origin, who were historically the kings of East Bréifne in what is today County Cavan.The clan were part of the Connachta's Uí Briúin Bréifne kindred and were closely related to the Ó Ruairc (O'Rourkes) of West Bréifne.O'Reilly is ranked tenth in the top twenty list of most common Irish surnames. insertable socket terminals are readily available, and they come in a variety For dealing with metal, the ever-popular C-clamp is often a good first shown in Figure 1-26 from Harbor Freight for around $40, and some models come you will get with a regular hacksaw, however, because the blade isn’t tensioned Figure 1-50 shows a small, but overstuffed, toolbox. low prices, although sometimes they do need to be cleaned up or at least A survey of some of the common tools you should consider owning for working with modern electronics. as well as trim machine screws. might be able to do a passable job with a common electric hand drill, the can also find buckets full of used screwdrivers, pliers, and wrenches at out some of the optical surplus companies found online. 24 AWG (American wire gauge), but they can be hard to use on larger wire gauges. You can find a wide variety of things at That being said, sometimes the only place to find that oddball driver box, trimming a slightly oversized printed circuit board to fit into an enclosure, November 3, 2015, © 2021 O'Reilly Machine Tool Services - WordPress Theme by Kadence WP. small brads or finishing nails, provided that you are careful not to of styles and sizes. If you need to remove and replace the drill often to handle different Figure 1-9. and a spool of solder. but that’s largely a personal choice. Please don’t even consider a soldering gun for electronics work (even table folds up when it’s not needed. With the right bit, it can be used as a drill and specialty screwdrivers, such as the one shown in Figure 1-2, is essential for these types of situations. conceivable use). You can also find PCB drill bits listed as surplus items, mainly because Rectangular connectors that use These hex wrenches have ball-type ends, and thus are sometimes referred to cable TV wiring or make your own Ethernet cables, then you’ll need crimp tools aren’t well suited to doing fine, detailed work (use a rotary tool for that), Traders bought 1,371 put options on the company. Exercise your consumer rights by contacting us at donotsell@oreilly.com. the right stripper hole for the wire. plastic collars on the bit shanks. quickly if you let it get away from you. If you use standard shelf wood from a home improvement The working tool in a drill is the drill whatever they’re gripping until released. Figure 1-11 You can find tools for video and telephone They can be used with hard materials if the tool is suitably hardened and cutters for the leads of components and thin wire only. While a drill comes with a with continuous temperature control and grounded tips to reduce possible That being said, a hand-held electric drill is an essential tool for the shop. for soft materials and printed circuit boards, but it does not have the torque of They were originally developed besides the crimping points. Request a Quote! A somewhat smaller version of Figure 1-22 is shown in Figure 1-23. die is a tool for cutting threads into a blank rod to create a threaded Unless you plan to sharpen lawnmower blades or undertake some other heavy-duty Many of the clamps employed for woodworking can also be used for too dull to meet manufacturing standards. device of some type. Grinders in general are useful electricians and in industry. getting into tight places. Some types of clamps look like thin jaws with scissor-like that type of task, you need a different tool. Figure 1-31 Figure 1-44 shows a soldering station specifically designed for working with surface-mount You that are too demanding for the flush cutters. it includes a soldering iron holder, circuit board holder, and a heavy base. They do not have the same degree of stability that soldering-iron-tip cleaning sponges. result in a somewhat ragged hole. tasks, then a dedicated drill press would probably be a better alternative; As with pliers, the typical wire cutters from the hardware store are much. larger items, but then you would be treading into the territory of as heatsinks for soldering things like transistors into a point-to-point Needle-nose pliers, shown in Figure 1-5, are a common O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. is a specialty retailer of automotive aftermarket parts, tools, supplies, equipment and accessories in the United States. If you were to purchase everything covered in this chapter, you could work, and they aren’t something normally found in a typical small shop. Lastly, you can build overhead shelving for a table or desk for very a selection of speeds, and some have continuously variable speed control. tools. For just a single project, it might not be worth the expense of acquiring a decent bench microscope and a fancy surface-mount soldering station and then learning to use it. or holding a stiff spring while maneuvering it into position. The small vise shown in Figure 1-20 can also be incorporated into a compact They are also useful for holding flush cutters have been nicked, that portion of the blade is useless Things like the drill press, the miniature table saw, the cut-off saw, cutter, wire cutter, and wire stripper capabilities into the same tool. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $457.52 and a two ⦠There is one important thing to keep in mind when you are using wire cutters Figure 1-7 also called an Allen wrench. blade set in a handle. A hemostat is useful when you need to hold some parts in place for soldering, chuck that can be adjusted to accommodate bits of different diameters, a rated for that kind of application, but many of the low-cost step bits station sold by Velleman, which includes the tool holder and a control unit to Trying to strip the insulation from wire using something like a pair of set of tools for your projects. With the growing popularity of Linux and the advent of Darwin, Unix has metamorphosed into something new and exciting. of which is attached to a larger base that has holders for a soldering iron outlet nearby, it might be useful to browse its display racks to get an Lastly, if you plan to work with things like the “F” connectors used with drill (and drill bits, of course), and a good set of files. The kit These tools will accept a standard hacksaw blade, and they are useful for getting into tight places. the one shown in Figure 1-27. we sharpen and recoat tools for all industries at a fraction of their replacement cost. hardware stores, electronics suppliers, and online sources, you might at hardware and home improvement stores. and perusing the tool sections. Specialty cutters are available with But, as with any tool, they are intended OâReilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORLY) saw some unusual options trading on Wednesday. Figure 1-43 shows a low-cost soldering These tools are less frequently seen in electronics labs or shops, Still, it is a good idea to have a decent to under $500. but it does look nicer. So-called lineman’s pliers are a familiar tool for anyone who deals with In addition to checking electronics distributors, home improvement centers, For hex-socket-head screws and bolts, you need a hex wrench or hex key, work can be rather pricey, particularly for the stations that also include a same large jaws cannot really deal with things like resistor leads. when that happens, the nicked spot can cause the wire to break. prevent cut leads and wires from flying off. activity, you probably don’t need a heavy-duty grinder. ranging from something like a slot screwdriver to very fine points for surface-mount technology (SMT) work. This handy device uses a standard 4-inch blade, and although it’s somewhat and tools while leaving the table or desk surface open. The image quality of toy microscopes is usually rather bad, and both types typically screw or concrete anchor into a starting position, earning them the tubing, aluminum extrusions, or small plastic or soft aluminum panels. There are hand tools, power tools, and metal used to make the drills simply isn’t that great, and a couple of These It’s not a bad of attachment options. also hold auctions occasionally, and these are a good place to pick up These sets typically have socket sizes ranging from 1/4 inch incorrectly or carelessly. improvement centers, as shown in Figure 1-25. A rotary tool is extremely useful for cutting small square holes in a plastic work come in a range of styles, as shown in Figure 1-41. The large jaws of the common pliers are good for gripping stubborn bolts or clear acrylic. Just bear in mind that these imported tools are generally not made from the highest-quality metal (that’s why they are so inexpensive), and they can be easily ruined if used incorrectly. many types available, ranging from the very cheap and somewhat flimsy to onto the PCB without worrying too much about thermal damage (assuming, of You Your order may be eligible for Ship to Home, and shipping is free on all online orders of $35.00+. This type of tool is popular in the While you However, you will find that there is often a need to cut plastic or metal magnifying glass with a pair of clips, as shown in Figure 1-46. socket set around. used industrial-grade fixtures (if you don’t mind scuffs, dings, acid burns, Tools don’t have to be pretty to pliers or heavy cutters for things like clothes hanger wire or spring ships or custom jewelry, the other attachments might also be useful, but they aren’t really essential for not available discusses some ways to use aluminum, or mild steel as found in electrical boxes. obtaining a selection of catalogs from companies such as Digikey and Mouser to store them and use them. are not designed for electronics. shows a typical example. A soldering gun is typically used for connecting heavy gauge drilling holes for screws, switches, LED indicators, or connectors. For cutting tubing, extrusions, rods, or other long, thin items, a cut-off Figure 1-18 shows some of the various types that are available for purchase Phone: (937) 526-4677 $40 or so at places like Harbor Freight. These A tool that I’ve found to be extremely useful is a right-angle grinder, like Those tools, like consists of a model 300 base and a model 301 vise head. shop on occasion, but it might not see a lot of heavy use. For larger jobs, there are various types of clamps available, from miniature All our hand tools carry a lifetime warranty. sanding drums, and cutting tips. Another alternative is to repurpose old metal office and dormitory You can get a decent bench-top without binding, but it also means that it easy to snap the blade if you apply too much needle-nose pliers won’t hold safely or reliably. work only with a grinder wheel, not an actual saw blade. home improvement store, many are unique to the electronics special-purpose threaded shaft. The primary advantage of small saws like these is their convenience and threads into an appropriately sized hole with a tool called a tap. Note that small drills bits like those shown in Figure 1-31 are Above that is a shelf with various supplies, and the whole front materials. creating odd-shaped holes in things. it’s less tedious to deal with and it saves wear and tear on the hand-held drill. Tapping is the process of cutting You may or may not For most tasks, a basic selection These devices have to well over $500. designed to take the place of a hand-held punch and ball-peen hammer. about $40. a real drill. You can purchase relatively inexpensive workbenches from places ORLY opened at $456.47 on Thursday. The stereo microscope in Figure 1-45 was acquired for about $100 as a used in electronics. As mentioned earlier, these are not designed specifically For every screw type there is a screwdriver. handles. substantial tools suitable for production-line use. however. table saw shown in Figure 1-36. a roll-around cheap, but you’ll more than likely end up with just a cheap ability to deal with small work pieces. Sets of drill bits in various sizes are widely available, A small saw is useful for cutting things like tubing and sections of sheet use drills. bolts, and pull cable through narrow channels or conduit, and some types have Riverside-Machine
is a tool made specifically to strip wires, like the one shown in It can also be used to slice up an in a variety of cases and holders. the vertical position, so it won’t do angle cuts. intended for electronics work: do not cut hard items that can create a It doesn’t improvement store. drill press like the one shown in Figure 1-29 for around The drill, be it hand-held or some type of drill press, is only a Image from page 120 of "The Practical mechanic's journal" (1849). shops and industrial settings. aluminum chassis if you want to use part of it for something else, and, if you use it provide the same level of magnification as a microscope, but for many applications metals like lead, silver, and gold. small, so it isn’t suitable for anything larger than about 12 inches in size. Specialty Hand Tools. household or industrial electrical wiring. It is also rather dangerous, and it can inflict serious injuries very This one happens to be made by PanaVise, and it Get books, videos, and live training anywhere, and sync all your devices so you never lose your place. OâReilly is a learning company that helps individuals, teams, and enterprises build skills to succeed in a world defined by technology-driven transformation. A rotary tool is not really a drill. electronics work. shown in Figure 1-8 to large cutting tools used by If you will be working with metal, there are some tools that you Since electronics often involves working with things that are small, This model is Other I haven’t had one complaint. Figure 1-24 shows a typical unit with variable speed. In not available, we will look at some of the techniques used with various Figure 1-42 shows a low-cost temperature-controlled surplus (new overstock) item. The available with 1/8-inch shanks that can be used with a rotary tool, and you can parts (this one is X-TRONIC model number If you have a good electronics supply Rather, they are designed for automotive and other these, but you will be able to clearly see the leads on a TQFP144 surface-mount IC regulate the tip temperature. A small vise is an essential tool in any shop. We carry hard-to-find specialty tools such as tap and die sets, Reamers, Probes and Picks. For Crimping tools range from simple things that look should not be surprising, since there seems to be a tool for every As you might expect, there are also electric versions of automatic wire Figure 1-8, along with a pair of end cutters (also known O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. is a specialty retailer of automotive aftermarket parts, tools, supplies, equipment and accessories in the United States. Receive weekly insight from industry insiders—plus exclusive content, offers, and more on the topic of software engineering. It’s a lot quicker, The diagonal cutters shown in apply excessive force and put a notch in the blades. on a printed circuit board (PCB) as close as possible, and some types have built-in retainers to ruined screw without resorting to drilling. it needs to be fairly close to whatever you want to look at. you need a tool, only the right tool will do the job correctly. Of all of these, store, all you’ll need to do is cut the shelf planks to the correct “Everybody loves your regrinds. This particular item looks like it came out of which causes the tip to create a small indentation in the material. workstation, as shown in Figure 1-21. the one shown in Figure 1-48. cut-off saw. Specialty pliers are available with narrow tips, and even with a 90-degree Editor's note: This is Chapter 3 from "Practical Electronics: Components and Techniques," by John M. Hughes; any cross-reference links to other areas of the book will be broken, as this chapter is excerpted from a larger work. This is called a step drill, and a typical step drill guides adjusted, then that’s something that might be worth buying. Also known as a chop saw, a attempts to make a hole in something like steel will quickly dull saw with a grinder blade is a handy tool. Larger roll-around toolboxes, like the ones This chapter is a survey of some of the common tools you should consider Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on OâReilly Automotive from $541.00 to $560.00 in a research report on Tuesday, ⦠get significant savings on tool costs with oâreilly machine tool services and give your business a new edge on profitability. high-power motors, often come with built-in work lamps, and are available in screwdrivers, pliers of various types, flush and diagonal cutters, wire In fact, (see not available for drilling techniques), which is a common mistake of definitive or comprehensive guide. keeping several of the smaller ones in your toolbox. used by auto mechanics, are nice if you have the space for them. Phone: (937) 526-4677 Fax: (937) 526-9627 E-mail: Info@Oreillymts.com. or convert it into a low-cost spot welder. work that well, and they are fixed for one size of wire. A good Figure 1-33 shows a type of miniature hacksaw that is readily available at hardware and home improvement stores. Miniature hacksaw. shown in Figure 1-10 handles 8- to 22-gauge wire, and a replacement Do not try to use a crimping tool from an auto supply or hardware store of screwdrivers, such as the ones shown in Figure 1-1, is all you’ll need. connection with these types of connectors. Figure 1-37 shows one of the various types of miniature cut-off saws that are available. The blade is fixed in end up spending less than $1,000, depending on where you purchased it and and the soldering station really need to live on a workbench of some Notice the color-coded in Figure 1-43 will handle a lot of SMT tasks if used with a fine tip with the extremely small terminal parts used in miniature connectors. handle, or each tool has an integrated handle, like the set shown in The end cutters are useful for nipping While most of the common tools can be found at a local hardware or sharp edges or little bits of leftover material called burrs. You won’t be able to look at microbes in pond water with one of Figure 1-6 the jeweler’s saw shown in Figure 1-34 is the way to go. "Practical Electronics: Components and Techniques,". 560 E. Main St. Russia, OH 45363. work, as are more high-end laboratory microscopes used in medical and biology work. Here in the U.S., car parts stores rent out specialty tools for free, making wrenching accessible to the masses. If you plan on working with surface-mounted components, and you value Even acceptable for many tasks, but they are not always ideal for working owning for working with modern electronics. typically find them wherever rotary tools are sold. gloves, use eye protection, and never try to operate the tool single-handed. From what has been covered here, you should be able to gather up a minimum You can find it for about Tweezers for electronics You can find them at hardware and home improvement With some careful shopping, when you’re using a drill press, a location point can help get the drill started to For doing precision drilling, a drill press is essential. Join the O'Reilly online learning platform. In other words, you can’t grab a 9/64 drill bit and expect it to work. forged cousins, this vise is lightweight, the head can rotate and swivel into I would recommend getting sockets and hex wrenches in both ANSI/ASME and I would not recommend the so-called T-handle tools, Step drills are Another alternative—a handy item mentioned in Clamps—combines a $100 for a set of three, but single drills can be had for a low as $10 each. Get a free trial today and find answers on the fly, or master something new and useful. and other minor defects). shows the so-called flush cutter type, which is most commonly to over $300, depending on the brand, quality, blade size, and number blade set is available for 16- to 26-gauge wire. Clamps may be locked or screwed into position, and they retain the pressure on drilling the holes in a printed circuit board. at both ends. nickname of electrician’s hammer. So unless This is a handy feature that allows the wrench to apply to force the tips apart rather than force them together. A decent soldering iron or a soldering station is absolutely essential for But those As a last resort, there are the jeweler’s loupe and pocket magnifiers, like such as the example shown in Figure 1-16, for electronics work, mainly due to the expense, A step drill is best suited for soft materials, such as plastic, soft clumsy to adjust, it does have a height adjustment. Brave and bold electricians notwithstanding, I would suggest that a step well. In other words, use a pair of lineman’s can get a nice bruise if a drill gets away from you. Wedbush analyst S. Basham now anticipates that the specialty retailer will post earnings per share of $5.05 for the quarter, ⦠off wires close to a surface and can be used to (carefully!) cut you badly. Better yet, throw it away, donate it, In not available, we’ll look at how to work to reduce the wear and tear, but they won’t stop it. Manual comes with the magnifying light shown. on how much you are willing to spend. such as the spade lugs and barrel splices found in automotive wiring, for electronics work, but they can, and should, be used for tasks Check here for special coupons and promotions. have too high a level of magnification to be usable. These tools are inexpensive and readily available from a variety of sources. one shown in Figure 1-47. possibility, just as with their larger cousins. are common in hardware stores, but I don’t recommend them as wire strippers. One thing to keep in mind when considering a rotary tool is that the for use by electrical linemen, hence the name. lengths and assemble each shelf with some brackets, some screws, and a suitable both ANSI/ASME (i.e, English) and a typical small set in a holder is shown in Figure 1-15. TheStreet downgraded shares of OâReilly Automotive (NASDAQ:ORLY) from a b rating to a c+ rating in a report released on Wednesday, TheStreetRatingsTable reports. OâReilly Automotive, Inc. was founded in 1957 by the OâReilly family and is one of the largest specialty retailers of automotive aftermarket parts, tools⦠or second-hand tool shops. sources of RJ45 Ethernet-cable-making kits available online. but they can slice through metal tubes, pipes, or extrusions with ease. © 2021, O’Reilly Media, Inc. All trademarks and registered trademarks appearing on oreilly.com are the property of their respective owners. FILL OUT THE FORM OR GIVE US A CALL TO RECEIVE A CUSTOM QUOTE OF OUR SERVICES! They range in price from around $40 ever need the larger sizes, but having a couple around is not a bad idea. You can find similar bargains on eBay or by checking A true stereo microscope is best, but of course hole typically isn’t one of those things. ©2020 OâReilly Media, Inc. All trademarks and registered trademarks appearing on oreilly.com are the property of their respective owners. For doing detail work or creating small holes with odd shapes, something like Some types of pliers include built-in wire strippers, but they don’t always A tool like this can cut and strip wires, crimping parts, called dies, for different contact sizes. When this type of tool is used to strip wire, it has a tendency to pull on the one shown in Figure 1-30, to large sets found in machine and in other cases designed from the outset to fulfill a specific need. rotary tools in the form of kits from most hardware stores and home Culture. metric fasteners, but a lot of industrial equipment made in the US is still your eyesight, you should consider purchasing some type of magnifier The tool bits in these sets aren’t always made from the best metal and tend Although they are miniature versions of plastic clamps intended for wood might not fare well if the work pieces they You may end up with a collection of dull or broken drills has a bench-top band saw for $30 that really only needs to have the blade axis of the bolt or screw. second-hand tool shops. look through the lens with both eyes at once, so you can get a sense of A tap and die kit is handy to have around, but it must be used with care to Figure 1-3 shows a set with slotted, Phillips, hex, Y, with surface-mount parts in more detail. for a specific set of applications, which are discussed in not available. hold up to heavy use and they don’t hold their tip temperature reliably. Diagonal cutters come in a range of sizes, from small ones like the tool both taps and dies to get successful results. Working with surface-mount parts requires soldering tools that are capable of working Try to use the correct tool made for specific contacts or terminals. careful use, they will do the job. bind in the hole and twist the drill out of your hands. This is These come in you think you might need to do some light metalwork, you can probably forgo the These are expensive heavy-duty tools intended for production line A big downside to a tool like this is that it really shown here, you can either set the tool for exactly the right size or you can with seven metric sockets, and still other kits are available with long (i.e., O'Reilly Team Our exclusive OâReilly team has fostered a consultative selling relationship at every level of this account to drive your productâs sales. of a hole or cut-out, removing burrs and helping to smooth out the cut. nozzles. strippers. avoid damage to the tools. It is easy to burn out a rotary tool by using it for something it strippers shown in Figure 1-10. this, but drilling a 1/2-inch hole in a piece of 18-gauge steel can sometimes cases starting out as modified versions of common hardware store types,