Tools for a DIYer.

[clipto333]

hi guys,

since im a DIYer i know how important a tool kit is. one definitely need some tool to make life a little easy. i have had a few bad experiences because i didnt have proper tools.

safety is the most important reason to use proper tools. if one uses a wrong tool for eg a using flat head screwdriver for a phillips head(+) screw can be dangerous because of the screw driver slipping. you can cut your finger or you can hurt your self in many ways which isn't good. its really painful.

the time taken to do a job can be cut if one uses proper tools and equipment.

here is a list of some toos and equipment which can make life simpler and safer for a DIYer.

for starters, you need to have some safety equipment like :-

good quality latex or other gloves. fiber glass is very tricky to handle because it can cuse rashes and can badly itch.

glasses - this is very important to avoid small particles from getting into the eyes. you can damage your eyes if a solid object comes flying into your eyes.

breathing mask(dont know thw technical name) to work with Fiber glass and some chemicals. the fumes from these chemicals can be deadly.

proper clothing. you need it to cover your body entirely so that no Fiber Glass particles or any other dangerous substance comes in contact with your skin. before working on something, make sure you are not allergic to the things you are working with.

the most important thing is a first aid kit. if any thing goes wrong and you hurt yourself or others you will need it till you can reach a hospital. dont omit this please.

these wer some safety equipment you must have so dont do anything without these.

now the tools

one needs a set of wrench(the one used for tightening a nut or bolt.) to loosen or tighten a bolt. its good to have 5 to 22 size wrenches as these are the most commonly used ones and you one doesnt work with more than size 22 often. baaki it your wish iw you want more sizes.

one needs a combination of different kinds of pliers. and i dont need to explain why it is importance. you dont need too many so 2-3 will be ok.

a combination of small, medium and large screw drivers. you will also need allen bolt opening tools as they are quite common nowdays. allen bolts have a pentagonal shape where you insert the allen keys.

you will be needing a dremel kit. it hs a motor and is just like a drilling machinw. i dont have it but im going to get it soon. you will also need a small drill machine for heavier work. dremel is important because it is light and can fit in your hand easily. drill is a heavy machine

one should have an assortment of drill bits. you should also stock some wall mounting thingys. the ones you insert the screw in a wall.

you might also need a hack saw. a junior one is great as it is small in size and light in weight. i have it and it can cut through quite a few things.

yyou might want a wrench which has a switch to reverse its operation. it is really of great help in situations where there is less space to use a normal wrench.

one should have a soldering iron for minor work if one can solder. a 15 watt iron will do for most of the smaller work. but you will need a high wattage iron if you want to work with thick wires etc. you will need a soldering wire and wax and a desoldering wire along with a stand for the iron.

solderon is a good indian brand with good quality soldering irons. sirion IIRC is also a good brand.

you need a crimping tool to crimp wire terminals etc.

you will need electrical insulating tape.

rest i will update later as i have to go now.

cheers
clip

[moralfibre]

Something that could be of use is given by

crutchfield advisor.

[ankur]

A dremel tool , its a must in any DIYers toolbox. Once you get it, you will wonder how you lived without it.

[clipto333]

Originally Posted by ankur

A dremel tool , its a must in any DIYers toolbox. Once you get it, you will wonder how you lived without it.

yes, i agree. ill be buying some power tools, i think. its good to have proper tools. i have had bad experiences earlier and they were painful.

cheers
clip

[Vivekphadnis]

I don't know how I would have done speaker box building without my impact drill and circular saw. It's just so easy with these two. I am planning to get myself a orbital sander.

[esteem_lover]

Originally Posted by Vivekphadnis

I don't know how I would have done speaker box building without my impact drill and circular saw. It's just so easy with these two. I am planning to get myself a orbital sander.

Vivek, you are leagues above the common DIYer. I just cannot understand what is an orbital sander ? Does it revolve in orbit while it saws off your speaker boxes ?

[rohan_fonseca]

Any ideaswho stocks dremels and approximate costs?

[kutlee]

Hole saws and wood saws are quite useful in wood work. Hacsaw has very less clearance and is mainly intented for cutting steel and wood work using that might take more time...my observations.

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

Vivek, you are leagues above the common DIYer. I just cannot understand what is an orbital sander ? Does it revolve in orbit while it saws off your speaker boxes ?

As opposed to the belt sander, where the abrasive is on a belt continuously moving in one direction, the Orbital sander moves a sheet (OK, 1/2 of a conventional sandpaper sheet) and moves it around in circles. The movement is 'orbital' with respect to the sander motor housing (can be a small palm-sized one, a larger 2-handed version). Belt is better for coarse work (removing large amount of peaks), orbital for finer work.

Saves a lot of elbow grease when sanding large surfaces. By using progressively finer sandpaper / emery-paper, one can get a smooth uniform surface very fast.

Not recommended for water-based 'cutting' for final coats of lacquer or paint, though - tends to leave circular marks.

@vivek - where do you buy your tools from?

[Sam Kapasi]

Originally Posted by clipto333

one should have a soldering iron for minor work if one can solder. a 15 watt iron will do for most of the smaller work. but you will need a high wattage iron if you want to work with thick wires etc. you will need a soldering wire and wax and a desoldering wire along with a stand for the iron.

solderon is a good indian brand with good quality soldering irons. sirion IIRC is also a good brand.

Clip is right, but I want to elaborate.

The brand that you cannot go wrong with is SOLDRON - inexpensive and bits are easily available. Beware of cheap imitations.
The industry standard and my own recommendation is a 25W Soldron iron.

Solder Wire: Again, the wrong choice here will make a mess of everything. In India I prefer JOINT brand only. I would not dream of experimenting.
You get various gauges, for the best, clean work i prefer 22 gauge flux cored Joint brand solder wire. It has a typical white and green packing.
You also get 18 gauge, but that causes too much solder to be present on the joint.

Remember to scrub. clean or tin the copper surface. Never attempt to solder a wire without scraping it slightly with a blade or sandpaper - it makes a clean and better joint.

Not Wax, the word is FLUX: While soldering you may not need any. The joint solder wire is flux cored, so if your joint is clean, you wont need extra flux. But flux causes the solder to join faster at a lower temperature.

And finally - you will not need De-soldering wicks for regular wire based soldering, unless you plan to do desolder some PCB soldering. Like removing a transistor or something.
In this case I would recommend a brand called DESOLWIK - but you will need to warm it (By placing an iron on it) and soak it in flux first, before desoldering.

Enjoy and do not hesitate to ask any question here before attempting your first soldering job.

[Vivekphadnis]

DerAlte, the drill and circular saw are of Electrex make. I bought them from a small shop in Guttahalli. But I have a Hitachi disc grinder which I bought from SJP Road. That is the best place to get power tools.

Hi Sam, the subwoofer boxes are almost finished. I am in the process of building two 200W amplifier modules for the drivers.

[Bass&Trouble]

I think MF picked up a sheet listing out the common tools required for car audio installation last time he was in Bombay. Maybe you can put that here, the farsee, tocha, hathodee, iskrew-drive one.

[S@~+#0$#]

As much as I can, I try and do things myself. To be able to do this, I have a small collection of tools that varies from spanners, rachets, duct-tapes files to soldering-irons, drill-guns and blowers but have found it difficult carrying them when required. I am currently using an old military explosives box that I picked from the Chor Bazaar. But I need something more organised and lightweight. Any ideas on a good brand that makes toolboxes? Something like this would be great Craftsman Tool Case, Black - Model 59378 at Sears.com

IMO, another must-have is a Victorinox Multi-functional knife. It is very handy and has bailed me out of many a difficult situation.

[clipto333]

thanks sam :-) yes it is SOLDRON. and its flux. sorry for that. i can imagine someone asking for wax and making a fool out of himself. and desoldering wick ofcourse. thanks again.

sam, isnt 15 watts more than enough? a 25 watt ca damage thing if used for too long. but for wires and stuff, the 25w iron will be fine.

and i have bought some power tools. sorry for posting it in three different threads but it belongs here. gota black & decker cordless drill, a jigsaw machine, a crew driver kit(to be used with the drill) a wood planer and some drill bits and jigsaw blades. these power tools have made my life a lot easier. i could remove my sub from the enclosure in 1 minute flat. :-)

cheers
clip

[navin]

Originally Posted by clipto333

thanks sam :-) yes it is SOLDRON. and its flux. sorry for that. i can imagine someone asking for wax and making a fool out of himself. and desoldering wick ofcourse. thanks again.

you do get solder wire with a flux core, at best you now need flux to clean the tips. Soldoron makes nice irons and interchangable tips too. They've been in the business as long as I can remember. :-)