.. |clearer| raw:: html
.. |_| unicode:: 0xA0
:trim:
.. |br| raw:: html
*******************
Tools and Materials
*******************
Over many years we all establish our own favorite tools for specific
tasks, methods to do those tasks, and materials like lubricants, glues,
paints, etc that we have come to rely upon. This page documents mine.
Many of these have been used in my restoring of HP85 computers.
If you have some that you think I might like to try after reading about
what I already like, please let me know, or maybe send me a picture and
a writeup in the style of this page, and I can add it to this collection
of favorites.
You will find shopping links below to many of the products I have
described. These links do **not** include affiliate links and I receive
no compensation for mentioning the products or pointing to where to buy
them.
Tools
=====
.. index::
Metcal
Tools; Metcal
Metcal Soldering Iron
---------------------
My first soldering iron was a screwdriver held in the flame on the kitchen stove, with motherly supervision and guidance.
.. image:: _images/Copper_Soldering_irons_thumb.jpg
:height: 200px
:align: left
:target: _images/Copper_Soldering_irons.jpg
Soon after I upgraded to something that was called a soldering iron
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.. image:: _images/Birko_Soldering_iron_thumb.jpg
:height: 200px
:align: left
:target: _images/Birko_Soldering_iron.jpg
and then my first electric soldering iron that I used for about 5 years.
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.. image:: _images/Weller_Soldering_iron_thumb.jpg
:height: 200px
:align: left
:target: _images/Weller_Soldering_iron.jpg
For the next 25 years i owned several Weller soldering irons that had temperature control by swapping the tips.
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.. image:: _images/Metcal_PS2E_Soldering_iron_thumb.jpg
:height: 200px
:align: left
:target: _images/Metcal_PS2E_Soldering_iron.jpg
Around 1997 while working as a consultant, I discovered Metcal Soldering
irons. My client had much better R&D funds than I did, so these
soldering irons at over $700 were not on my radar. The experience of
using the Metcal in their lab instantly convinced me that these soldering
irons were what I should be using, so I got my wife to buy me one for
Christmas.
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I have used my Metcal system on a daily basis ever since. They come with
* A fairly long power cord from the power supply to the handle, made with insulation that does not burn or melt if accidentally touched by a hot iron.
* The handle is extremely light weight
* The cartridges (that set both temperature and tip shape) can be changed in seconds without having to screw any collars etc.
* Best of all is that they heat up in only a few seconds, and maintain their temperature even when switching from soldering small components to soldering to a ground plane.
Second hand systems can be found on eBay for about $100 to $150. My favorite tips are
* STTC-106 for SMT components
* STTC-137 for general soldering
* STTC-117 for plumbing.
With practice, and a good stereo microscope, I can solder 0.5 mm QFN packages, all SOIC packages,
and 0805, 0603, and even 0402 resistors and capacitors. The only parts I can't solder with my
Metcal are BGAs and packages that have pads that are hidden underneath.
New cartridge are $15 to $25 depending on style. They can often be found on eBay cheaper.
If this has piqued your interest, I recommend you find one to play with
and see if it is right for you. I wouldn't want you spending the big
bucks based only on my recommendation.
.. index::
Tweezers
Tools; Tweezers
Number 6 Titanium Tweezers
--------------------------
.. image:: _images/Number_6_Titanium_Tweezers_thumb.jpg
:height: 200px
:align: left
:target: _images/Number_6_Titanium_Tweezers.jpg
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I use these tweezers to hold surface mount parts like 0603 and 0402 resistors and capacitors. Titanium has 3 advantages over more common steel tweezers
* Lighter weight
* Titanium is a poor conductor of heat, so these
tweezers do not heatsink the solder joint if the tweezers are holding
the component lead. This means better solder joints
* Electrical soldering alloys (both Tin/Lead and ROHS SAC) don't
interact with the Titanium, so you don't have problems of getting solder
adhering to the tweezers
.. index::
Reverse Tweezers
Tools; Reverse Tweezers
Reverse Tweezers
----------------
.. image:: _images/Reverse_Tweezers_thumb.jpg
:height: 150px
:align: left
:target: _images/Reverse_Tweezers.jpg
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I use these tweezers to hold small parts and wires when soldering.
Unlike normal tweezers, these are normally closed with some spring
pressure from the handle. You squeeze the handle to open the jaws.
Excellent to hold wires while tinning, or small components when you need
an extra hand or two.
|Reverse Tweezers at Amazon|
.. index::
Pointy Probe
Tools; Pointy Probe
Pointy Probe
------------
.. image:: _images/Straight_dental_pick_thumb.jpg
:height: 100px
:align: center
:target: _images/Straight_dental_pick.jpg
These can be bought individually or as part of a set under the common
name of
* Straight stainless steel dental pick
* Dental pick set
Search on Google, Amazon and eBay for examples.
.. index::
Scalpel Handle
X-Acto Handle
X-Acto Blade
Swann Morton
Tools; Scalpel Handle
Swann Morton Scalpel Handle number 3
------------------------------------
.. image:: _images/Swann_Morton_Scalpel_Handle_number_3_thumb.jpg
:height: 150px
:align: left
:target: _images/Swann_Morton_Scalpel_Handle_number_3.jpg
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If you live in America, you probably have used many X-Acto handles
and blades. Sometimes also called a Hobby knife. Here is a video a
video to confirm your choice:
|X-Acto and friends on Youtube|
I've discovered something that for my precission cutting is far
superior: Surgical scalpels and the matching **locking** handles.
And here is someone else who also has found them superior:
|Swann Morton overview on Youtube|
|Swann Morton #3 handle at Amazon|
.. index::
Scalpel Blades
Tools; Scalpel Blades
Swann Morton Number 11 Scalpel Blades
-------------------------------------
.. image:: _images/Swann_Morton_No_11_Blade_thumb.jpg
:height: 100px
:align: center
:target: _images/Swann_Morton_No_11_Blade.jpg
To go together with your Swann Morton Scalpel Handle number 3 you will
need some blades. My favorite is the Number 11 blade. A pack of 100 will
cost about $30 , $0.30 per blade. Please be careful, these blades are
very sharp and are designed specifically to cut humans.
|Swann Morton #11 blade at Amazon|
.. index::
Hemostat
Tools; Hemostat
Self-Locking, Stainless Steel Hemostat With Smooth Jaws
-------------------------------------------------------
.. image:: _images/Hemostat_with_smooth_jaws_thumb.jpg
:height: 150px
:align: center
:target: _images/Hemostat_with_smooth_jaws.jpg
|clearer|
These are just like normal Hemostats (Forceps) except that there are no teeth
on the surface of the jaws. This makes them a good choice for holding
wires while removing insulation.
|Hemostat With Smooth Jaws|
.. index::
Desoldering
Tools; Desoldering
Hakko FR-301-03/P Desoldering Tool
-----------------------------------
.. image:: _images/Hakko_FR-301-03_thumb.jpg
:height: 200px
:align: center
:target: _images/Hakko_FR-301-03.jpg
|clearer|
This tool is as good a desoldering tool as the Metcal is a soldering
iron. It is very well made and the internal vacuum pump is sufficiently
strong to remove solder reliably from through hole PCB connections.
Unfortunately, it is rather expensive.
If this has piqued your interest, I recommend you find one to play with
and see if it is right for you. I wouldn't want you spending the big
bucks based only on my recommendation.
|Hakko FR-301-03 at Amazon|
|Hakko FR-301-03 at Digi-Key|
.. index::
Solder Sucker
Solder Pump
Desoldering Pump (Solder Sucker)
---------------------------------
.. image:: _images/Solder_Sucker_thumb.jpg
:height: 150px
:align: left
:target: _images/Solder_Sucker.jpg
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Solder Pumps are another common tool. I rarely use them because of the
way they operate. They use a spring loaded plunger that when the trigger
is pressed causes the plunger to move rapidly away from the tip and
create an inrush of air and liquid solder at the tip. The solder tends
to turn into a fine powder inside the tube. When the plunger hits the
stop at the end of its travel, it causes a mechanical shock that can
cause the fine solder powder to fall out of the tip and onto your board
or into your system. Solder powder can also come out when the plunger is
pressed in for another cycle. Depending on the material of the barrel of
the tool and the sealing material on the plunger that slides against the
inside of the barrel, some tools can generate high voltage static.
I recommend using solder wick instead.
.. index::
Keycap Puller
Tools; Keycap Puller
Keycap Puller
-------------
.. image:: _images/Keycap_puller_thumb.jpg
:height: 150px
:align: center
:target: _images/Keycap_puller.jpg
|Keycap Puller at Amazon|
Materials
=========
.. index::
Loctite 4014
Adhesives; Loctite 4014
Materials; Loctite 4014
Loctite 4014
------------
.. image:: _images/Loctite_4014_thumb.jpg
:height: 150px
:align: center
:target: _images/Loctite_4014.jpg
|Loctite 4014| is a medical grade |Cyanoacrylate| adhesive with very low
viscosity (very runny like water, 1 to 5 cp @ 25 degrees C) and it has
good wicking behavior. The recommended gap size is 50 microns / 0.002",
so it does not work well with very rough surfaces. Least expensive here
|RS Hughes 4014|, but also available at Amazon etc.
Cyanoacrylate Shelf Life
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Most of the Cyanoacrylate glues I have used are consumer products sold
in small 0.7 oz / 20 gram tubes/bottles. Usually the glue dries out
before it is all used, the nozzle gets clogged, and/or the glue turns
into much higher viscosity. In the past I learned that keeping
Cyanoacrylate glue in the fridge (not the freezer) can extend the shelf
life considerably. Since Loctite 4014 is more a expensive non-consumer
grade product, I have always kept mine in the fridge (about 4 degrees
C). The results are very encouraging. All the repairs described in these
pages that use this glue, used a bottle I bought around 2012 and had an
expiry date of 2013. This article was written in January 2020 and the
4014 still has very low viscosity, and seems to work as good as
originally.
My understanding is that Cyanoacrylate glues harden in the presence of
tiny amounts of water, such as the ambient water on the surfaces being
glued being in an environment that is not at 0.0% humidity. So normal
usage environments already have the required moisture on all part
surfaces. 4014 is designed to harden and be used at temperatures around
room temperature. (I am guessing the chemical reaction between moisture
and glue that causes it to harden, is slower at lower temperatures)
Given this understanding, minimizing the surface area of the glue in a
bottle exposed to air (keep it upright), and minimizing recirculating
air bringing more moisture into the glue bottle environment, will help
extend the life of the glue. So I keep the bottle of 4014 in a sealed
zip lock bag. If you invert the bottle to dispense the glue, the surface
area of the liquid will cover the rest of the inside of the bottle and
the dispensing tip. I avoid doing this. Instead, when I need some 4014
glue, (usually in very small amounts) I will unscrew the whole conical
top of the bottle, and dip a thin :ref:`probe ` into the
fluid to get just one drop of glue. Remember to replace the screw on
top, and return to the fridge when convenient.
*Due to Cyanoacrylate glues being particularly effective at gluing
fingers and hands to unintended surfaces, placing it in a fridge may be
hazardous depending on who accesses the fridge and their understanding
of these dangers. The container that holds the zip lock bag and the zip
lock bag itself should both be marked with appropriate warning labels. I
would not recommend this storage for a household with children, or
adults with poor impulse control.*
.. index::
Loctite 4061
Adhesives; Loctite 4061
Materials; Loctite 4061
Loctite 4061
------------
.. image:: _images/Loctite_4061_thumb.jpg
:height: 150px
:align: center
:target: _images/Loctite_4061.jpg
|Loctite 4061| is a medical grade |Cyanoacrylate| adhesive with higher
viscosity than 4014 (10 to 30 cp) and it has good gap filling behavior.
The recommended gap size is 50 microns / 0.002". It works better with
rough surfaces than 4014. Least expensive here |RS Hughes 4061|, but
also available at Amazon etc.
I handle my 4061 the same way as my 4014 `Cyanoacrylate Shelf Life`_
J-B Weld 5 minute Epoxy 50240H
------------------------------
.. image:: _images/J-B-Weld-epoxy-resin-50240H_thumb.jpg
:height: 200px
:align: center
:target: _images/J-B-Weld-epoxy-resin-50240H.jpg
There are many 2-part epoxies available and I tried about 6 of them
before settling on this fast setting product for the task of modifying
the green Stackpole plungers for the HP85 keyboard. I found that
although it is described as a 5 minute epoxy, it can take several days
to complete hardening. I did find that its workable time is about 5
minutes, and if you spend 1 to 2 minute thoroughly mixing the two
parts, that leaves you 4 minutes to apply the mixture and position
things correctly. It is very important to use equal parts of the resin
and the hardener. For the keyboard plunger modifications, I was mixing
quite small quantities of just 1 drop of each component. If you have too
much hardener in the mix, the result is that it never really hardens,
which is counter intuitive. If you have less hardener, it will harden,
but will take longer to reach final hardness. I recomend
experimenting/practicing dispensing a single drop of each, including
deliberately using 10% to 20% more of either component. I use old credit
cards et cetera as my mixing surface. This item is 8 fl. oz. total, I
used about 1/2 fl. oz. total to modify about 50 Stackpole plungers,
including multiple screwups and re-do's. I found that if I set up 3
plungers for modification, and I mixed 1 drop of each component, I would
have about the right amount of mixture to complete the 3 plungers, and
after the fiddling around of applying the mixture to the 3 plungers, the
4 minutes of working time was about complete. If you run out of mixture
or time, don't try a partial repair. Just mix up more more epoxy. The
short working time of this product ended up being the critical
requirement for the plunger modification, due to the need to get
everything positioned just right. The other products I tried with longer
working time would require constant attention to maintain positioning
while waiting for the hardening to reach a sufficient level to where
things don't "move on their own".
|Epoxy 50240H at Home Depot|
These are the other Epoxies I tried, and while they are probably fine
products, they were not as good as JB Weld 50240H for this specific
application.
- J-B Weld Original Epoxy 8265-S
- J-B Weld Plastic Bonder 50133H
- Devcon Plastic Steel Epoxy S-5/52345
- Devcon 2 Ton Epoxy S-35/35345
- Hot Melt Glue
Double sided tape
-----------------
.. image:: _images/Double_sided_tape_thumb.jpg
:height: 150px
:align: center
:target: _images/Double_sided_tape.jpg
I use this type of double sided tape when machining very delicate things on my milling machine.
|Double sided tape at Amazon|
Thermal Paper
-------------
The HP thermal paper is 4.22" to 4.23" wide. 107 mm
Since the paper drive rollers are on the left and right side, paper that
is too narrow does not work. I have confirmed that 4.00" paper that seems to be readily available is too narrow
I found the following thermally sensitive printer paper at a not
outrageous price on Amazon. |Thermal Paper at Amazon| Every thing else I
found for things like receipt printers is too narrow. This paper is
slightly too wide, so I trim the roll to the correct width of 4.230" on
my lathe, using a :ref:`Swann Morton Scalpel Handle number 3` and
:ref:`Swann Morton Number 11 Scalpel Blades`. The length/diameter of
this product is significantly less/smaller than the original HP paper
rolls. The trimming process is shown here :ref:`Seiko Paper`
.. image:: _images/Thermal_paper_thumb.jpg
:height: 150px
:align: center
:target: _images/Thermal_paper.jpg
.. commented out because irrelevant
These products may also be suitable, and don't need to be trimmed, but
as they are 4.000" wide there may be alignment issues, as well as cost
and how many in the minimum pack size.
- |4" wide paper #1 at Amazon|
- |4" wide paper #2 at Amazon|
- |4" wide paper #3 at Amazon|
- |Real product on eBay|
.. |Hemostat With Smooth Jaws| raw:: html
Hemostat With Smooth Jaws at Amazon
.. |Reverse Tweezers at Amazon| raw:: html
Reverse Tweezers at Amazon
.. |X-Acto and friends on Youtube| raw:: html
X-Acto and friends on Youtube
.. |Swann Morton overview on Youtube| raw:: html
Swann Morton overview on Youtube
.. |Swann Morton #3 handle at Amazon| raw:: html
Swann Morton #3 handle at Amazon
.. |Swann Morton #11 blade at Amazon| raw:: html
Swann Morton #11 blade at Amazon
.. |Hakko FR-301-03 at Amazon| raw:: html
Hakko FR-301-03 at Amazon
.. |Hakko FR-301-03 at Digi-Key| raw:: html
Hakko FR-301-03 at Digi-Key
.. |Keycap Puller at Amazon| raw:: html
Keycap Puller at Amazon
.. |Cyanoacrylate| raw:: html
Cyanoacrylate
.. |Loctite 4014| raw:: html
Loctite 4014
.. |RS Hughes 4014| raw:: html
RS Hughes 4014
.. |Loctite 4061| raw:: html
Loctite 4061
.. |RS Hughes 4061| raw:: html
RS Hughes 4061
.. |Epoxy 50240H at Home Depot| raw:: html
Epoxy 50240H at Home Depot
.. |Double sided tape at Amazon| raw:: html
Double sided tape at Amazon
.. |Thermal Paper at Amazon| raw:: html
Thermal Paper at Amazon
.. |4" wide paper #1 at Amazon| raw:: html
4" wide paper #1 at Amazon
.. |4" wide paper #2 at Amazon| raw:: html
4" wide paper #2 at Amazon
.. |4" wide paper #3 at Amazon| raw:: html
4" wide paper #3 at Amazon
.. |Real product on eBay| raw:: html
May 2020, LA Tech Renewal replacement HP-85 paper on eBay
.. notes for learning RST
This is an inline ref to an external html page, that opens in the same tab
`Cyanoacrylate `_