I decided to do a follow-up on my previous post about Electronic Tools to talk briefly about parts.

With regards to parts, this is one area where being a hoarder can be an advantage. I find that there are three main sources I use for components.  Firstly is to put an order in with a supplier like Element 14 or RS Components (there are others,  but these are the main two I use).  They are good because they carry a large range of components (and carry plenty of stock), you can order online (including free shipping in these cases), and provide fast turn-around times. The downside being that you have to plan and order in advance.

The second place I tend to obtain components from is one of two local retailers. In my case that's either Jaycar or Altronics. Being local it is easier to take a quick trip to the shops if I need something in a hurry.  The downside being that they have a far smaller range of stock.

The third place I will source components from (that can sometime easier) can be from other  old / broken electronics. As a habit now, any electronics that are broken / being thrown out I will disassemble and see what parts I can salvage off them.  The advantage is that I have a ready supply of various components that are alawys on hand for those cases where I need something over an above what I thought I would need in the original order.  It can also be a good time to practice your soldering / desoldering skills.

One thing I should mention is that, in electronics, there are two main categories of circuit components: Through-hole and surface mount. Generally when you are starting out in electronics, through-hole components can be easier to work with.  As you get more advanced, or the types of circuits you are building require it, you can move onto surface mount components.  (see the links for more details on the two types of technologies). In old equipment I am disassembling, through-hole components are generally easier to remove and reuse.  However, they are also becoming less and less common in electronics, as surface mount component have several advantages for large scale manufacture.

Just be sure that, regards of where you get your components from, you have a good storage system with good labelling.  Otherwise it doesn't matter how many components you have, because you won't be able to find the one you need.

As a part of a larger project I am working on at the moment, I have decided to invest in some new equipment for manufacturing / fabrication. This is the fifth in a series of posts where I will discuss some of the equipment I am looking at.

As mentioned in an earlier post, today I am going to talk about Electronics Tools.

When working on electronics, there are a few basic tools you should have.  At a minimum I would suggest:

• Multimeter
• Soldering iron (and solder)
• Side cutters

This will enable you to do basic circuit construction and repair.  Of course the following items will make your experience easier (and don't really cost a lot):

• Sponge (for cleaning the soldering iron)
• Solder wick and/or desoldering pump (for fixing up mistakes)
• Isopropyl alcohol (for cleaning up the finished PCB)
• Hook-up wire

If you are prototyping your own boards, or troubleshooting more complex boards, then the following may also be of use:

• Protoboard / Vero board / Strip board
• Logic analyser
• Oscilloscope
• Bench top variable power supply
• PCB design software
• Spare parts

Learning to designing your own circuits is a very large topic, and unless you're someone who has studied doing this, there is a lot to learn.  However if all you interested in is troubleshooting / repairing simple circuits,  or indeed building a circuit from a kit, then the top two lists will see you well on your way.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment below.

As a part of a larger project I am working on at the moment, I have decided to invest in some new equipment for manufacturing / fabrication. This is the fourth in a series of posts where I will discuss some of the equipment I am looking at.

Today I will look at the topic of rotary tools. Specifically

The Dremel

While the Dremel company produces a range of tools, they are best known for producing a range of rotary tools (commonly referred to simply as "a Dremel"). In my case I own a Dremel 300 Series rotary tool. The set I purchased comes with a number of cutting, grinding, sanding, and polishing tools.

The kit I purchased also came with the Flexible Shaft Attachment. This can be particular useful for fine detailed work, as it means you don't have to support the full weight of the tool.

More recently I was given the WorkStation attachment. The effectively turns the Dremel into a small drill press. While not necessarily big enough for your typical drill job, when matched with a set of tungsten carbide drill bits, it does a excellent job of drilling homemade PCBs.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment below.

As a part of a larger project I am working on at the moment, I have decided to invest in some new equipment for manufacturing / fabrication. This is the third in a series of posts where I will discuss some of the equipment I am looking at.

Today I will look at the topic of 3D printer.

3D Printer

From Wikipedia:

"3D printing is a form of additive manufacturing technology where a three dimensional object is created by laying down successive layers of material.[1] 3D printers are generally faster, more affordable and easier to use than other additive manufacturing technologies."

Since about 2003 there has been an increase in the number of different 3D printing products and technologies, as well as a decrease in the price of units. In the last year or two it is now getting to the point where it is possible and cheap enough for home hobbyist to consider obtaining 3D printing equipment. There are many choices out in the market today for 3D printing solutions, ranging from high-end commercial machines down to the home hobbyist (with the associated range of prices). One of the more well known names in the smaller end of the market is the Makerbot range of products. Their Thing-O-Matic kit gives you everything you need to get up and running for USD1299.

In my case, I have chosen to go a slightly different route.

One of the other well known names in the 3D printing world is the RepRap Project. The RepRap Project has 2 main versions of their machine (although there are many variants). The first generation machine was called the Darwin.  The second generation machine is called the Mendel. My plan is to build a Prusa Mendel (a newer variant on the basic Mendel design).

(Image courtesy of RepRap.org)

Now you may have noted that I said build, instead of buy.  The reason for that is that the RepRap Project does not actually sell any hardware. Instead that is left up to 3rd party manufacturers. You can think of the RepRap Project as producing reference designs for others to implement. While there are a number of companies that produce Mendel's (either as per the original instructions, or their own variants) I have instead chosen to purchase the individual components myself from different suppliers.

There are 2 main reasons for this.  Firstly, the cost of the commercially produced machines tends to be higher (starting at around USD 800 and going up from there). Secondly, due to the nature of the RepRap Project, the design is constantly evolving and improving.  So the machine I am planning on building will not be a 'pure' Prusa Mendel.

(As a side note, the Prusa Mendel is a result of someone trying to improve on the classic Mendel design)

I will provide further details of what I am planning on building in future articles.

Now, I do have to point out that (as with the CNC mill) at the time of writing this, I do not yet have my kit. All the parts have been ordered and I am just waiting for them to be delivered. Once I have taken delivery of all my kit I will post more information.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment below.

As a part of a larger project I am working on at the moment, I have decided to invest in some new equipment for manufacturing / fabrication. This is the second in a series of posts where I will discuss some of the equipment I am looking at.

After my first post I realised that I should probably go back and first talk about

The Basics

A lot of homes have access to a basic set of hand tools, things like:

• a hammer
• screw drivers
• pliers
• spanner sets

(and I'm not talking about the cutlery draw here :-) )

Obligatory Warning: Please do not take any of this information as suggesting that you should make use of any of these tools. Please always make sure you understand what you are doing, wear the appropriate safety equipment, use the correct tool for the job, and make sure you follow the manufacturer's instructions. If you are in anyway unsure, please seek professional advice. Most tools can potentially be dangerous, if not fatal.

Now that that's out of the way...

Whilst I won't go so far as to suggest that every home should have these items, that list is certainly what I would consider to be a bare minimum.  In addition to these, I would also suggest the following would be useful:

• tape measure
• socket set
• allen key set
• drill (either mains powered or battery)

If you have (or have access to) these types of tools, you should be able to accomplish a larger number tasks that may crop up around the home.  There are also some more specialised tools that you may wish to make use of.  For instance, if you are doing a lot of woodwork then you may also find the following useful:

• circular saw
• jigsaw (the power tool)
• sander (belt or orbital)
• air compressor

Or if you find yourself doing metal work, then:

• hacksaw
• angle grinder
• welder

Now, none of these lists are supposed to be exhaustive, and indeed if you are working in any of these mediums or others you will have a better idea of what tools you need. Nor are they supposed to be exclusive (many tools can be used for many different applications). In my case I have all these tools (and indeed others I have not listed) as I tend to work in a number of different mediums.

One important thing to note here: I'm not suggesting that everyone has to go out and purchase all these items (I certainly didn't).  I simply accumulated them slowly over a period of time as I needed different tools for different jobs. I am also aware that in today's society a lot of people will simply outsource any work to tradesmen.  There is nothing wrong with that (and sometimes is the better option), it's just not the path I chose to take. In some cases I don't have a choice and have to outsource the work, either because a special license / training is required, or because I don't possess the specialised tools / skills needed.  But I will have a go when the work is inside my skill level (or I will seek training).

There is also another set of tools that I will probably discuss in a future post.  That is tools specifically related to working with electronics.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment below.