How to DIY (Do It Your Self), The beginners corner...
I wish I had built this.
So if you are a beginner, you might wonder how can you do things like build a house or computer or space ship or robot. It can be done. Look around you. How did all these things I see get built? A little at a time. People learn by going to school, being an apprentice, reading, or just guessing and trying. I recommend them all. There is a great deal of info on the Internet on how to do it. and many great books (check out the library!!). including free tutorials and classes and books, combining most of the methods I just mentioned.
Here, I will cover a few basics. One that is essential is soldering. If we are to build the poor mans electronics Lab, it helps to know how to do it right. Doing it wrong is almost worse than not doing it. Bad solder joints are a bear to trouble shoot (figure out). And they can work for years and then fail. The bottom line is, find somewhere to learn to solder. School, friend, or possibly look on the Internet for videos. Words and books in some cases don't cut it. See below.
I will give a few tips though. The tip of the soldering iron must be the right temperature for the job. The Solder must flow for 2 to 4 seconds, not much more and not much less. More can damage things, less causes the dreaded cold solder joint, which just looks like it is blobbed on and that is the problem. Be careful about the new soldering being done today. It does not use Lead and needs a very different temperature and "solder" and flux and irons, etc. I still use the old lead stuff because I am too old and stubborn to change (Also, it is expensive to get new stuff and most of the old stuff and new stuff should not be mixed (used together). Enough of soldering. I will assume you can solder, but will try to point out alternatives when I can. Look at the ads below and then find more info...
Here, I will cover a few basics. One that is essential is soldering. If we are to build the poor mans electronics Lab, it helps to know how to do it right. Doing it wrong is almost worse than not doing it. Bad solder joints are a bear to trouble shoot (figure out). And they can work for years and then fail. The bottom line is, find somewhere to learn to solder. School, friend, or possibly look on the Internet for videos. Words and books in some cases don't cut it. See below.
I will give a few tips though. The tip of the soldering iron must be the right temperature for the job. The Solder must flow for 2 to 4 seconds, not much more and not much less. More can damage things, less causes the dreaded cold solder joint, which just looks like it is blobbed on and that is the problem. Be careful about the new soldering being done today. It does not use Lead and needs a very different temperature and "solder" and flux and irons, etc. I still use the old lead stuff because I am too old and stubborn to change (Also, it is expensive to get new stuff and most of the old stuff and new stuff should not be mixed (used together). Enough of soldering. I will assume you can solder, but will try to point out alternatives when I can. Look at the ads below and then find more info...
Not-so-brief words of support...On the right (eventually) you will find explanations of how to do some things. ...This really should be done in video, say off YouTube. I need to consider that. For example, the soldering video, 1. at right. Using a Multi-meter is also an essential talent. There are so many videos on YouTube that I will not chose one. For one thing, the meter is so versatile that one video could not cover it all. the other reason is you need a well rounded description to cover the meters functions and Youtube covers many points of view. Another common tool that is very useful but not essential is the Proto (prototyping) board. See video 2. at right. They can be gotten at any electronics store usually at a reasonable price. Check internet pricing for all tools before buying. If your local store is charging double the price for the same item, look elsewhere. Shipping can often be less than the local sales taxes.
Hand tools needed for DIY can go from the simple hammer to as complex a tool as you could imagine (or afford). Lets keep it simple here. You need a number 1 and number 2 Philips along with flat screwdrivers, and probably an assortment of fine drivers for more delicate work, down to jewelers sizes. These can be gotten at most tool stores. The price will vary tremendously due to markup and quality. Buy the cheapies and try them out. If you ruin one, you know you need the better quality. The cheapies are so cheap, they can be considered throw away. For example I get the 5 jewelers screwdrivers in a plastic box at the Dollar Store and for many things they are good enough. Another nice thing about the cheapies is you can make specialized tools out of them. I bent a small flat screwdriver at right angles (in a vice) and use it to pry dual in line (DIL) integrated circuits chips out of there sockets without bending the pins. A small hammer and a small wrench set are some times needed, depending on project. Metal rulers and a set of Xacto knives are also helpful. Get the dollar cheapies first as Xactos are very high quality and thus expensive. You can get the good ones later and still use the cheapies for the "dirty" work that you don't want to waste a good knife blade on. Then get some hack saw blades. I used to wrap tape around the end to hold (making a tiny saw), but now you can get the little handle to hold the blade at the dollar store. Tweezers and pliers round out this tool section. Especially long nose and needle nose are needed pliers for delicate work and heavy duty ones for the hard work. Small slip joints sure come in handy. And for delicate parts, fine locking and un-locked tweezers are mandatory. Some pretty good tools for a relatively low price are available from China in some discount tool stores. So shop around and if money is tight, get what you need when you can get a good deal and hold off on getting everything at once. Remember to check out yard sales, flea markets (swap meets) and thrift stores too. We don't need to be proud except of our work! |
Video Tutorials from others (also, see links)
1. Very good soldering and Tips site from YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_NU2ruzyc4 For soldering http://store.curiousinventor.com/guides/ For other tips and techniques 2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiqNaSPTI7w Proto(type) board videos, Tutorials & articales from me (TBD)
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