Toolbox Thursday #11 Digital camera

Good afternoon folks and welcome to another Toolbox Thursday this weeks tool is the Digital camera 

How my toolbox Thursday reviews work the first thing I will talk about is what its like to setup  then I will move on what its like to use and to where you can get one from (there may be an affiliate link if you would like to help me out ) and if its good value for money and the last thing in the review will be my overall rating of the item it will be a 5 star system with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest .

Setup 

most digital camera require a small amount the setup this is normally putting in the batteries and memory card  as with this model which takes two aa batteries and an sd card .

Use 

I have had this camera for a few months I find it very useful for taking pictures of items that have complex internals which would be hard to put back together without photos of how it came apart . the other use I have for it is supplying the pictures and video for this blog

Where can you get one 

there are number of places where you can get a camera from.the price  will very depending  on the quality of camera you go for . The model  I have cost around £40 and is doing the job I want it to although if the blog continues to grow I may invest in a better camera .

Rating

Having a digital camera in your toolbox is not a must have thing but it is very helpful so I am going to give it 3 out of 5 stars .

Don't forget to check out the daily dobby on social media Facebook   Twitter 

Thanks for taking the time to read this if you liked what you've read then please check back tomorrow after 17.00BST for another update thanks again. Dobby 

Toolbox Thursday #10 Draper soldering Iron 61478

Good afternoon folks and welcome to another Toolbox Thursday this weeks tool is Draper soldering Iron 61478

How my toolbox Thursday reviews work the first thing I will talk about is what its like to setup  then I will move on what its like to use and to where you can get one from (there may be an affiliate link if you would like to help me out ) and if its good value for money and the last thing in the review will be my overall rating of the item it will be a 5 star system with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest .

Setup 

The soldering iron is easy to set up out of the box after a quick tinning of the tip its ready to go .

Use 

this is a very versatile iron thanks to its adjustable temp control I have used this on tiny smd components to heavy gauge wire and components I can happily say this my main iron I have used it nearly everyday since I got it. I have found it feels very nice to hold and use for long periods of time . 

Where can you get one 

there are number of places where you can pick one of these up such as ebay and amazon . 

Rating 

this is a fantastic iron to use and I couldn't give it any less than a full 5 stars 

Don't forget to check out the daily dobby on social media Facebook   Twitter 

Thanks for taking the time to read this if you liked what you've read then please check back tomorrow after 17.00BST for another update thanks again. Dobby 

Toolbox Thursday #9 Wire snips

Good afternoon folks and welcome to another Toolbox Thursday this weeks tool is Wire cutters 

How my toolbox Thursday reviews work the first thing I will talk about is what its like to setup  then I will move on what its like to use and to where you can get one from (there may be an affiliate link if you would like to help me out ) and if its good value for money and the last thing in the review will be my overall rating of the item it will be a 5 star system with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest .

Setup 

there is no set up for these 

Use 

there is a wide ranges of uses for this I use them for cutting wires of all thicknesses as well snipping component leads from boards as well many other uses 

Where can you get one 

Banggood

Ebay

Rating 

these are one of the best buys I have made they work great they are always within arms length of me when I'm working in the shed I have had these for months and have had no issues with them  

These are great snips I use them all the time I can not give them any less than 5 stars 

Don't forget to check out the daily dobby on social media Facebook   Twitter 

Thanks for taking the time to read this if you liked what you've read then please check back tomorrow after 17.00BST for another update thanks again. Dobby 

Toolbox Thursday #8 Files

Good afternoon folks and welcome to another Toolbox Thursday this weeks tool is files

How my toolbox Thursday reviews work the first thing I will talk about is what its like to setup  then I will move on what its like to use and to where you can get one from (there may be an affiliate link if you would like to help me out ) and if its good value for money and the last thing in the review will be my overall rating of the item it will be a 5 star system with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest .

Setup 

there is no setup with these its just a case of picking the file you want and using it .

Use 

I have found a number of uses for the files the main use I have for them is the clean up holes from drilling such I did in project day #7 but I have also used them to make channels for wires in cases .

Where can you get one 

EBAY
Banggood

Rating 

I am very please with these files although not for everyone they are really good in and a really good addition to my toolbox I give these 4stars 

Thanks for taking the time to read this if you liked what you've read then please check back tomorrow after 17.00BST for another update thanks again. Dobby 

Toolbox Thursday # 7 Dremel 3000

Good afternoon folks and welcome to another Toolbox Thursday this weeks tool is Dremel 3000

How my toolbox Thursday reviews work the first thing I will talk about is what its like to setup  then I will move on what its like to use and to where you can get one from (there may be an affiliate link if you would like to help me out ) and if its good value for money and the last thing in the review will be my overall rating of the item it will be a 5 star system with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest .

Setup 

this is a very easy tool to setup simply plug it into the mains and choose the bit you would like to use and fit it into the chuck 

Use 

this model has a very handy quick change feature for the bits which I use all of the time . due to it versatile nature I find myself using in a number of ways which include cutting, sanding and drilling it has a great feel in the hand which aids in its use. the adjustable speed is the main feature I like about this tool which helps make controlled cuts in fragile materials there is also a wide range of bits available to buy and use with this machine . my one came with a number of bits as well a really nice case that is very high quality. 

Where can you get one 

there are a number of places you can pick one of these up from and I would recommend shopping around but what ever price you pay it is great value for money 

Rating 

This is a fantastic tool that I can not recommend enough it works perfectly ever time my rating for it is a full 5 stars. 

Thanks for taking the time to read this if you liked what you've read then please check back tomorrow after 17.00BST for another update thanks again. Dobby 

Project Day #6 Earthed helping hand

Good afternoon folks and welcome to another Project day this weeks project is the Earthed helping hand

Why I made this project 

I made the because I wasn't happy with the helping hands that you can buy so I decided to make my own after some thought and searching I settled on the design I am going to show you here .

Parts Needed

1. 20cm x 20cm piece of wood 
2. 2 pieces of wood 20cm x 2cm
3. 4 crocodile clips 
4. wire 
5. 3 coolant pipes (these can be found cheap on ebay)
6. a 1m resistor 

Step one 

The first step is to shorten the coolant pipes this is done by pulling the tubes apart  and removing 8 of the links .

Step two

next up is to use a 5mm drill bit to widen the opening at the end of each pipe so the crocodile clips can fit in.

Step three

now why we have the drill take a 13mm drill bit and drill 3 holes into the the base plate (20x20cm piece of wood )

Step four

the next step is to flip the base plate over and glue the 2 pieces of 20 x 2cm pieces of wood on to the bottom. I gave the base a coat of paint after this step

Step five

now on to wiring up the crocodiles clips I did this by cutting three lengths of wire long enough to go through the coolant pipes then I soldered the wire into the crocodile clips for the clip going to earth I soldered the wire into it the same way as I did for the others and at the other end I soldered the 1m resistor in place making sure to heat shrink the bare connections

Step six

next is to thread the wire through the coolant pipes this can be a bit of a struggle but when a bit of the effort you can do it.

Step seven

the next step is to attach the coolant pipes to the base plate I did this by screwing the pipes in then using hot glue to hold them in place 

Step eight

now its time to join all the wires coming from the pipes together with solder 

Step Nine

the last step is to solder the wires from the pipes to the resistor of the of the earth wire then heat shrink followed by using hot glue to hold the wires to the base .

How I could make this better  

there are a few improvements that could be made I would like to add a magnifying glass and a extra hand for holding but in pleased with how this turned out I hope you enjoyed this and let me know if you have any ideas I could improve it  

Thanks for taking the time to read this if you liked what you've read then please check back tomorrow after 17.00gmt for another update thanks again. Dobby 

Toolbox Thursday # 6 898D Soldering Rework Station

Good afternoon folks and welcome to another Toolbox Thursday this weeks tool is 898D Soldering Rework Station

How my toolbox Thursday reviews work the first thing I will talk about is what its like to setup  then I will move on what its like to use and to where you can get one from (there may be an affiliate link if you would like to help me out ) and if its good value for money and the last thing in the review will be my overall rating of the item it will be a 5 star system with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest .

Setup 

Setup for this is simple the only thing that you need to do is attach the heat gun holder which is done by removing two screws that are on the right side of the station then use the screws to attach the holder ( I found laying the station on its side makes it easier to do this) .it also comes with three tips for the heat gun which fit on with a simple push and twist action (I found the medium size tip worked best for me )

Use 

it is a very simple tool to use it has a very easy to read display .setting the temperature is controlled by two buttons on the front marked up and down so you cant get simpler than that it has range from 100c to 450c the machine heats up fairly quick as for the air flow is controlled by a knob marked 1 to 8 I found that for smd soldering(the main thing I will use this for ) I that 3and half with a temperature  of 150c was perfect . The gun is very easy to hold and use it fits into the holder nicely when the it is the holder it starts to cool down which I found to be very useful . I have also tried the station on heat shrink which worked great then I tried it with lead free solder and a through hole components which it did do but its defiantly not something I'd recommend doing  although if you your trying to heat up cold joints it does work well.

Where can you get one 

Ebay

Amazon

Banggood

Rating 

I would recommend getting one of these if you are planning on doing a lot of smd soldering .Overall this is a great little station that's well worth picking up I going to give this 4 and half  stars

Thanks for taking the time to read this if you liked what you've read then please check back tomorrow after 17.00gmt for another update thanks again. Dobby

Saturday Special Banggood Post box

Hi welcome to a special banggood post box this in this will cover my first ever order from there and my feeling on the  items and service please note that I paid for all the items and banggood have not paid me to write this although all links are affiliate links which anyone can sign up for.

Service 

the items were well packed the order was placed on the 11th of may 2017 and the last item arrived on the 30th of may 2017 given that they came from China I am very impressed by that . All the items came as described and I found it a very easy place to shop.

Item 1 400g 60/40 Tin Lead 1.8-2.2% Flux 0.8mm Dia Soldering Solder Wire Reel

 I ordered this  0.8mm  as I had ran out of this size off solder and  it works perfectly it flows really well on to all of my soldering irons even the battery powered one that I have which is normally a right pain to get solder to flow on to the tip but this solder went on easy and tinned the tip really well . overall I am very pleased with its value for money and I will be ordering more of it.

Item 2 Black Metal Soldering Iron Stand Solder Base Welding Wire Holder Support 

I have been looking for a solder wire dispenser for a while and have picked a few and by far this is the easiest to use and I was very pleased with how stable it is when your pulling the wire off the roll it hasn't snagged up and the holder does not jump or bonce during use which is very good . I like that you can change which side the guide arm . changing the rolls of  solder is very simple and quick I found that I could change in a few seconds. I tried a  few different rolls of solder of different weights and gauges all of them worked like a dream I will be ordering another one of these in the near future for a friend overall great value for money.

Item 3 JAKEMY JM-Z01 6in1 Solder Assist Desoldering Tool Circuit Board Soldering Aids PCB Cleaning Kit

I ordered these soldering assist tools to help with me to help me with surface mount components which can be very difficult (see my Training Tuesday for a helpful guide) much to amazement they really did help. I was very pleased with the quality of the tools and they feel great in my hand I find them very comfortable and  easy to use. I also tried them to help with desoldering through hole components which I found a bit fiddly at first but soon became easy thanks to the number of different ends on the tools.

Item 4 LCR-T4 12864LCD ESR SCR Meter Transistor Tester

I got this tester to help with me identify pins on transistors and I found it that it does that job perfectly. I also found that I could test other components on it like capacitors, leds, resistors and diodes which was a very nice surprise. The screen is large, clear and easy to read . The component clamp works really well and holds the component frim without damaging it. operation is very simple all you have to do is connect a 9volt battery to the tester then place your component of choice into the clamp and press the button on the front and job done . this was a great buy and I highly recommend picking one up .

there will be more of these Saturday specials soon that will cover different things the next one I have planned is on desoldering but there will be a real mix of things. if you like what you've read check back at 17.00 gmt to see this weeks news update .

Dobby

Toolbox Thursday #5 Wire Strippers

Good afternoon folks and welcome to another Toolbox Thursday this weeks tool is Wire Strippers.

How my toolbox Thursday reviews work the first thing I will talk about is what its like to setup  then I will move on what its like to use and to where you can get one from (there may be an affiliate link if you would like to help me out ) and if its good value for money and the last thing in the review will be my overall rating of the item it will be a 5 star system with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest .

Setup 

this is very easy as they come ready to go straight out the packet .

Use 

The name gives it away here  you use them for stripping wires .The pair I use have a very simple operation all you do is place the wire into the jaws and squeeze the handles and the tool takes care of the rest as  you can see from the video below . they work well and are very easy to use . they can strip a wide range of wires and leave the actual wire intact which helps when your joining wires together or wiring this into a socket . I will say the pair I have do feel a bit cheap but they perform brilliantly .

Where can you get one 

you can pick these up cheaply from a number of places I have included links to three different places below .

Ebay ( this is the pair I use)  

Banggood 

Amazon 

Rating 

overall I have to gives these 4 stars for there great value and there ease of use given there affordable price tag I highly recommend that every electrical hobbyist pick a pair up.

Thanks for taking the time to read this if you liked what you've read then please check back tomorrow after 17.00gmt for another update thanks again Dobby 

Toolbox Thursday #4 USB Soldering Iron

this week I though I would change this instead of reviewing a set of tools like I have been for I though it would be better to review that the tools that I'm using and getting in the post if you like this change please let me know.

on the reviews the first thing I will talk about is what its like to setup  then I will move on what its like to use and to where you can get one from (there may be an affiliate link if you would like to help me out ) and if its good value for money and the last thing in the review will be my overall rating of the item it will be a 5 star system with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest I hope that will help you understand how I will be review items from now on.

get

Setup 

Setup is really simple for this all you have to do is plug in the USB cable into it and plug the other end into a power bank or a USB plug I tried both out and its performance was the same.

Testing 

To start the iron you have to hold the sensor switch which for me was very easy and comfortable as it is the same spot I would  normally hold my irons for some people It may be a bit of a problem but not that much of one.

Heating the iron up(I am not sure how hot the tip gets as I don't have a tip tester yet ) happens very quickly and tinning the tip ( you need to tin the tip on new soldering irons and before every use )was very smooth and it flowed well to be honest I was surprised by how well it handled solder I tested from 0.3 to 2.0mm solder with it and it performed well on all of it. 

now for its soldering performance I soldered two 2mm wires together and it handled that fine it did struggle with 5mm wire I the moved on to soldering a simple circuit board and it did that perfectly although it does struggle with big components but I was impressed with it .

Where can you one 

there are a few places you can this from there which I will list below . As for value for money the one I brought cost me £6.00 and I think it was well worth the purchase.

Banggood this is the Affiliate link which means I would get a few pence for it.

Ebay

Amazon

Overall Rating

I was very impressed with this iron I can see myself using this for little jobs that I wouldn't want to heat up my main iron it performed better than I thought it would on all my tests so I'm going to give it 4* out of a possible 5* I recommend picking one up .

that's all for today I hope you comeback tomorrow for Flashback Friday 

Do