Toolkit

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dave
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Dave

Hi can anyone recommend a PC engineers toolkit for building and
repairing PCs

Thanks

David
 
Hi can anyone recommend a PC engineers toolkit for building and
repairing PCs

Thanks

David
Click to expand...


Depends a lot on what you mean by "repairing". Often a #2
phillips screwdriver is enough, though if you had to get by
with only ONE screwdriver, a #1 might be more flexible as
it'll do the larger screws if you're carefull but also the
smaller ones.
 
Hi guys and thanks for the quick response. I think I should have been
more specific though in my question.

I have just started repairing PC for a friend and wondered if there
was a PC repair toolkit which contained for example a

torch
mini hoover for dust extraction
pincers for picking up dropped screws
a CPU extractor
tools for removing or inserting motherboard screws etc

Is there such a thing out there?

Thanks again

David
 
I have just started repairing PC for a friend and wondered if there
was a PC repair toolkit which contained for example a

torch
mini hoover for dust extraction
pincers for picking up dropped screws
a CPU extractor
tools for removing or inserting motherboard screws etc
Click to expand...

None of these things are PC specific.

Any flashlight will do.
Do *NOT* vacuum anything inside of a PC.
Tweezers for areas you can get your fingers into.
CPU's don't need extractors (unless the PC is 10+ years old)
Screwdrivers work great for screws. Magnetic types are safe inside PC's.
Avoid leaving them near floppies or hard drives for any length of time
though.
 
None of these things are PC specific.

Any flashlight will do.
Do *NOT* vacuum anything inside of a PC.
Tweezers for areas you can get your fingers into.
CPU's don't need extractors (unless the PC is 10+ years old)
Screwdrivers work great for screws. Magnetic types are safe inside PC's.
Avoid leaving them near floppies or hard drives for any length of time
though.
Click to expand...

Thanks nozzer - I know what ytou are saying but I would like to have
something that looks a wee bit professional if possible perhpas like
this

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=75520&item=5153030657&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

but maybe with a longer screwdrivers etc

thanks anyway

David
 
Thanks nozzer - I know what ytou are saying but I would like to have
something that looks a wee bit professional if possible perhpas like
this

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=75520&item=5153030657&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

but maybe with a longer screwdrivers etc

thanks anyway

David
Click to expand...


Well sure, that's a pretty generic kit that I believe can be
bought almost anywhere, but frankly if I were younger and
just starting out on a tool collection I wouldn't buy those
junky sets, I'd put the $ towards a few good bare essentials
first.

As for some of the items you listed-

Torch - Why? Perhaps a lighter for heat-shrink tubing, or a
soldering iron, but a torch?

Hoover - Do not use, creates too much static. Substitute a
static wrist strap, duster spray, and contact cleaner.

Pincers - generally not needed. Forceps are handy though,
and a really long screwdriver with a strong magnetic tip &
interchangable bits... the majority of screws are ferrous,
that'll pick them up easier

CPU Extractor - Can't say I've ever needed one. Almost
needed a pry-bar for a CPU stuck in a Dell socket that
wasn't a ZIF, but a popcicle stick worked fine and was great
as wood is softer than other tools for prying against a PCB.
Masking tape is handy too, for tough heatsink clip
installations or putting down around a heatsink that you
need to pry off (if you're all out of popscicle sticks),
like a video card 'sink or northbridge when there isn't
clearance to twist it.

Basically the little tool pouches aren't big enough, you
might look into an aluminum briefcase type if you really
want to be prepared and keep a professional image.
 
Well sure, that's a pretty generic kit that I believe can be
bought almost anywhere, but frankly if I were younger and
just starting out on a tool collection I wouldn't buy those
junky sets, I'd put the $ towards a few good bare essentials
first.

As for some of the items you listed-

Torch - Why? Perhaps a lighter for heat-shrink tubing, or a
soldering iron, but a torch?

Hoover - Do not use, creates too much static. Substitute a
static wrist strap, duster spray, and contact cleaner.

Pincers - generally not needed. Forceps are handy though,
and a really long screwdriver with a strong magnetic tip &
interchangable bits... the majority of screws are ferrous,
that'll pick them up easier

CPU Extractor - Can't say I've ever needed one. Almost
needed a pry-bar for a CPU stuck in a Dell socket that
wasn't a ZIF, but a popcicle stick worked fine and was great
as wood is softer than other tools for prying against a PCB.
Masking tape is handy too, for tough heatsink clip
installations or putting down around a heatsink that you
need to pry off (if you're all out of popscicle sticks),
like a video card 'sink or northbridge when there isn't
clearance to twist it.

Basically the little tool pouches aren't big enough, you
might look into an aluminum briefcase type if you really
want to be prepared and keep a professional image.
Click to expand...


Thanks for your considered reply - this has given much food for
thought

Thanks again

David
 
Dave said:
I have just started repairing PC for a friend and wondered if there
was a PC repair toolkit which contained for example a

torch
mini hoover for dust extraction
pincers for picking up dropped screws
a CPU extractor
tools for removing or inserting motherboard screws etc
Click to expand...
None of these things are PC specific.
Click to expand...

A pair of needle-nose pliers, a tiny torch, and a 6-in-1 screwdriver
are all you'll usually need. Those screwdrivers have two tips, one
with two sizes of Phillips screwdrivers, another with two sizes of
flat-bladed screwdrivers, and the hollow shaft gives you two nut
drivers.
 
A pair of needle-nose pliers, a tiny torch, and a 6-in-1 screwdriver
are all you'll usually need. Those screwdrivers have two tips, one
with two sizes of Phillips screwdrivers, another with two sizes of
flat-bladed screwdrivers, and the hollow shaft gives you two nut
drivers
Click to expand...

Thanks for that

Cheers

David
 
As for some of the items you listed-
Torch - Why? Perhaps a lighter for heat-shrink tubing, or a
soldering iron, but a torch?
Click to expand...

If Dave is an Englishman then the torch means an American flashlight.
 
If Dave is an Englishman then the torch means an American flashlight.
Click to expand...


Ahhhhh, yes that's quite important.... though I meant to
skip over some of the more obvious things, as they're, errr,
obvious?
 
Ahhhhh, yes that's quite important.... though I meant to
skip over some of the more obvious things, as they're, errr,
obvious?
Click to expand...

Dave is a scotsman so torch is indeed a flashlight !!!!

thanks guys


David
 
Hi can anyone recommend a PC engineers toolkit for building and
repairing PCs
Click to expand...

I dunno about over there, but here we have cheapo ones and better quality ones..
I use mine for all kinds of things, it's far from limited to PC's..

The contents of my toolkit (zippered leather carry case - $65 for the lot):

9 allen wrenches
6 peice precision scredriver set
10 metric sockets: 4mm, 4.5mm, 5mm, 6mm, 7mm, 8mm, 9mm, 10mm, 11mm, 12mm
5 Torx Bits: T8, T10, T15, T20, T25
3 slotted screwdriver bits: 4mm, 5mm, 6mm
3 Phillips bits: #1, #2, #3
2 Pozidriver bits: #1, #2
Socket adapter
150mm long Phillips bit #1 (This is the single most useful thing in my kit !!)
Two-sided mini screwdriver (slotted and phillips)
Precision clamp/heat sink
Insulated chip extractor
3-way ratchet screwdriver (with storage inside rubber handle)
4 pronged parts retriever (long wire hooks, gets dropped screws, etc)
Wire cutters
Wire strippers
Long nose pliers
Coil of resin-core solder
de-solder wick (braided wire for removing excess solder)
Pen knife
mini flashlight


The cheap ones ($30) contain:

Reversible screwdriver
chip extractor
screw container
pliers
(and one or two other things)


Personally I think you can get away with a #1 phillips screwdriver (longer the
better), a torx bit, and a pair of pliers..

Regards,
Chris
 
I dunno about over there, but here we have cheapo ones and better quality ones..
I use mine for all kinds of things, it's far from limited to PC's..

The contents of my toolkit (zippered leather carry case - $65 for the lot):

9 allen wrenches
6 peice precision scredriver set
10 metric sockets: 4mm, 4.5mm, 5mm, 6mm, 7mm, 8mm, 9mm, 10mm, 11mm, 12mm
5 Torx Bits: T8, T10, T15, T20, T25
3 slotted screwdriver bits: 4mm, 5mm, 6mm
3 Phillips bits: #1, #2, #3
2 Pozidriver bits: #1, #2
Socket adapter
150mm long Phillips bit #1 (This is the single most useful thing in my kit !!)
Two-sided mini screwdriver (slotted and phillips)
Precision clamp/heat sink
Insulated chip extractor
3-way ratchet screwdriver (with storage inside rubber handle)
4 pronged parts retriever (long wire hooks, gets dropped screws, etc)
Wire cutters
Wire strippers
Long nose pliers
Coil of resin-core solder
de-solder wick (braided wire for removing excess solder)
Pen knife
mini flashlight


The cheap ones ($30) contain:

Reversible screwdriver
chip extractor
screw container
pliers
(and one or two other things)


Personally I think you can get away with a #1 phillips screwdriver (longer the
better), a torx bit, and a pair of pliers..

Regards,
Chris
Click to expand...

Thanks Cliff - That was what I had in mind

Cheers

David
 
Dave said:
I have just started repairing PC for a friend and wondered if there
was a PC repair toolkit which contained for example a

torch
mini hoover for dust extraction
pincers for picking up dropped screws
a CPU extractor
tools for removing or inserting motherboard screws etc
Click to expand...

Computer tool kits tend to be low quality, overpriced, and most of the
tools included will never be used. For 95% of your work, all you'll
need are a Phillips screwdriver, a 1/4" nut driver, and pincers. A
smaller nut driver may also be useful for brass standoffs and the nuts
found on video, serial, and parallel port nuts.

A digital volt-ohm meter should be part of any computer repair kit
since it can diagnose power supplies, CMOS batteries, cables, and the
voltage regulators for CPU core, AGP, and memory slots. You'll also
need a paperclip to short the supply's green and black wires together
to turn it on, and some 10-20W load resistors may also be needed
because some supplies won't turn on without a load, and many won't
generate accurate voltages without one.

A chip extractor is unnecessary for CPUs, unless you're working on 486
or older motherboards that don't have zero insertion force sockets
(i.e., no locking lever), but in that case I'd want an extractor that
uses a screw jack to lift the chip out perfectly evenly, unlike
tong-style extractors, which often cause chip pins to become bent. For
equipment built in the past 5-7 years, a chip extractor is useful only
for removing the BIOS chip to do a hot-swap flash, but most
motherboards now have that chip soldered in place.

Crimper tools are probably unnecessary unless you need to make or
repair cables, in which case 3 types will cover about everything, one
for cables witn tiny wires (video, USB, audio and fan), another for
power cables, and a 3rd for network cables, the latter likely being the
most useful. Flat ribbon cable connectors can be pressed with a small
vise.

A soldering iron is unneeded except for real repairs, such as
replacement of capacitors or repair of connectors, and it should be
rated for at least 40 watts to melt solder on 4-6 layer circuit boards
(too little heat is much more damaging than too much since it increases
the amount of time spent trying to melt the solder). Best is a
temperature-controlled iron rated for at least 50 watts. Desoldering
braid (copper braid soaked in rosin) is also needed to remove parts.
 
Computer tool kits tend to be low quality, overpriced, and most of the
tools included will never be used. For 95% of your work, all you'll
need are a Phillips screwdriver, a 1/4" nut driver, and pincers. A
smaller nut driver may also be useful for brass standoffs and the nuts
found on video, serial, and parallel port nuts.

A digital volt-ohm meter should be part of any computer repair kit
since it can diagnose power supplies, CMOS batteries, cables, and the
voltage regulators for CPU core, AGP, and memory slots. You'll also
need a paperclip to short the supply's green and black wires together
to turn it on, and some 10-20W load resistors may also be needed
because some supplies won't turn on without a load, and many won't
generate accurate voltages without one.

A chip extractor is unnecessary for CPUs, unless you're working on 486
or older motherboards that don't have zero insertion force sockets
(i.e., no locking lever), but in that case I'd want an extractor that
uses a screw jack to lift the chip out perfectly evenly, unlike
tong-style extractors, which often cause chip pins to become bent. For
equipment built in the past 5-7 years, a chip extractor is useful only
for removing the BIOS chip to do a hot-swap flash, but most
motherboards now have that chip soldered in place.

Crimper tools are probably unnecessary unless you need to make or
repair cables, in which case 3 types will cover about everything, one
for cables witn tiny wires (video, USB, audio and fan), another for
power cables, and a 3rd for network cables, the latter likely being the
most useful. Flat ribbon cable connectors can be pressed with a small
vise.

A soldering iron is unneeded except for real repairs, such as
replacement of capacitors or repair of connectors, and it should be
rated for at least 40 watts to melt solder on 4-6 layer circuit boards
(too little heat is much more damaging than too much since it increases
the amount of time spent trying to melt the solder). Best is a
temperature-controlled iron rated for at least 50 watts. Desoldering
braid (copper braid soaked in rosin) is also needed to remove parts.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your informed reply

Much appreciated


David
 
Dave said:
.... big snip ...

Thanks for your informed reply
Click to expand...

If you must post thank-yous, please do not quote the entire thing.
A line or two, with the attributions, more than suffices and keeps
the total traffic down.
 
Computer tool kits tend to be low quality, overpriced, and most of the
tools included will never be used. For 95% of your work, all you'll
need are a Phillips screwdriver, a 1/4" nut driver, and pincers. A
smaller nut driver may also be useful for brass standoffs and the nuts
found on video, serial, and parallel port nuts.

A digital volt-ohm meter should be part of any computer repair kit
since it can diagnose power supplies, CMOS batteries, cables, and the
voltage regulators for CPU core, AGP, and memory slots. You'll also
need a paperclip to short the supply's green and black wires together
to turn it on, and some 10-20W load resistors may also be needed
because some supplies won't turn on without a load, and many won't
generate accurate voltages without one.

A chip extractor is unnecessary for CPUs, unless you're working on 486
or older motherboards that don't have zero insertion force sockets
(i.e., no locking lever), but in that case I'd want an extractor that
uses a screw jack to lift the chip out perfectly evenly, unlike
tong-style extractors, which often cause chip pins to become bent. For
equipment built in the past 5-7 years, a chip extractor is useful only
for removing the BIOS chip to do a hot-swap flash, but most
motherboards now have that chip soldered in place.

Crimper tools are probably unnecessary unless you need to make or
repair cables, in which case 3 types will cover about everything, one
for cables witn tiny wires (video, USB, audio and fan), another for
power cables, and a 3rd for network cables, the latter likely being the
most useful. Flat ribbon cable connectors can be pressed with a small
vise.

A soldering iron is unneeded except for real repairs, such as
replacement of capacitors or repair of connectors, and it should be
rated for at least 40 watts to melt solder on 4-6 layer circuit boards
(too little heat is much more damaging than too much since it increases
the amount of time spent trying to melt the solder). Best is a
temperature-controlled iron rated for at least 50 watts. Desoldering
braid (copper braid soaked in rosin) is also needed to remove parts.
Click to expand...


Really good information. What specifically are the green and black wires?
Wouldn't it be risky trying to short-out two hot wires with a bare wire?
How about using a piece of wire (a foot long or so) with insulated alligator
clips like those found on test equipment on each end?

HankG
 
Really good information. What specifically are the green and black wires?
Wouldn't it be risky trying to short-out two hot wires with a bare wire?
How about using a piece of wire (a foot long or so) with insulated alligator
clips like those found on test equipment on each end?
Click to expand...

Green = PS_ON
Black = Ground/common

What you are doing is shorting ps_on to ground momentarily (which is what the
power switch does).. and it's not harmful to use bare wire as it's only a couple
of volts.. probably between 1 and 3 volts I think... you only wanna touch them
together for a second to start it.. then a few seconds to turn it off again..
(or simply pull the plug)

Regards,
Chris
 
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