A few basic tools are required to build our kits.
1. Soldering iron – adjustable temperature recommended, but not necessary. Your soldering iron must have a sharp
conical tip. I do not recommend a “flat-head, screwdriver-type” soldering iron. DO NOT USE A SOLDERING GUN. They
are usually rated at 100Watts and are overkill for this project. 2. Mini Pliers Cutter – to cut component leads, wires, strip insulation off wires (if you don’t have a wire-stripper tool). 3. Mini Long Nose Pliers – to bend component leads, use as a heatsink, hold components, tighten bolts. 4. Manual Solder sucker pump or desoldering gun– sucks up solder when you made a mistake soldering components on
the PCB. Pictured below is a Hakko model. 5. Multitester – A simple meter/tester to measure resistance, and voltages. A digital read-out is a big help. 6. Soldering Lead – 60/40 lead or lead-free solder 7. Magnifying glass – to see what you’re doing! Especially when soldering IC pins and the Grayhill selector switch. 8. Clean and well-lighted work area – Lots of good lighting, clean work area. You want to be able to leave your work-in-
progress without packing everything away. Extra Tools (Nice to have, but not required) 1. Vacuum desoldering pump – if you make a mistake, you need to pull out the component from the PCB 2. Component lead bender – bend component leads like resistors uniformly and evenly 3. PanaVise – to hold PCB while you’re working on it 4. Tweezers – to pick tiny things 5. Masking tape – to hold components on the PCB while working 6. Wire-stripper – for cutting wires and stripping its insulation
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