Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Specmaster]

That's precisely what I do with the T12, I certainly don't drill holes with it 

You think its better suited to SMD because it has a smaller tip size  then the Weller? Surely there are other tips available for the Weller as well? or is there another reason why the T12 is more suitable for SMD work?

[bd139]

Well not strictly true. I haven't seen one that hasn't been modified extensively yet until people are happy with it.

Entirely the opposite - larger tip size. The K tip is great for SOIC packages.

[Specmaster]

My T12 has not been modified in any way, the case, psu, controller and handle are stock. I have however improved the earthing on both but that was only really for safety reasons as the metal enclosure wasn't bonded the handles being swapped from 907 to 9051's is not a mod as you can purchase the units already fitted with either of the handles depending on your preferences or usage as the 907 will reach into placed the 9501 cannot reach.

As to the tips, I like the K as well as the D series and I agree the K tip is great for SOIC packages as it excels at drag soldering for obvious reasons.

[factory]

Ah so you bought that. Nice bit of kit

It certainly is, I don't know how I managed to resist bidding the previous times it was listed.

I was surprised how late this one was made, there are some date codes from 1979 on various parts inside, the 8614A was introduced around 1963;
http://hpmemoryproject.org/wb_pages/wall_b_page_10b.htm

Here is a look inside, all the vacuum bulbs (blame Shango066 for that one) are mounted upside down, I'm thinking I should probably remove the last remaining tube retainer spring before it falls off and shorts out the multi-leg fuses in the bottom PCB  .



Some very nice mechanical bits in here too, also spotted one of those Black Cat capacitors hiding under the meter, I'm hoping it's a mylar one with the sig gen only being 39 years old.



David

[mnementh]

A tip from experience; if you steal a diamond nail file from your SO, that and a little water will work really well at smoothing out the edges of your cut in that ceramic.

You are funny! I have to watch my Vallorbe diamond files (and other fine abrasives) as well as tweezers and decent cutters constantly against abuse from the SO! And her friend. Grrrrrr!

And in which other soldering handpiece did you fit those Magnastat tips? I was first confused about the 'Slug', as I thought that the problem might be the slag!
But fun aside: another important info on Weller tips is that the 'normal' Magnastat tips (for WTCP and before) seem to fit into the mains-powered Magnastat-controlled irons (W60, W61, maybe W100) but will not work properly. Something about the gap between switch and magnet.

(SNIP)


Well, see what the WMRS is like. And here they come again: When asking a Weller Techrep about the (internally heated, 3.5mm plug connected soldering irons and tips (and having previously seen the WMRS station and not wanting a flatscreen TV with integral 12V soldering station, I asked them what it is about those tips like the RT-series but for 24V. They said there aren't such tips. All RT-style are 12V.
But the WMRS (shaped like EC2002, PUD8x.., but with silverish front), is listed at some places as being 12V and in some other as being 24V. Those state also that all 24V 50W and 80W tools are usable with the WMRS.
It is really like CommerceByKafka.
(can't be described in such simple terms such as flogging a dead horse, but rather all nine Nazgul clobbering their dead mounts to tartar with cruellest whips and razor spores).

I'll be honest, I have the same problem; I figured it was just me. 

My diamond files magically migrate to her nail bag (part of the reason I only buy the cheap nail files now) and I've lost permanently to my wife several pairs of Xuron flush cutters; we actually go into a screaming fight over a pair of Lindstrom diagonal cutters. 

The Xurons are cheap and easily replaced; I consider them a consumable supply anyways, so they're a small price to pay for domestic tranquility. I will fight for my Lindstroms.   

I use emery boards and cheap diamond files for all sorts of things; the multi-sided emery boards with different grits of polishing compound are useful for a host of tasks. I've shamelessly shopped the nail care aisle for such sundries ever since I worked welding stainless and found how great they are for touching up the finish. 

Don't hold back buddy! Tell us how you REALLY feel!  

Seriously; that one had me snorting coffee all over my keyboard; I'm totally snurching that for my "creative cussing" file.


mnem
Never let your monster lay down.

[tggzzz]

The Xurons are cheap and easily replaced; I consider them a consumable supply anyways, so they're a small price to pay for domestic tranquility. I will fight for my Lindstroms.   

I tend to agree, having had one pair of flush-cutting Lindstroms since 1981.

I absolutely will not admit that they are the best tool for cutting the semi-buried corners of my increasingly thick toenails.

I'll also note that chiropodists use "dremels" to grind away very thick toenails

[Cerebus]

Tip from the Cerebus workshop here.

If you need small abrasive/polishing tools buy hardwood lolly sticks/mixing sticks from a model shop (or wherever, that just happens to be where mine come from) and stick strips of abrasive paper (e.g. Wet'n'Dry) to them. Only cover half the length so you've got a handle at one end and it gives you somewhere to write the grit number. If you need something a bit softer and more conforming, glue a layer of sheet rubber between the wood and abrasive paper.

Neoprene contact cement is the ideal thing for this - buy the stuff sold to shoemakers/leatherworkers, comes with proper solvents and can be reactivated with heat. It's strong enough to let you glue the paper around an edge.

If you need to get creative you can whittle, rasp or file profiles into the edge of the sticks to make something that lets you file/polish an inside radius or corner.

One of these sticks with between 400 and 1200 grit Wet'n'Dry is just the thing for cleaning up the edges after you've snapped a V grooved PCB off. And yes, they also make great nail files.

[bd139]

The Xurons are cheap and easily replaced; I consider them a consumable supply anyways, so they're a small price to pay for domestic tranquility. I will fight for my Lindstroms.   

I tend to agree, having had one pair of flush-cutting Lindstroms since 1981.

I have had the same amount. They now sit there as a reminder not to let your wife use them to cut a tag off something. Buying cheap Piergiacomi ones now off Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003UQWJAA

They're actually just as good and under £6 a go.

[Specmaster]

I don't have that problem with SWMBO as they are not fancy enough for her liking, they have to have colour handles and more of a designer finish to them and small enough to fit into her clutch bag 

[bd139]

I have revenge planned. She has some £150 scissors I'm going to cut some 0.8mm FR4 with 

[Zucca]

Hi Friends,

Pure TEA here:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/keithley-dmm7510-(not-mine)-ebay-(nleu)/msg1476209/#msg1476209

I will sell in May:

3x34401A
1xKeithley 220
1xKeithley 2000
something more.... maybe...

in the attempt cover the hole... stay tuned.

[ChrisLX200]

I have a pair of Nippex component cutters I bought a few months ago, I was clearing stuff around a small PCB - being quite careless I suppose - and I tried to cut what I thought was bare copper wire connecting a battery terminal. Copper-coloured but it wasn't copper. Some sort of damn spring steel I think and I put dents in both cutting jaws. Grrr! A very difficult repair which I haven't even attempted yet because they'll have to be ground back a fair bit.

[Mr. Scram]

I have a pair of Nippex component cutters I bought a few months ago, I was clearing stuff around a small PCB - being quite careless I suppose - and I tried to cut what I thought was bare copper wire connecting a battery terminal. Copper-coloured but it wasn't copper. Some sort of damn spring steel I think and I put dents in both cutting jaws. Grrr! A very difficult repair which I haven't even attempted yet because they'll have to be ground back a fair bit.

Do you mean Knipex cutters? Because I have trouble imagining what's needed to put dents in both cutting jaws. I've done really horrible things to their plies with very hard metals and they tend to shrug it off without issue.

[mnementh]

The Xurons are cheap and easily replaced; I consider them a consumable supply anyways, so they're a small price to pay for domestic tranquility. I will fight for my Lindstroms.   

I tend to agree, having had one pair of flush-cutting Lindstroms since 1981.

I absolutely will not admit that they are the best tool for cutting the semi-buried corners of my increasingly thick toenails.

I'll also note that chiropodists use "dremels" to grind away very thick toenails

That's exactly what my poor Xurons wound up doing in service to my wife's grooming needs. As you might imagine, I was in no rush to get them back.

I have had the same amount. They now sit there as a reminder not to let your wife use them to cut a tag off something. Buying cheap Piergiacomi ones now off Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003UQWJAA

They're actually just as good and under £6 a go.

The Xurons are similarly priced; $US6.00-10.00 depending on model. Much better quality than the price would suggest.

There simply is no comparison between them and Lindstroms.

I don't have that problem with SWMBO as they are not fancy enough for her liking, they have to have colour handles and more of a designer finish to them and small enough to fit into her clutch bag 

The yellow ones are the ones we got into a fight over; I've owned them since I worked on the AV crew in High School (That's where my WTCPN came from too). The blue/purple ones are what we replaced them with. Notice the difference in the jaws; these are both model 8150 cutters. The reduced profile was what I did to keep from throwing them away after she broke the tips off them and then just put them back in my tool cup. Like I wouldn't notice... 

Yes, I chose the purple grips on the new ones on purpose to poke fun at her.  When they came in the mail, I took them into her office where she was studying and I was all holding them and caressing them and fondling them salaciously right in front of her... and then I kissed them and promised them I'd never EVER let her touch them. 

I have revenge planned. She has some £150 scissors I'm going to cut some 0.8mm FR4 with 

Speaking as a tool nut... and as a family member of someone who does hair for a living and who explained the whole "scary expensive scissors" thing to me once... that is a line you should consider very carefully before crossing. Hair people are very particular about their scissors for the same reason I am about my Lindstroms; the quality of the tool makes it not only possible, but easy to do some tasks that other similar tools can't do.

With the Lindstroms, it's the quality of the steel that makes it possible to make the points thin enough to get into places and make a cut where cheaper cutters just can't fit. With hairstyling scissors, it's the fact that better steel takes a better edge and keeps a better edge longer. This translates for the stylist into being able to work with a smooth rhythm without pulling the customer's hair; dull scissors pull the customer's hair painfully and break that rhythm.

Just passing that on in case you weren't aware of it; it's the sort of "Tools of my trade" knowledge you usually only gain from doing and becoming proficient at something.


mnem
*Currently hating my air conditioning*

[ChrisLX200]

I have a pair of Nippex component cutters I bought a few months ago, I was clearing stuff around a small PCB - being quite careless I suppose - and I tried to cut what I thought was bare copper wire connecting a battery terminal. Copper-coloured but it wasn't copper. Some sort of damn spring steel I think and I put dents in both cutting jaws. Grrr! A very difficult repair which I haven't even attempted yet because they'll have to be ground back a fair bit.

Do you mean Knipex cutters? Because I have trouble imagining what's needed to put dents in both cutting jaws. I've done really horrible things to their plies with very hard metals and they tend to shrug it off without issue.

Yes, Knipex   I found it quite easy to dent them. Not cheap either. Tried to take a picture of the damage with my phone but can't get enough resolution, will use the Adonstar later.. Actually I did the same to a pair of Engineer brand (Japanese) cutter not long ago too, but no so badly. I mostly repaired those by grinding but I can't say they work like new. I should get some with carbide jaws - I got some scissors with them and the cut most anything.

[tggzzz]

I have revenge planned. She has some £150 scissors I'm going to cut some 0.8mm FR4 with 

Which is this? A sitcom or a "reality" TV series?

[Mr. Scram]

Which is this? A sitcom or a "reality" TV series?

First one, then the other, then a murder mystery and finally a cop show.

[bd139]

It’s going to end like the Benny Hill show but she’s chasing me with scissors until I fall in the sea and drown.

[factory]

The Xurons are cheap and easily replaced; I consider them a consumable supply anyways, so they're a small price to pay for domestic tranquility. I will fight for my Lindstroms.   

I tend to agree, having had one pair of flush-cutting Lindstroms since 1981.

I have had the same amount. They now sit there as a reminder not to let your wife use them to cut a tag off something. Buying cheap Piergiacomi ones now off Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003UQWJAA

They're actually just as good and under £6 a go.

I've really gone off Lindstroms at work, it's mostly my misuse to blame though, I broke the first pair cutting thick wires (got them to buy a big pair of CK cutters after that), the second pair were snapped by someone else cutting Ty-raps, third pair worn out I think from cutting brass connector, relay & DC-DC converter pins over a few years. I had been using cheaper pair of Xcelite recently until the blades started overlapping leaving component leads razor sharp.
I took the recommendation of Erem cutters from another forum, so far I much prefer them to the Lindstroms, no idea how long they will last though, I kept the damaged Xcelite pair for trimming Ty-raps. 

At home have a two second-hand Lindstroms (one standard & one end cut), I ruined my cheapo Pro's-Kit pair cutting a spring, it did cut it eventually but left some nice notches in the blades. 

David

[GreyWoolfe]

The Xurons are cheap and easily replaced; I consider them a consumable supply anyways, so they're a small price to pay for domestic tranquility. I will fight for my Lindstroms.   

I tend to agree, having had one pair of flush-cutting Lindstroms since 1981.

I absolutely will not admit that they are the best tool for cutting the semi-buried corners of my increasingly thick toenails.

I'll also note that chiropodists use "dremels" to grind away very thick toenails

Well then, I won't admit that I have a pair of Hakko flush cutters for trimming my toenails in my nightstand, either.  I also have a rechargeable Dremel.  Hmmmm.  I don't worry about SWMBO or anyone else taking my good cutters or tweezers.  The tool box in my office stays locked.

[Neomys Sapiens]

I have a pair of Nippex component cutters I bought a few months ago, I was clearing stuff around a small PCB - being quite careless I suppose - and I tried to cut what I thought was bare copper wire connecting a battery terminal. Copper-coloured but it wasn't copper. Some sort of damn spring steel I think and I put dents in both cutting jaws. Grrr! A very difficult repair which I haven't even attempted yet because they'll have to be ground back a fair bit.

Don't even try that on the normal handyman's grinder! I did a stint in a shop where I found a real lot of reground pliers and tweezers in use and inquired. The guy in their metal workshop was a toolmaker originally and he convinced someone to buy a adequate grinding unit. It runs much, much slower that the usual ones! Ok, and he doesn't allow the janitor to sharpen the blade for the lawnmower and so on.
after seeing me do mechanical work, I was allowed to use it. You can give tweezers literally a new tip and you can do screwdrivers nearly to a new finish.I still have a nice Lindstrom oblique cutter that that guy reworked - beyond my ability. You would think it belongs that way. The normal grinders do not allow enough control and they do too much thermal damage.

[ChrisLX200]

I have a pair of Nippex component cutters I bought a few months ago, I was clearing stuff around a small PCB - being quite careless I suppose - and I tried to cut what I thought was bare copper wire connecting a battery terminal. Copper-coloured but it wasn't copper. Some sort of damn spring steel I think and I put dents in both cutting jaws. Grrr! A very difficult repair which I haven't even attempted yet because they'll have to be ground back a fair bit.

Don't even try that on the normal handyman's grinder! I did a stint in a shop where I found a real lot of reground pliers and tweezers in use and inquired. The guy in their metal workshop was a toolmaker originally and he convinced someone to buy a adequate grinding unit. It runs much, much slower that the usual ones! Ok, and he doesn't allow the janitor to sharpen the blade for the lawnmower and so on.
after seeing me do mechanical work, I was allowed to use it. You can give tweezers literally a new tip and you can do screwdrivers nearly to a new finish.I still have a nice Lindstrom oblique cutter that that guy reworked - beyond my ability. You would think it belongs that way. The normal grinders do not allow enough control and they do too much thermal damage.

Yep, it's tricky mainly because the cutters are so darn difficult to hold at the angles needed. I do have an attachment I designed and made for the bench grinder (modded since this photo was taken to allow quickly racking the workpiece in X-Y direction), and also another attachment I made out of a spare grinder I attached to the mill. That thing you have complete control over thanks to the mill table, and the swivelling dovetail slide the holder is bolted to. It uses diamond cup wheels to get into awkward corners. So yes, I can do it - but it takes longer to set up for the job than to do it (if you see what I mean)

[Brumby]

I have revenge planned. She has some £150 scissors I'm going to cut some 0.8mm FR4 with 

Just let us know where to send the flowers before you do.

[Mr. Scram]

Just let us know where to send the flowers before you do.

At least wait until he's dead before you start romancing the widow. Have some class. 

[mnementh]

Ooooohhh... pretty flowers. Y'all shouldn't have... 


mnem
I like butterflies.