Share your tool kit

[DailyDovetails]

I’m thinking of making trays to organize my tools for building pedals. I want to make sure I’m not missing anything in my kit. My hope is you can either post your tool kit or bring up tools that you use that I don’t already have in my kit.


This is what I have found I use on almost every build. I also have a transistor tester, multimeter, LCR, soldering station, hot air station, soldering mats, needle files, helping hands and drill press that I use for pedals.

What do your tool sets look like. Do you use anything that I don’t?

 

[tegendemuur]

Pretty much the same kit. There's also always an x-acto knife near me. I also have a bunch of toothbrushes for cleaning the PCBs, but maybe that doesn't count. I use one of those plastic freebie solder suckers, which, looking at yours, could do with an upgrade! I also have a small / portable rubber cutting mat on which I work all the time. Convenient.

Can't do without a cap on those sharp tweezers. You'll be bleeding all the time while grabbing stuff in the box where that one sits.

 

[Erik S]

I love this.

Following your lead, here are the hand tools I use on every pedal assembly.

I felt a little silly buying those rocket sockets, but I’d buy another set in a heartbeat.

I have a lot of fancy wire strippers, but the super simple ones are my favorite for pedal building.

Scissors for snipping the paper resistor strip.

Felt tip pen marks wire for bends and cuts.

14mm wrench for dc jack nuts.

Parallel smooth jaw pliers for grabbing and tweaking stomp switch bodies.

And my eyes for doing anything up close.

 

[Ginsly]

I love this.

Following your lead, here are the hand tools I use on every pedal assembly.

I felt a little silly buying those rocket sockets, but I’d buy another set in a heartbeat.

I have a lot of fancy wire strippers, but the super simple ones are my favorite for pedal building.

Scissors for snipping the paper resistor strip.

Felt tip pen marks wire for bends and cuts.

14mm wrench for dc jack nuts.

Parallel smooth jaw pliers for grabbing and tweaking stomp switch bodies.

And my eyes for doing anything up close.

View attachment 90826

First off, glad I'm not the only one to use Rocket Sockets! Now that I have them I can't go back. Really helpful.

Can I ask what kind of flux you have in that needle dispenser in your first pic? I use Kester 44 solder- trying to find a good "occasional use" flux, and I actually have a dispenser like that already.

Not sure if you have one of these too, but I've found a pair of reverse tweezers like these to be absolutely indispensable:

 

[DailyDovetails]

Parallel smooth jaw pliers for grabbing and tweaking stomp switch bodies.

I have had those recommended to me at work. I didn’t consider them for pedal building.

First off, glad I'm not the only one to use Rocket Sockets! Now that I have them I can't go back. Really helpful.

Can I ask what kind of flux you have in that needle dispenser in your first pic? I use Kester 44 solder- trying to find a good "occasional use" flux, and I actually have a dispenser like that already.

Not sure if you have one of these too, but I've found a pair of reverse tweezers like these to be absolutely indispensable:

Looks like there is lots of love for the rocket sockets. I will look at either buying some or designing and printing something.


This is the solder and flux I use. I actually use flux on almost every joint I solder but that might not be necessary if using leaded like lots of people here do. The consistency of the flux can be tricky. It’s liquid in the summer but you can’t really dispense it in the winter. I just hit it lightly with my hot air station when it’s too hard.

 

[Ginsly]

This is the solder and flux I use. I actually use flux on almost every joint I solder but that might not be necessary if using leaded like lots of people here do. The consistency of the flux can be tricky. It’s liquid in the summer but you can’t really dispense it in the winter. I just hit it lightly with my hot air station when it’s too hard.

Ah you use unleaded solder - makes sense that you'd be using more flux. I have a little pen of liquid flux, but there are situations where that doesn't really cut it - thanks for the pic, will check that out!

 

[bronomo]

Looks like there is lots of love for the rocket sockets. I will look at either buying some or designing and printing something.

The OG socket files are public:

Release the Files!!!

I've decided to release the files for my world famous pedal finger sockets. Download all .STL files : HERE The archive file inclu...

peperspedals.blogspot.com

 

[Nostradoomus]

These and various sockets. The retro dental pick (orange band in the middle) has been a life saver if I need to take a resistor out on top of the board.

 

[PunchySunshine]

 

[DailyDovetails]

View attachment 90873

I considered getting forceps like you have instead of the locking tweezers I got. Do you like them? I assume you use them for running wires and holding things in place while you solder?

 

[PunchySunshine]

I considered getting forceps like you have instead of the locking tweezers I got. Do you like them? I assume you use them for running wires and holding things in place while you solder?

I had them from my stoner days tbh. They make good heatsinks to protect delicate component soldering. They don't get much "holding" use since I've gotten the Omnifixo helping hands. Those are absolute game changers. Not cheap, but worth every penny!

 

[DailyDovetails]

I had them from my stoner days tbh. They make good heatsinks to protect delicate component soldering. They don't get much "holding" use since I've gotten the Omnifixo helping hands. Those are absolute game changers. Not cheap, but worth every penny!

I was wondering what that thing was also. Looks like it would be better than the bendy arms one I have.

 

[Erik S]

I was wondering what that thing was also. Looks like it would be better than the bendy arms one I have.

They're real sexy.

I've looked em up a couple times, but couldn't convince myself to go for it. I have one of those bendy arm things, and I actually don't use it that much.

 

[PunchySunshine]

They're real sexy.

I've looked em up a couple times, but couldn't convince myself to go for it.

DO IT! So worth it! I even bought one for my friend because they're that cool.

 

[Flying]

Nothing exciting in my tool kit, the wire strippers are new and wish I'd got them sooner, in the past I used the scalpel to cut the insulation and usually nicked my fingers at least once or twice in the process.



The LCR tweezers are brilliant if like me you’re not great at reading the resistor codes and like to double check the components before stuffing them into the PCB.

Putting a small length of silicon tubing on the end of the solder pump made it far more effective, I’ll grab one of the proper ones that I stole the idea from at some point.

I’m planning on getting some new, hopefully better, side cutters, probably Knipex (78 03 125).

I really like the look of the Omnifixo.

And are temperature controlled soldering irons really noticeably better? I’ve been using a 15W Antex, I nearly pulled the trigger on a QUECOO t12-952 to test the waters but then read reviews about the tips not being grounded and I meant to do further research but lost interest. I don’t do enough of this to warrant a £200 Hakko.

 

[Erik S]

in the past I used the scalpel to cut the insulation

I think I have the same scalpel!

Always feels much classier than using an exacto knife. Definitely not the best wire stripper though.

 

[DailyDovetails]

Since we are sharing knives. This is the micro carving set that lives next to my pedal building stuff. These on rare occasions get used on pedal building.

 

[Stickman393]

+1 on the knipex pliers wrench.

For real: my work toolkit always includes a 10" and a 7.5" variant of those. They're like an adjustable wrench, but better, because they put positive force on the fasteners that you're wrenching on. Which makes it very difficult to strip a nut or bolt head.

Granted, the angle of attack is slightly different, and sometimes I gotta grab my adjustable wrench when access is limited. But they're great even for spinning fasteners with the tip.

Also, none of the folks that also make parallel smooth jaw pliers like those do em quite as well as knipex. They're pricey, but they're absolutely a worthwhile investment.