Peter W. wrote:All of this skims past the very relevant issue of bench safety. I am of several minds on this (Yeah, DeePee, yeah) for several reasons.
Those doing a one-off assembly are probably not going to want to invest in the basics of a safe electronics bench, several hundred dollars (US) at the least.
Those who do this as a hobby are probably already tooled, and take it for granted that "so is everyone else".
In any given year, I probably have anywhere between 50 and 80 items cross my bench. Some multiple times (my stuff), some only once as a courtesy for neighbors or friends - one neighbor in particular being good for five items so far this year. That, and doing this for 40 years means that I am fairly well tooled. But my neighbor is not - he is a kitchen table hobbyist.
Cutting to the chase: What would be the interest in suggesting bench tooling for the various levels of the hobby? This would include some very basic stuff such as NEVER, ever, nohow EVER work on a slab-on-grade concrete floor, or any concrete floor over a metal deck - and up.
Thoughts?
Thought I woke up to my ears burning, Peter . . . and I was sleeping so soundly here on the Left Coast.
My bench is dual-purpose: I hand reload rifle and pistol ammo on it, and I use it for the destruction and occasional repair or creation of electronics. It is obviously set up to be doing one OR the other at any given time. Primer caps for ammo will detonate with electrical charges, and one's soldering iron/gun should not be tempted to come into contact with smokeless powder as a very hot fire will ensue. So a couple of orange crates for each activity and a bare bench when changing modes. Some tools do come in handy for both activities, i.e. pliers, calipers, cutters, etc., and are stored in drawers.
I even have a little basket to collect jewellery.
A wood floor is a must, and not just for electrical safety. Kaiser, (Liberty ships, Boeing airplane skin, aluminum foil etc.) found they could save billions of dollars/year treating non-specific chronic back injuries paid through their health coverage by having wood factory floors. The rolling mills over in Spokane are over a mile long and are wood floors or, more specifically, giant concrete slabs covered with wood mill-ends, grain-up, as are I believe all their factories. Especially if you're prone to standing at a bench, an end-grain-up wood floor will pay dividends on your back in your dotage. Still hurts like the back of God's hand if you fall on it, but it is a good thermal and electrical insulator and just enough of a shock absorbent to spare your knees and hips.
Lighting is oft overlooked and in this case, the more the better, especially as we age. Full spectrum fluorescent or halogen lights set so they're not casting shadows anywhere will make sorting resistors and diodes and wiring-up PC boards a lot easier, with the caveat being that fluorescents are electronically very noisy and send you chasing after some racket you think you're circuit is generating but isn't.
Spend good money on a good, variable heat soldering pencil (mine's a Circuit Specialists' Station 75, which comes with all the stuff you otherwise keep running back to the hardware store for) and on a high-wattage soldering gun, the latter for those big ground and speaker posts you come across when the whole chassis becomes a heat sink.
I run a 15-amp 12-outlet stainless heavy-duty power strip fastened to the wall above the bench. Beats fumbling around on the floor looking for a source of juice.
As to basic tools, most of the time you're working with cutting tools. Nothing's more aggravating than a dull wire-stripper. Either keep them honed or keep a new one in supply. Wire ties, little strips of Velcro, tooth-picks and pipe cleaners also come in handy, as do a pair of those miniature pliers with the magnifying glass and a jeweller's loupe do wonders. Nice Dremel set. A point-file set as well. Jug of 90+% denatured alcohol, not the 70% stuff they sell at the grocer's which leaves as much oil behind as you just tried to remove.
Think ergonomics, too. A comfortable chair or stool, and a wrist-pad along the lead-edge of the bench leave your mind free to focus on the task at hand rather than the aches and pains from repetitive movement. Half-inch-high fiddles attached to the sides and rear of the bench will keep stuff from falling onto the floor.
An asbestos body-length blanket is a good idea if you're soldering in the nude. Otherwise, wear levis, not cut-offs or your senior prom attire. Spend money on decent solder, too, and keep a 55-gallon drum of de-Oxit somewhere.
I painted my bench surface a semi-gloss enamel white, which makes it easier to find things than on a dark wooden surface. I keep a fire extinguisher within reach, too, although despite all the stupid things I've done making things that either are or are not supposed to blow up, it's never been called into service . . .
