I agree with dremel…Lets get latest 4000 version if possible.
Some of the attachments are awesome some are a bit bobbins (poor)
The drill press addon isn’t great, mine drifted really badly. I have
recently got another drill press from Clas Olsen which appears to be better,
it looked more that part although I am going to have to bulk out my dremel
to get it to fit. I see a trip to fablab in my future!
The saw attachment for dremel is ok for wood. Seems to burn through FR4
PCBS although I have seen plently of videos on youtube with people using
them for this purpose with no complaints. I suspect my dremel may be on its
way out. It is one of the older ones.
The speedclic saw attachments are awesome and they cut through PCBS like a
knife through butter. Only problem being that it is damn hard to cut a
straight line with them. I intend doing a stool mod for mine at some point
to see if this can be improved. There are plans on instructables to do
this…I haven’t got around to it yet. Lots to do…little time.
Using the dremel for drilling purposes is awesome. The little addon chuck
attachment is brilliant. No more pissing around with collets!
I think I have some solder wick (desoldering braid) that can be donated as I
bought two by mistake. We should buy some just in case though.
I do think we would benefit from a flux pen.
I will make a UV PCB development box for HACMan…I can get it made in a
heart beat and I have all of the kit required at home. I may manage to put
in a timer…I didn’t bother with mine. I don’t think it is worth buying
one. They go for £100+ in farnell and aren’t anything special.
Someone else is getting the next load of ferric chloride. I have done my
part of it for a while. We need to look at getting some neutralizer for
when the etchant is spent. I think some investment in a labcoat and goggles
for the use and cleaning of the etch tank is very important. No stains
anywhere…I don’t want Hwa Young (Mum) on my case for anything!!
I would like a soldering station but…getting cheap but reasonable one is
difficult these days. I haven’t found one for my use at home yet always on
the lookout though.
Wall mount for screen is no big deal. I will begin looking for one. It’s a
vesa mount?
I agree with USB J-tag. I haven’t done much with J-Tag because I haven’t
got one I can use. Lets make/get one so I can learn! I don’t want to be
left behind by you lot!! Again too much to do with too little time.
I think we would benefit from more test equipment - LC meter, Signal
Generator, Bog standard audio amp etc for testing circuits. Oh and proper
oscilloscope probes! I am in the process of making an LC meter for test
purposes if someone wants to give me some support I could get it done faster
and then we could make two one for HACman and one for me!
An idea I have had for a while is to fit a 30mA RCD to the test bench mains
supply. It can be an off the shelf plug in version. Its for plugging in
items of dubious electrical safety (our creations) and switching them on
without tripping the breaker at the main MCB! I think we would get hammered
by Hwa Young if we ever tripped the breakers when someone upstairs was
giving a lecture or something!
I would really like a better method for desoldering surface mount stuff. We
have a shedload of donated kit with components galore waiting for harvesting
but its difficult to get them off the boards safely and so that they still
work! I think investing in a hotplate - (same as in the kitchen but single
ring) for careful desoldering purposes is an option.
Chipquik low melt solder is also an option but its damn expensive and only
really for precision desoldering jobs. I might stretch to a tube though if
pushed.
I think thats about it!! Sorry If I went on longer than I should!!
Alex
