Vectronics VEC-1500K - Manual (Page 43)

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of the normal solder-removal methods. Many of these bench nightmares can be
resolved with the help of a few simple tools.
Electronic Shears: Electronic shears, or "nippy cutters", are sharp close-cutting
pliers that have virtually replaced traditional diagonal pliers for snipping off
lead-ends. A good pair of these can slip under partially soldered-down leads and
lift them off a soldered surface without damaging the pad.
Hemostats: Originally an emergency room medical tool, these small clamping
devices are probably the best "third hand" you'll ever own for handling miniature
components. They've become so popular in the electronics industry, companies
now market them exclusively for printed circuit board work.
Dental Tools: Here's another medical tool that's found its way onto nearly
everyone's electronics bench. The two most useful types are the "dental
explorer", a small curved semi-flexible pick used for checking out cavities--and
the "dental scaler", a sharp and tough little tool used for removing dental scale.
Most electronic supply houses now have "dental tool" assortments sold
exclusively for electronics work.
Small Hobby Drill: A small electric hobby drill is especially useful for
removing left-over solder from plate-through holes. It will also drive a small
burr to remove solder bridges, cut through tracks, or strip off tough insulating
laminates from PC boards. Most hobby shops and larger electronic distributors
carry an assortment of drill bodies, chucks, miniature bits, and rechargeable
batteries. Be sure to order one with an adjustable chuck rather than a fixed-size
collet. When cleaning out plate-throughs, the bit you select must be smaller than
the hole size
, or the plate-through wall will be destroyed.
Hobby Knife: The classic ExactoTM Knife outfitted with a #11 straight blade
rounds out the list of "most popular bench tools" for PC board and hand-wiring.
For cutting, scraping, de-burring, stripping, and scratching--this tool is hard to
beat.
Speaking of tools, this concludes the "book learning" portion of the Vectronics
soldering course. Now, it's time to step up to the plate and do some hands-on
soldering using the Lab portion of the course. Remember to look closely at the
connections you make. More than anything else, the solder will tell you how
well you're doing!