Star Tech Journal
Issue: 1996-April - Vol 18 Issue 2 - Page 8
STAR*TECH
Journal
April 1996
CD
Enzo's
Tech
Tips
"Hey Enzo, I can't find the self-test button on this Captain Fantastic!"
Douglas 'Enzo' Mccallum • Shiawassee Technical Services • Lansing, Ml
THE TOOLBOX
(PART
2)
When I'm off to Seattle or Boston to rep a product, the last thing I want is to find out I don't
have all the tools I need for the Job at hand. Tools are Just as important on a local service
call. I think an organized toolbox and the proper selection of tools is the key to good service.
Dikes/Crimpers - Use your big
dikes for the hard stuff. Flush
cutters with nicks and divots in
the cutting edges are not much
use. Crimpers are like pliers and
they often have useful extra fea-
tures like screw cutters (threaded
to protect the threads on the cut
screw) and wire strippers in-
cluded. I carry a crimper for fork
lugs and push on connectors (for
connections to joysticks and but-
tons). I also carry a different
crimper for ...
Molex pins and similar. This I use
in wiring monitor connections,
ticket dispensers, game harness
connectors and anywhere Molex
and AMP connectors are found.
Nothing can take the place of
coax and telephone RJ crimpers,
but they have limited usefulness
in our field repairs.
Drill motor and bits - I got along
without it for a long time, but I
sure don't know how. A small kit
of drill bits up to 1/4" covers most
needs, but I also carry a 5/16 and
a 3/8. A battery operated drill
motor will fit in larger kits. The 6
or 7 volt models are sufficient for
most field service. The big 9 or
12 volt models are great for con-
struction and building projects,
what I use it for is a screwdriver.
I keep a =#=2 Phillips bit chucked
in my drill for assembly and dis-
assembly work. Xcelite makes a
99 blade socket on a short shaft
for chucking into a drill motor.
This lets you use any of the 99
series blades as a power driver.
Files - A number of files come in
"In a pinch, a
temporary tip for
the Weller and
similar guns can be
made from a
piece of 12 gauge
house wiring bent
to shape."
handy. Carry a small and a large
rat tail file for dressing out or
enlarging holes. A 6 to 10" mill
file is useful for small work like
dressing solenoid plungers that
develop a lip. I like to carry a
great big heavy file, half round,
for working on panels and other
woodwork where I need a rasp.
It is also great for dressing a ball
shooter plunger that mush-
roomed when the shooter tip tore
away.
but they are overkill for our work,
not to mention heavy and they
take up a lot of space. Mostly
Wire stripper- There are any num-
ber of stripper designs out there.
Any one is good if YOU can
make it strip the insulation off of
Journal
April 1996
CD
Enzo's
Tech
Tips
"Hey Enzo, I can't find the self-test button on this Captain Fantastic!"
Douglas 'Enzo' Mccallum • Shiawassee Technical Services • Lansing, Ml
THE TOOLBOX
(PART
2)
When I'm off to Seattle or Boston to rep a product, the last thing I want is to find out I don't
have all the tools I need for the Job at hand. Tools are Just as important on a local service
call. I think an organized toolbox and the proper selection of tools is the key to good service.
Dikes/Crimpers - Use your big
dikes for the hard stuff. Flush
cutters with nicks and divots in
the cutting edges are not much
use. Crimpers are like pliers and
they often have useful extra fea-
tures like screw cutters (threaded
to protect the threads on the cut
screw) and wire strippers in-
cluded. I carry a crimper for fork
lugs and push on connectors (for
connections to joysticks and but-
tons). I also carry a different
crimper for ...
Molex pins and similar. This I use
in wiring monitor connections,
ticket dispensers, game harness
connectors and anywhere Molex
and AMP connectors are found.
Nothing can take the place of
coax and telephone RJ crimpers,
but they have limited usefulness
in our field repairs.
Drill motor and bits - I got along
without it for a long time, but I
sure don't know how. A small kit
of drill bits up to 1/4" covers most
needs, but I also carry a 5/16 and
a 3/8. A battery operated drill
motor will fit in larger kits. The 6
or 7 volt models are sufficient for
most field service. The big 9 or
12 volt models are great for con-
struction and building projects,
what I use it for is a screwdriver.
I keep a =#=2 Phillips bit chucked
in my drill for assembly and dis-
assembly work. Xcelite makes a
99 blade socket on a short shaft
for chucking into a drill motor.
This lets you use any of the 99
series blades as a power driver.
Files - A number of files come in
"In a pinch, a
temporary tip for
the Weller and
similar guns can be
made from a
piece of 12 gauge
house wiring bent
to shape."
handy. Carry a small and a large
rat tail file for dressing out or
enlarging holes. A 6 to 10" mill
file is useful for small work like
dressing solenoid plungers that
develop a lip. I like to carry a
great big heavy file, half round,
for working on panels and other
woodwork where I need a rasp.
It is also great for dressing a ball
shooter plunger that mush-
roomed when the shooter tip tore
away.
but they are overkill for our work,
not to mention heavy and they
take up a lot of space. Mostly
Wire stripper- There are any num-
ber of stripper designs out there.
Any one is good if YOU can
make it strip the insulation off of
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