Thread by @unixbigot

#ToolOfTheDay: If you 3D print, you probably know that trying to sand or grind PLA is futile: it just melts and gums up. Well (as happens more often than you’d think) the beauty industry has got dis. A nail sculpting burr and pneumatic drill allows finessing PLA fits w/ no clogs!

JST connectors can be a pain to disassemble. Screwdriver, tweezers and scalpels all work, if you don’t mind the odd stab wound. A set of connector shims is much better but even then it’s not obvious which tool to use. Here’s how I use the two-prong tool for JSTs. #ToolOfTheDay

Whoops I forgot to do #ToolOfTheDay yesterday. USB ammeters. Has that battery really got the capacity it says it does? How long will $GADGET run on one battery charge? Don’t guess (and for the love of Gaia, don’t believe the manufacturer!): MEASURE.

Tuesday #ToolOfTheDay: Let there be light. A USB powerbank and one or more USB LED stalks are invaluable when inspecting or reverse engineering (*ahem* self-serve documenting) a circuit board or other intricate mechanism.

Wednesday #ToolOfTheDay: Haemostats. You have a fiddly bit of componentry to hold still while doing some free-form soldering. A surgeon’s locking clamp can hold a small part directly, or can hold a needle to pin it down. (Banana plug for scale)

Thursday #ToolOfTheDay: Bondic liquid plastic. This not-really-a-glue plastic resin can be cured by the tiny UV LED on the tube. Or if impatient, BEAUTY INDUSTRY GOT DIS: 2 mins in a nail-curing box makes it rock hard. This stuff is great for immortalizing free form circuits.

Friday #ToolOfTheDay: wire wrapping and stripping tool. Kynar insulated fine wrapping wire is my choice for circuit repair. The little stripping and wrapping tool is a joy of design. Here I use protoboard and wire to shim in a power MOSFET as a soft-off switch.

Monday #ToolOfTheDay: diamond saw. This is a tool intended for use as a pen and doll lathe, repurposed with a diamond cutting wheel for cutting and smoothing circuit boards. I use it to obtain just the right sized piece of prototyping board, and also to round off corners.

Tuesday #ToolOfTheDay: ferrule crimping tools. These Cambrian-seabed-esque crimping pliers are the answer to “why does my wire alway pull out of screw termianals”. Because you’re not using crimped ferrules!

Wednesday #ToolOfTheDay double. A powerbank that does QC, USB-C PD *and* wireless charging, combined with the TS-80 USB soldering iron, which punches _far_ above its weight.

Thursday #ToolOfTheDay: The Pokit bluetooth multimeter. This keyfob-sized multimeter/oscilloscope/data logger goes with me everywhere.

Friday #ToolOfTheDay: The Leatherman Squirt ES. With this one keychain multi tool and the piece of duct tape you concealed inside your shoe, you can convert an old tractor into a mech-suit able to safely divert that oncoming lava flow around the orphanage. (Bottle cap for scale)

Monday (late) #ToolOfTheDay: WOOD. Don’t be poking at components, dip switches and stuff with screwdrivers. Get a bag of stirring g sticks and carve/sand them to shape for jobs. A magnet helps them stay around on yoir workbench (and also I design circuits to wake-on-magnet).

Tuesday #ToolOfTheDay: USB powered mini-drill. Sure I have a drill press, CNC mill, several dremels etc, but THIS is the tool I keep right at my soldering bench for when a hole is just a little too tight. (AA cell for scale).

Wednesday #ToolOfTheDay: Nut Drivers. Throw away the stamped crescent wrenches supplied. Hide your pliers and adjustable spanner in the bottom of your toolbox. Pick up a set of 4 nut drivers covering common metric sizes. (If you’re stuck with US bolts, I dunno, emigrate).

[Admin] #ToolOfTheDay Each tool featured is something I used and was grateful for on the day of the post. My literal job at @Accelerando_au is helping organizations find tools to go faster. Interested? Book a free mentoring session: calendar.com/accelerando/st…. Tell your friends.