Suggested Tool Lists

The course kit provides materials but not tools. Students working in the lab have access to a variety of hand tools and electronics tools. The following tools are suggested for working in your own space.

Please note this is not a required purchase list; please use your own judgement about what you can need and afford. But if you continue with this kind of work you will likely find all these tools useful.

A useful resource for identifying tools is the Physical Computing Lab Inventory, which includes all the parts and hand tools in the lab along with some information on our previous sources.

Electronic Hand Tools

Tool	Typical Course Application
small diagonal cutters	cutting wires, cutting pin strips
safety glasses	protecting your eyes while cutting metal pins
wire strippers	removing insulation from wire ends
small longnose pliers	holding nuts on screws, holding while soldering
small flat screwdriver	installing screws, tightening terminal strips
small Philips screwdriver	installing screws, tightening terminal strips
electrical tape	insulating bare wire connections

Mechanical Hand Tools

Tool	Typical Course Application
1/8 inch hex key or driver	driving the 1/4 inch socket-head shoulder screws
3/8 inch wrench	driving the #10-24 nuts on the shoulder screws
inch-sized hex key set	installing inch socket-head and button-head screws
metric hex key set	installing metric socket-head and button-head screws
small inch-sized wrench set	tightening shoulder screw nuts
flat file	deburring edges, shaping small metal parts

For hex keys, I prefer the ‘ball-end’ variety since they can fit into a socket head at an angle. Hex keys with handles (like a screwdriver) are the most comfortable for repetitive use. L-shaped keys are useful for small spaces, they frequently come in sets with a holder. Fold-out sets are portable and avoid the risk of losing an individual key in a set.

Electronics Equipment

If you have the means, even modestly priced versions of the following equipment can be very helpful. Please note there is a wide range of price points available.

Tool	Typical Course Application
digital multi-meter	measuring voltage, current, and resistance
pencil soldering iron	soldering pins on circuit boards, joining wires
tin-lead (SnPb) rosin solder	joining parts electrically; a lead hazard, but much easier to use than lead-free solder
copper desoldering braid	removing excess solder, desoldering joints
small vise	holding parts while soldering