[sdiy] Resisting UberDIY

[Ian Fritz]

All correct except for one minor exception to #4. Do not buy a regulated 
iron. Instead, buy a variac and learn where to set it for different jobs. 
The advantage is that you can use the variac for other applications, such 
as putting adjustable power into a heating pad to test your VCO's 
temperature variation.


At 06:43 PM 9/19/2002, epeasant at telusplanet.net wrote:
>The Peasant's 8-step program for doing great DIY for low
>cost.
>
>1) Many people and companies throw out old data books,
>these can be obtained cheaply or free, and are very handy
>for working at the bench when your computer is not nearby
>or you don't have one. You can make notes in them as well.
>
>2) Take that big "junk box" of parts and carefully sort
>them out into drawers, and clearly label each one. This
>will come in very helpful when you suddenly need a
>particular part; you will know what you have and it will be
>easy to find. Trade, sell, or give away parts you won't be
>using to somebody who will.
>
>3) For most DIY, salvaged wire works great and is free.
>Wind it on to spools if you must. You may never need to
>spend a cent on wire again.
>
>4) Use whatever soldering iron you can afford. If it's not
>regulated, you will be forced to learn to solder better
>than with a good iron. Upgrade to a regulated iron as soon
>as it is practical to do so.
>
>5) Nice tools are great, but are EXPENSIVE. If you start
>with lower quality tools, you will appreciate the quality
>of the better ones when you are able to get them. Tools
>used professionally every day *must* be high quality to
>survive long, but home use is much less demanding. Would
>you learn to play violin on a Stradivarius? Sure, they're
>great to use, but you don't need the best tools to do DIY.
>Rosin core solder worked great for many years, use up what
>you have remaining, and THEN switch over to the newer types.
>
>6) Don't worry about name brand storage containers and
>shipping costs. There are great deals in drawers
>everywhere, check your local stores, garage sales, as well
>as online.
>
>7) Salvage used IC's from working obsolete equipment
>whenever they are in sockets, easy and free. Get an ESR
>meter to check older capacitors.
>
>8) Almost any scope that has decent bandwidth and is
>functioning correctly, WITH a probe, will do just fine for
>DIY. There are lots on Eb*y.
>
>It's tough. Some folks tremble at the THOUGHT of using
>actual paper data books these days, but as this list
>discussed recently, there is a whole lot of important old
>data sheets NOT available on the net or through google.
>
>Instead of spending all your money on expensive parts and
>tools, you can now just buy what you can't get obtain
>surplus or used. Take the money you've saved and spend it
>on slowly upgrading your DIY setup, and you'll be way
>further ahead in the end.
>
>Take care,
>Doug
>______________________
>The Electronic Peasant
>
>www.electronicpeasant.com