Electronic repairs bench setup ideas and supplies?

[JOEPRO]

I have bought a 1400 x 600 desk arriving on Wednesday. I intend to set this up for electrical repairs / diagnosis of tools and car parts etc.

What standard kits or materials would be useful in terms of consumables? Thinking of this sort of thing-

 

[m_c]

I'd just buy what you need when you need it.

I can't remember the last time I used a through hole resistor except on a breadboard for testing something.

Most things now are surface mount, and there are that many options, you could spend thousands on bits you might never use.

 

[masleeve]

I would second that , only buy in as required , I have loads of things i have bought extras of and never used ! I do have some nice storage drawers now

 

[winchman]

As above really but on occasion I cant help my self. I always buy the RS components plastic drawers that slot together and correctly have a wall of them in the shed. I have nuts and bolts from 3mm up to 16mm just an assortment of each. I will never use them all but when I am stuck for one I have them. Same with Crimps, you have to look at cost as it soon mounts up, I was lucky a bloke clearing a motor factors was at a car boot so I bought plenty of fasteners for buttons, but buying new they are not cheap.

 

[David_W]

These books are really useful if you're keeping surface mount passives, I keep them for resistors, caps, inductors and ferrites but I'm doing design work, so take with appropriate pinch of salt.
Resistor book
Much beyond that, you'll be likely trying to match active parts so I wouldn't keep them in stock. Plenty of 30awg mod wire, solder wick and desoldering needles are really useful for removing through hole parts

 

[rich_c]

If I read the question right, you're asking about consumables only, not tools or test and measurement gear?

It depends on what you want to repair - I saw your Milwaukee thread, so, as you know, its mostly SMD with some through hole power devices. But, if you're repairing (really) old welders and some old cars those are often chunky through hole devices.

You can go overboard, pre-buying kits of components, that you will only ever use 1% of, but having some basic selection of resistors, caps and a few common semis is needed so you can continue diagnosing when you need a component. Sometimes you can combine parts you have in stock just to "test a theory" even if you don't have the exact part. When buying kits don't forget that SMD devices come in different physical sizes so choose the size you work on the most, otherwise it's going to get spendy.

When you order a specific part for an actual repair, over-order (or order in a kit) so that you can hold a few extra in stock and build your collection (also there's no guarantee you won't fry the replacement). Similarly, bulk out your order to the free shipping tier with components or test probes, leads, consumables.

Crimps for connecting up to a PCB, or for tool/car repairs.
Fuses - first check the fuse, you replace it hoping for the easy win, then you need another to replace the new one you just blew Again, target size and value to your likely repairs.

Here are some rework consumable ideas:
Desoldering braid
Lots of flux, syringe or flux pen
Low melt solder if you find you need it
IPA
Switch cleaner
Qtips / swabs
Heatsink gloop
Heatshirnk tube
Wire - starting with tiny solid core wire for board level repairs
Kapton tape
Solder resist repair
Conformal coating
Anything scavenged e.g. self tappers, PC case screws, switches, connectors...

Note on component storage:
Like all workshop storage you'll be re-organising it as your collection of junk cherished components grows, but I'm not a fan of those small drawers for component stock unless you have lots of space (or not much stock). I feel they are space wasters for small components if you go 1 value per draw or sub drawer and the same with big components like connectors, so the sweet spot for those drawers are for small nuts/bolts and maybe medium weight power transistors imo. I use pink static dissipative bags for each component value, then store those bags upright in (shoe)boxes a bit like like a card index - super quick retrieval and the box goes back on the shelf out of the way when done. I do this for short strips of SMDs and through hole components except overly chunky power transistors and larger electrolytic caps. Reels I store on the P&P machine!
HTH

 

[Turbo]

If I read the question right, you're asking about consumables only, not tools or test and measurement gear?

It depends on what you want to repair - I saw your Milwaukee thread, so, as you know, its mostly SMD with some through hole power devices. But, if you're repairing (really) old welders and some old cars those are often chunky through hole devices.

You can go overboard, pre-buying kits of components, that you will only ever use 1% of, but having some basic selection of resistors, caps and a few common semis is needed so you can continue diagnosing when you need a component. Sometimes you can combine parts you have in stock just to "test a theory" even if you don't have the exact part. When buying kits don't forget that SMD devices come in different physical sizes so choose the size you work on the most, otherwise it's going to get spendy.

When you order a specific part for an actual repair, over-order (or order in a kit) so that you can hold a few extra in stock and build your collection (also there's no guarantee you won't fry the replacement). Similarly, bulk out your order to the free shipping tier with components or test probes, leads, consumables.

Crimps for connecting up to a PCB, or for tool/car repairs.
Fuses - first check the fuse, you replace it hoping for the easy win, then you need another to replace the new one you just blew Again, target size and value to your likely repairs.

Here are some rework consumable ideas:
Desoldering braid
Lots of flux, syringe or flux pen
Low melt solder if you find you need it
IPA
Switch cleaner
Qtips / swabs
Heatsink gloop
Heatshirnk tube
Wire - starting with tiny solid core wire for board level repairs
Kapton tape
Solder resist repair
Conformal coating
Anything scavenged e.g. self tappers, PC case screws, switches, connectors...

Note on component storage:
Like all workshop storage you'll be re-organising it as your collection of junk cherished components grows, but I'm not a fan of those small drawers for component stock unless you have lots of space (or not much stock). I feel they are space wasters for small components if you go 1 value per draw or sub drawer and the same with big components like connectors, so the sweet spot for those drawers are for small nuts/bolts and maybe medium weight power transistors imo. I use pink static dissipative bags for each component value, then store those bags upright in (shoe)boxes a bit like like a card index - super quick retrieval and the box goes back on the shelf out of the way when done. I do this for short strips of SMDs and through hole components except overly chunky power transistors and larger electrolytic caps. Reels I store on the P&P machine!
HTH

+1 on this.

I bought mixed boxes of through hole components like resistors and capacitors and I rarely use them. They can be useful for testing and you can add smaller ones together if you don't have the correct size in the box.
For replacement I normally buy the correct decent quality component.

A set of Bisley drawers is useful to store components and smaller tools.

A set of security bits, long driver bits and a cordless screwdriver is good.
Good quality set of very small to large screwdrivers is essential.

A good meter, test leads and different probe ends is essential too.
Plus somewhere to store them.

Then there is storage for projects that are in limbo, either waiting for parts, further diagnostics or put on the back burner.

 

[Nomad]

Decent screwdrivers - I have a set of micro Wira + also some tiny torx from model making, very rarely used but invaluable when they are needed.
I picked up a £7 "rachet screwdriver set with standard & tamper-proof bits" today in Aldi, nothing special but having the anti-tamper would have made a few jobs easier in the past.

A solder sucker ( works fine for me so I've never tried solder wick).
A decent modern soldering iron (my Fakita / Makita clone is night & day compared to the traditional irons I've always used in the past)
O'Silly o-scope? I've managed without so far but a cheapo USB type would be handy once I understand how it works !

 

[sako243]

Components get them as and when you need them.

With regards to kit - in all seriousness what's your budget?

My day job is (or should be) electronics design and the test kit is far more important than components. To scare you (possibly)
- Oscilloscope: Keysight MSOX3024T was £3.5k +VAT new when I bought it
- Multimeter: Fluke 179 was north of £500 when I bought it
- Soldering station: JBC Nase rework, circa £1.2k when I bought it
- Hotair rework: Generic Chinese about £100
- Power supplies (various cheap ones will do but current limits are highly desirable).
- Hot plate: Metcal, again about £150 I think.

Then you have car specific tools like a CAN Bus analyser would be useful and so on.

 

[OJCar]

be useful in terms of consumables?

As a former Electronics Repair Tech I would suggest teabags and chocolate HobNobs.

 

[JOEPRO]

Thanks for the replies so far, very helpful. I tske those points and yes im better to just buy the correct components + extras as and when I need them.

I have a good bit of kit already like several soldering irons, a rework station and am adjustable power supply. Ill post pictures of what I have on Wednesday evening for sh+ts and giggles and will re read the lists above to see what items will be useful to add.

I definitely do need a decent screwdriver set in a all in one stand type deal for this bench so ill keep looking for something suitable.

My repairs are Milwaukee stuff, the occasional modern welder and Mercedes ECUs and keys etc from the 90's / 2000s plus other random repairs and small repair projects.

 

[daedalusminos]

Those sample books are a good idea - 0603 and 0805 resistor and ceramic caps...you can pick them up for a few pound ea on aliexpress

 

[Turbo]

A few pics of my electricals bench.

The cupboards were being thrown out of a local school.
There is a 2' twin led batten light mounted in the alcove.

This screwdriver set is from lidl and is quite good.
I have a set of wera drivers to mount too.

Most of the tools live in a cheap top box behind me but the ones I use most stay on the magnetic strips.

Test leads hang on the cupboard doors and I made a rack for the different ends for the leads.
There's also different usb type leads for charging things.

I also have a tool roll type thing with many more test leads and attachments.

I have a bank of office pedestals directly behind me with more gear and I just have to swing round in the swivel chair to access them..

The silicon mat is great for dismantling stuff as there is pockets to put screws into, some are magnetic.

I am making up a power supply for this Imax B6 charger by fitting this connector onto the 12v adapter.

 

[Robotstar5]

If you're working on stuff with lots of tiny screws etc. one of the pill organiser boxes is handy to keep them in - example