Definately, do you know where I can get a good deal on it?
I really like this idea! Wow, it sure is going to take a while to gather all these items. I have most of the tools mentioned here but will need to build up the consumables and common components
I’ll have to ask the wife. She puts up with me so she must have a huge stash of it somewhere :~ She’s holding out on me.
wow its only available in 45g? I think I'm gonna need more than that puny amount! :D
Surprised this hasn’t been mentioned yet… I couldn’t live without snap ring pliers for flashlight modding. Removable pills almost always have little divots to grip on, gotta have snap ring pliers to get in there. I suppose you could file down some tiny needle nose pliers to do the same thing… but I’d rather buy some cheap ones for a few bucks rather than spend an hour ruining some needle nose pliers that cost roughly the same. Skip the ones with interchangeable tips… Those are fine for their intended purpose - not fine for screwing/unscrewing pills in flashlights. In an ideal world I’d get both internal and external snap ring pliers, but in reality I make due with just internal snap ring pliers.
For more permanent attachment:
Article Alumina
Cheaper, less permanent, but still stuck in place:
Fujik(the adhesive not the grease)
A decent magnifying lamp, not a jeweler’s loop on a stick.
A temp controlled soldering iron. If you plan on reflowing a lot or assembling boards you might look into a hot air reflow gun. Those that have them swear by them. I’m content just swearing.
Rubbing alcohol and an old toothbrush for removing rosin core solder flux( makes for nicer pictures if you post your efforts. Goof off or b12 chemtool are faster but way more toxic. :Sp
JB Weld epoxy. No idea what you will use it for but I use it a lot and it’s cheaper than AA.
Plenty of bookmark space for storing links to OL build threads.
Ideas for the next DIY contest.
Thanks to all for your suggestions! This thread has been extremely helpful. Just one more question, is a good flashlight a must? :bigsmile: But seriously, this is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks! Oh, and BTW, I just picked up a SS yz-t13 so we’ll see where that goes. It’ll prob be a while though as funds are a bit tight and kids a rather demanding 
Any of you still watching this thread, please help. I need a little clarification on these thermal compounds. Is thermal grease and thermal paste the same thing? If not, what is a good cheap thermal grease? Also, when would I use thermal adhesive instead of a thermal paste? I’ve started ordering many things suggested here and am getting a little stuck on this one. Any clarification would help. Thanks!
Thermal paste, thermal adhesive, thermal compund are all different things, but the terms are used interchangeably on products from China, so you never really know what you’ll get.
A lot of people use Arctic Silver (AS5) or Arctic Alumina. They have good thermal properties and dry hard, like an adhesive. They are also electrically conductive, so you have to be a little more careful where you put it.
I use Arctic Ceramique II. It still has good thermal properties, but it never completely dries so it’s easy to move and adjust, and its a much better value than the other 2 in my opinion.
Ok, thanks. So they can be used somewhat interchangeably it just depends on how “permanent” you want it?
Kind of. Some products are labelled “thermal grease/paste/compund” when they really aren’t. That’s one thing I recommend getting a name brand instead of a gerneric.
Got it. I’ll just order some of the arctic ceramique 2 and call it a day. Thanks again!
One method of doing a semi-permanent bond is to use a non adhesive grease under the star and adhesive around the edge. This keeps the star centered but allows for more easy removal.
I think you've got a pretty good collection here. The helping hands and small vice are a must for me. I must also mention that good lighting helps a lot; either from a headlamp or from good overhead lighting.
Above all, the most consumable item in this hobby (along with most others) is cash.
Good suggestion. I don’t use my helping hands much, but this little vise gets TONS of use.
When soldering wires to boards that have vias I clamp the wire and hang the board from the wire to solder it from the backside. One reason I much prefer +/- vias over just solder pads crowded in amongst components.
I've searched high and low on the net and cant find this most consumed item anywhere. Can you give us a hint? As I have never had this item I feel it may be holding me back in proceeding further along the path of this hobby.
Maybe this is why I dont understand how drivers work as I dont have any cash. Must find, please help. 
Wife’s purse. :zipper_mouth_face:
The wife's purse lives in her handbag. Have you ever tried to find anything in a woman's handbag? I learnt years ago to stay well away. From what I hear from the kids she doesn't know where to buy cash from either. Apparently she uses something called a plastic card. I have one of them though. Its used as a trowel. My looking continues. Thanks anyway.
Seems to be a great collection. Most of the tools I have. I would like to get a peg vise or the suction vise pilotdog suggested. Many consumables in the mail 
Now I just have to find more of this elusive cash.