I have a couple tools I really like and use a lot when I’m modding lights and building engines. One is a mini belt sander. Great for trimming drivers and mcpcb’s down a bit if needed and just all around handy. Another is my Pana Vice. Super handy for holding drivers in place to get a dab of solder to secure it.
It would be great to see what others have discovered and use that maybe not everyone knows about.
If you search Amazon or Ali for “mini belt sander” you will be on your way to finding something similar. My Dad gave me this from a garage sale he picked up.
That’s a cool belt sander! I have a slightly larger one from Harbor Freight. It’s handy for all sorts of things.
A tool I like is a heat gun. I’m talking about the larger kind more meant for stripping paint rather than a hot air station for PCB work.
It’s great for loosening bezels, and for years I’ve used it for LED reflows - I suspend the MCPCB in air held by an aligator clip clamped in a vise. I then heat it from underneath with the heat gun. Works great.
A heat gun has tons of other uses: making irrigation fittings easier to use, bending plastics, defrosting an ice maker, removing stickers, prepping for hot glue, many more.
Those work stations with magnetic flexible arms are handy for holding things- especially when combined with a Panavise. I’ve got a couple of small flashlights that can be held with the arms. They can hold wires in place, solder etc.
A cheap magnifying LED lamp is also great if your eyes aren’t so good.
One of my favourite upgrades was when I ditched my 1990’s vintage temperature controlled soldering iron and bought one of the newer digital stations with the heat element built into the tip. It’s now only a couple of seconds from idle to hot instead of over 30 seconds. Plus the iron itself is so light and compact. Combined with the smart iron holder it automatically goes to “sleep” when the iron is replaced in the holder. Then reheats when you pick it up.
I was hesitant to buy it but I’m glad I did. I was taught soldering in the late 1980’s and did a lot in the trade I was in. Back then it was 60/40 rosin cored solder and the soldering temps were easy to remember. These days the melting point of the solders used seems a bit of a guessing game.
The soldering stations we used were top notch, but you had different sized irons for larger jobs. The tech has moved on and the small one I’ve got now is so much better. Buy a couple of different size/ shape tips for the same handle and you’re set for 95% of your work.
The swapping of tips is so nice. I have 2 I use the most and a few I’ve tried only a couple times. I use a small bevel tip the most then a fine point usually for soldering wires to a driver.
I use one of these I got from Amazon on nearly every flashlight project I’m working on. It can easily hold a driver or mcpcb. Or even the entire head, if needed. You can rotate it, angle it or move it in nearly any way you need. I honestly couldn’t imagine working on lights without it.
My other big one are these snips by Klein tools. A long time ago someone told me that if I’m doing anything with wire, I should be using these. They’ve come in very handy with flashlight mods.
It really is great! I put some shrink tubing on the pins to help protect whatever I’m clamping in. I didn’t even bolt it down. I can move it all over. And the base is heavy enough that it has never once slid or tipped over.
