Electrical projects are extraordinary in every way, in addition to specific knowledge of the subject, you also need work space, motivation and appropriate tools to carry out a job. For regular home electrical projects, you can employ the most common tools that are present in every home. However, innovators, designers, thinkers and engineers fall into a completely different category: they cannot work with ordinary common tools. They need special tools. Here we have aggregated a list of the top ten essentials that will help every creator update or complete their toolkit. Take a look.
1. Pliers: You may have seen regular pliers around your house, but the ones meant for electrical projects are a little different. You will need a pair of narrow nose pliers that can take care of small and tiny things like resistor cables, copper wires, project boards, etc. Start with line pliers, which are a common household tool, and then you can move on to more specific ones. . These are versatile and robust tools and best for bending large gauge wires, pulling cables through conduits, cutting small screws, bolts and even hammer screws into the home positions.
Fig. 1: Pliers set for electrical projects
2. Wire cutter: Typical wire cutters are good for automotive or household wiring, but electrical wiring needs different cutters. Electrical cutters come with blades that can be drilled into a surface to trim component leads on a PCB (printed circuit board) in the best possible way. Some of them also have built-in retainers that prevent cut wires or cables from flying here and there. In addition to this built-in cutter, you can also add diagonal cutters and end cutters to your kit.
Fig. 2: Image showing a typical diagonal wire cutter
3. Wire Strippers: If you want to remove wire insulation with a diagonal or flush cutter, it can be risky. Therefore, unless you are an expert, it is best to use a wire stripper. There are some pliers that come with built-in wire strippers, but they don't have the efficiency of a professional wire stripper. You may also need to set up these strippers correctly, only then will they do a good job. Go to any nearby hardware store and you will find a wide variety of wire strippers, from regular to high-end, as well as automatic wire strippers.
Fig. 3: Wire Stripper
4. Non-Contact Voltage Tester: Voltage testers are used for instant safety checks to ensure that the electrical wires you are working with are voltage-free. You must have seen the regular testers at home, but now you can upgrade to contactless testers that offer complete safety and simplicity of task. Just bring them close to the socket or wire and you will be able to detect electricity in it.
Fig. 4: Non-contact voltage tester
5. Torpedo Level: The best thing about torpedo levels is that they are easy to fit into tool bags. A perfect tool when you need to level and fine-tune your work. Any installation task would need outlet covers, straight switches, and level boxes. Make sure you are fully prepared with the best tool at hand.
Fig. 5: A typical torpedo level
6. Socket and Hex Drivers: The most common type of socket set can be purchased at any hardware, home improvement, or auto parts store. The typical size of these devices ranges from 0.25 inch to ¾ inch. Sizes can increase even further, but it all depends on the budget you have. Electronic projects have a different need, so along with the normal project you need to have a special socket driver kit for electronics. They wouldn't come with a turnstile; instead, you will need to connect the tools into a common handle. Each entity in this set has a built-in identifier.
Fig. 6: A regular socket assembly
Hex head screws and screws will need a hex wrench or hex wrench. Both can be available in ASME/ANSI along with a specific small size defined within a bracket. Hex wrenches come with ball-type ends and assist wrenches in applying torque to a fastener without aligning it with the bolt or bolt shaft. Try to get hex wrenches and sockets in metric and ANSI/ASME sizes.
7. Dies and Taps: Threading refers to cutting threads into holes of the required size. The tool used for this purpose is known as a tap. The die is another tool that helps in cutting threads in raw rods to form threaded shafts. Dies are also useful in repairing damaged screw threads. Tap and die can be useful at any time.
Fig. 7: Hex driver set
8. Tweezers: A simple yet essential set of tools that will definitely help you solve many complications. They come in handy when you're working with small parts and need something to hold them in place. For electronic and electrical purposes, you can get a unique set of tweezers in a variety of sizes and styles.
Fig. 8: Set of Tweezers for Electrical Projects
9. Small hand saws: Small hand saws may be needed to cut sheet or tube materials. For special purposes, you can also get the jeweler's saw, which can create some odd-shaped holes in anything. It uses a very narrow blade and would make things sharp without binding. But be very careful because the blade can break easily if you apply a little extra force.
Fig. 9: A common small hand saw for electronics projects
10 . Crimping tools: Working with connectors with crimp terminals can be a difficult task. A set of crimping tools can be the best help in simplifying such tasks. Crimping tools range from simple pliers-like equipment to the more up-to-date aerospace-grade ratcheting devices called dies. The normal price range for these tools is $30 to $500. Electronic projects require different types of crimping tools that can be used with small terminal components present in miniature connectors. Get one that can strip and cut wires and trim machine screws.
Fig. 10: A typical crimping tool
This is just a small list that we have put together here, we know there are many more that need to be added to this one. You can also include magnifying glasses, microscopes, welding tools, drills, hammers, metal working tools, drills, grinders and some others. It's crucial to have a broad toolkit by your side if you plan to keep creating new projects and things. You can check your nearest electronics suppliers, hardware stores, online stores, and home improvement stores to get the tools mentioned here. If you look around you will find a store that can offer all of these items at a perfect price.