Inspection tools

[Axon]

What's the best inspection tools for hardware, I want to check my laptop and my ps3. I really want the best screws an other tools to do the job. I feel my PC is fucked up from all the dust inside it, even the fan isn't working at full speed.

[Darkvision]

Not sure what all your looking to test, but these are some good things to have:
soldering kit:iron/flux/solder(i like having a number of different gauges around)/and a solder pad for wiping the iron on are the essentials.


isopropyl alcohol is great for cleaning electronics, apply to a rag and wipe. make sure the power is turned off obviously


a good rag. depending on areas you need to get into a shammy or glass cleaning rag are good choices, generally go with something like a glass cleaning rag because it will be thinner/allow more detailed cleaning. The benefits of these over a normal towel/rag/paper is that they wont leave behind little pieces of paper or cotton.


a good jewelers screwdriver set. these are made to fit your smaller sets of screws/spaces.


volt meter. dont go super low end, it wont have all the necessary test functions. look for something like this http://toptronic.com/product_info.php?cPath=23&products_id=43&osCsid=0spsv2av1ncecjdj38qkgffqvlo5u5ha


as far as screws/bolts/washers go you can either buy a kit with a lot of types or simply pick up new ones at a hardware store from measurement. little side note here: you can always buy a box/case/small drawer based storage system and save all your old small screws from broken electronics. ie before tossing that broken xbox take it fully apart and keep all the screws, sorted for size.


canned air can sometimes be useful, but i rarely use it.


on the fan issue, if wiping it down doesnt get it up to full speed then either the bearings are going, or the grease is too gunked up. while repairable the cost of fans being what they are it would be better to just replace.


anyway with those items you should be able to fix a rather decent portion of hardware issues. after that its about replacing burnt out chips/capacitors etc. which you would need a voltmeter and a soldering kit for(which you may or may not own) use the voltmeter to find the dead part(s) and replace with new if possible. One last note on the voltmeter these are very useful for testing correct voltages are getting to your parts/their arnt spikes or drops in voltage from say the PSU.


One other note:if you choose to take apart your PSU to clean it be VERY careful. Even unplugged it can store enough amps to kill you. cleaning its fans is one thing, but cleaning the other parts you should make sure you know what your doing before hand. for the inexperienced i would recommend isoproyl for the fans, and canned air for the rest. it wont get it spotless but you dont have to worry about stopping your heart either.

[Axon]

Thank you for the input darkvision, what I was looking for is a collection of tools to unscrew my PC and PS3 and clean the dust from inside, but as you know not every screwdriver works its magic.

[Darkvision]

Ah cool, also i didnt think to mention it in my first part but you can run into some really unusual screw heads. so you may want to look into a kit like this:http://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-2841-Electronic-Screwdriver-135-Piece/dp/B008HYVG6I


While i would only recommend craftsman tools for cars, for electronics you dont put near as much stress on the bits, so you can go with a cheap/off brand company and not loose out for it. Just remember that if your not buying quality tools that they can and WILL stress fracture if you put to much torque on them. bright side is they are cheap so replacing even that full kit is a whole 45$.

[Snayler]

Thank you for the input darkvision, what I was looking for is a collection of tools to unscrew my PC and PS3 and clean the dust from inside, but as you know not every screwdriver works its magic.

I only use a set of screwdrivers and a painting pencil to clean the dust.

[Darkvision]

I only use a set of screwdrivers and a painting pencil to clean the dust.

im assuming you mean a small painting brush, anyway just to point out a few things(just in case/for those that are new):


Screwdriver can be fine for a plastic edge/crevice that is hard to get to but has the problem of scratching the surface. over all its not a big deal on say plastic but it can be a huge problem when trying to do something like a CPU or circuit board.


The brush has a different issue, that being that little pieces of it break off, just like a normal dish rag and can get into/gum up components. its why if you look at any guide on cleaning off your CPU before applying a new coat of thermal paste it asks you to clean with a cloth that doesnt shed and a cleaning solution like isoprpyl. the reason for this is that it wont leave pieces of cloth/old paste in the pores of the metal, allowing for better contact. As well the cloth is too soft to scratch anything up.


The other benefit to isopropyl is that it bonds with stuff like tar from cigarettes to make it much easier to get off say a fan than you could with just a screwdriver/brush. Im not saying their isnt a way to use them to clean a product, just that in 99% of cases a glass cleaning cloth +isopropyl will do the same, if not better job and you dont have to worry about slipping with a screwdriver and gouging a board, or scratching a surface that shouldnt be scratched, or leaving debris behind that could be harmful.

[Fur]

I imagine a dentist's mirror would be pretty useful.
Recording yourself taking it apart can be a lifesaver if you forget where the screws go.
People say coffee filters are good for lint-free cleaning.

[Darkvision]

I imagine a dentist's mirror would be pretty useful.
Recording yourself taking it apart can be a lifesaver if you forget where the screws go.
People say coffee filters are good for lint-free cleaning.

i cant think of having needed a mirror, but it wouldnt hurt


as for coffee filters you are right they dont leave much behind, and can do in a pinch. however they are a rough material and can scar something like a processor, and they tear easily meaning running them over rough objects like a circuit board is likely to leave pieces behind. They work in a pinch, but should not be a first resort.