27 

 TOOLS AND WORKSHOP FACILITIES 



One of the reasons why small boys can bewilder their elders by producing 

 home-made wireless sets is that electronic gear can be made with extremely 

 humble tools and workshop facilities. Thus, whilst the home manufacture 

 of quite a simple piece of mechanical engineering — a model steam-engine, 

 perhaps — demands a proper workshop equipped with expensive items such 

 as lathe, gauges, micrometer, etc., electronic apparatus of a kind can be 

 built up in old tins with no other tools than a screwdriver, pliers, soldering 

 iron, hammer and nails (the hammer and nails are used to punch holes as 

 required). The workshop can be — and often is — the proverbial corner of 

 the kitchen table. 



On a rather higher plane, the research worker intent on making his own 

 apparatus can produce professional-looking work by either: (1) buying 

 ready-made racks, cabinets, panels and chassis (e.g. Plate 26.3), and cutting 

 holes in them as required; (2) buying raw materials — sheet steel and 

 aluminium, aluminium angle, etc.— and doing the whole job himself. 



Plan No. 1 is advised for the beginner. If this procedure is adopted, all 

 that is needed is a stout bench equipped with a vice having at least 3 in. 

 jaws, and a box of hand tools ; it is strongly recommended that they be his 

 own personal property. 



The author has reviewed his own tools and has prepared the following hst. 

 The items on it constitute the minimum with which he feels it possible to 

 undertake any kind of electronic assembly work : the tools marked with an 

 asterisk represent a short list with which it is possible to carry out work of a 

 kind, but a high standard of workmanship cannot be expected with so 

 impoverished an equipment. 



6 in. rule, scriber, spring centre punch, divider and 2 ft. square for marking out. 



Screwdrivers with i*, i* and f in. blades. 



Nest of B.A. spanners*. 



Files — flat, with safe edge, round, and half-round. 



Bicycle spanner*, for potentiometer, rotary switch and toggle switch nuts. 



Side cutters*. 



'Q max' hole cutters: | in. for B7G valveholders ; | in. for B9A valveholders; and 1 J in. 

 for Octal valveholders. 



Wheelbrace and drills: ^ in. (8 B.A. clearance); i in. (6 B.A. clearance)*; ^ in. (4 B.A. 

 clearance)*; ^ in. (2 B.A. clearance); and i in. (0 B.A. clearance). 



Handbrace and drills: f in. for making holes for potentiometers, rotary switches*; 

 and H in. 'Q max' cutter; -^ in. for making holes for f in. and f in. 'Q max' 

 cutters; and i in. for toggle switches*. 



Odd blocks of wood for supporting work when drilling. 



329 



