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First, in order to build a modular, you're going to need a case to put
it in. The type of case you build will determine the exact tools you'll need, but in
general you'll probably need the following hand tools:
- Tape measure
- Framing square or Tri-square (to keep everything at nice 90* angles)
- Hammer and center punch. Use these for marking the center of holes you'll
be drilling in the face plates. It keeps the drill bit from wandering.
- Various screwdrivers. Both phillips and flat.
- Saws (for cutting wood and metal)
- Electric drill or drill press with a good set of bits.
- Uni-bit or step drill. This is a conical drilling tool that makes a
perfectly round hole in sheetmetal face plates. You may also drill a smaller hole
and a handheld reamer.
- Hand files for smoothing rough metal burrs. You could also get a grinding
wheel for a Dremel Tool.
- Pliers and wrenches for various uses
Of course, you'll also need electronics tools for completing your
project. These will include, but isn't limited to:
- Soldering iron. Not a cheapy, but a nice temperature controlled unit.
Expect to spend $50-$150 on a good iron
- Desoldering tool. There's several styles available. You'll need
to be able to remove excess solder at times.
- Wire cutters. I have several types. I have small flush side-cutting
pliers for cutting leads on the underside of the board, needle nose pliers for cutting and
bending wires and leads, end cutters or "nippers", and linesman pliers for
cutting thicker wires.
- Wire strippers. There's several types available. The
"one-handed" automatic stripping pliers are really nice.
- Digital multimeter. This is used for the DC analysis of your synth, and
also to measure resistance. You should spend at least $75 on a nice meter. It
would be wise to get a meter with the ability to measure capacitance, as some of the
brands of caps aren't very clearly marked, and you'll appreciate this convenience.
A meter that acurately reads to 1/1000th of a volt is needed to match the transistors in
your VCO (if applicable).
- Ocsilliscope. This is the most expensive tool you'll need. A good
used model can be found for $150-$500, and new ones commonly cost $3000 or more. A
relatively fast (20MHz) analog scope is your best choice.
There are other tools that you may find you need or want while you
build a synth. Each of these will make your life a lot more simple...
- Frequency Counter. This basically displays the frequency of the input
signal. This is useful for tuning your VCO's, etc.
- Panavise. Although this is a specific brand, any type of small hobby vise
should work. You use this to hold the circuit board at a convenient angle to make it
easier to work on. It's important that the vise swivels in any direction to allow
you to reposition the board wherever necessary.
- A comfortable lab stool or chair... trust me...you'll use it A LOT.
Good posture is important when working for a few hours; The right workstation will save
you a lot of back and neck pain.
- A dedicated work area. Although this isn't really a "tool" per
se, it's best if you have a little lab area that you don't have to pack away every time
you finish work for the day. Otherwise putting your gear away everyday will become a
cumbersome and time consuming task.
- Heat Gun. This is nice for applying heat shrink tubing. I usually use a
lighter, but it blackens the tubing, and a heat gun won't.
- Dremel Tool with drill press kit. This really makes it easy to drill holes
in a PCB's. I also use the Dremel with cutoff wheels to cut the pot shafts shorter,
grinders to remove burrs. Very useful to have around.
There's a whole slew of parts you'll commonly need laying around.
These have all sorts of uses in the project.
- Solder. I bet you knew that. There's different types available with
different fluxes and compisition. I use a fairly standard rosin-core solder.
- Flux remover. All solder has some type of flux in it. It's a
substance that cleans the connection and allows the solder to flow properly. The
flux remains after the joint is done, and often leaves a brown goopy mess. You
simply get the proper type of cleaner to clean the type of flux you're solder has.
Also, some flux seems to be conductive in large quantities and may cause shorts on
the board, so make sure you clean it!
- Heat shrink tubing. Man, I love this stuff. Makes a nice insulated
solder connection. It comes in all sizes and colors.
- Little screws, nuts, and angles. You'll need this stuff to attach your
circuit board to the face of the synth, and to connect the modules to the frame. I
usually have an assortment of #4-40, #6-32, #8-24 and other common sized screws.
(Well, they're common if you live in the US).
- Wire. You'll need several colors, to keep you from getting confused,
and a few different gauges for different uses. Generally speaking, I use
relatively heavy gauge wires for power supply connections, and smaller wire for the lower
voltage signals wires. 18-22ga is appropriate. You will want to use shielded wire
for audio connections, but unshielded wire works well for control voltage applications.
- Solder Wick. This stuff is great for desoldering... wicks excess solder
away.
- Cable Ties. Use these to neaten up your cabling. It really makes a
module look more professional
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