Grauwulf's Tips/Tricks/Tools thread

[Grauwulf]

Not to horn in on Doug's racket, but I thought I would put together a list of tools for doing pin repair and maintenance and tips and tricks that I run across or develop on my own. There likely won't be anything new or earth shattering here, but if any of this helps anyone, great!

Essential tools

Temp controlled soldering station with fine and med tips
Auto ranging multimeter w/screw on alligator clips
Small side cutters
Needle nose pliers
Dental picks
Good wire strippers
Wire crimpers
.093" pin removal tool
.062" pin removal tool
5/8" wrench
9/16" wrench
Imperial sized allen keys
Screwdriver and bit set
Security bit set (grab from Princess Auto when on sale)
1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 11/32" shallow sockets
1/4" and 5/16" deep sockets
Contact file
Flexstone file
Solder sucker
Retractable pickup magnet
Rechargeable trouble light
Fuse puller
60/40 Rosin Core solder, get a small diameter if you're planning on doing board work
Leaf switch adjusting tool

Advanced tools/Nice to have

Logic probe (Buy decent quailty!)
Tap and die set
Bench power supply
EPROM Burner/eraser
Data Vac blower
Ultrasonic Cleaner
Media Tumbler
Magnifying glass
These are just my opinions on tools and what I pack in my kit. Some of you may have different preferences for tools, i.e. ratchet and sockets instead of wrenches.

Where you don't want to skimp out:

Buy a good multimeter, you want one that has beep on continuity and a diode test at minimum. If you have the money, buy a Fluke.
Soldering station, it doesn't cost a lot to get decent station these days, look at Weller and Hakko.

 

[DRANO]

Good thread.

I think these are a must have. Long neck Klein magnetic nut drivers. Pinrestore.com sells them and I'm sure you can find them elsewhere too.



For Allen keys, please don't buy the sets where they're all attached like a Swiss Army knife. Get long armed individual ones.

I also like to have a socket extender that fits in my screwdriver and makes it about 5" longer for hard to reach places. I also have a 6-piece set of jewellery sized drivers. 3 sizes of Phillips and 3 sizes of flathead. They get used a lot and the shafts are long and thin enough to be very useful.

Under NICE TO HAVE tools I will also include a quality rivet press. Just got one from pinrestore last year and it's a beauty. A good polishing wheel will also serve you well.
The Treasure Cove or similar polishing kit for your high speed drill is also great for playfield cleanup and polishing.

Lastly, for a couple of bucks, Lee Valley Tools sells this thing called a finger wrench.
It basically let's you safely hold a nut on the tip of your finger while you reach under something like a ramp and screw the bolt from the topside. Try doing this without this tool and you'll drop the nut 9 out of 10 times!

 

[mwong168]

I also recommend the Klein 7 Magnetic nut drivers set although you could probably get away with 3 or 4 only which are used the most. Don't forget a magnet bowl which can be picked up for next to nothing at Dollarama along with a telescopic magnet wand

I would also recommend ordering a few of these test breakers in 3A, 4A, 5A and 7A to help troubleshoot fuses being blow.

It can get quite costly if you are troubleshooting a WPC95 which use the smaller 20mm fuses that are $0.65 a "pop" literally! At least with the breaker you can reset it manually after you have attempted to replace or fix something to see if it still blows. You can solder an old blown fuse as shown above so you can insert into your game's existing fuse holder or else just getting a set of gator clips to clip onto the breaker tabs and in the game's fuse clips. This way you don't need two of the same breaker for each generation of game you are working on such as WPC or WPC95.

 

[Menace]

James hit the nail on the head when it comes to the DMM in your toolbox. Spend the $$ on a good Fluke DMM and be happy you did, it'll be the last one you ever buy! (I'm still using my first Fluke DMM and I've had it for over 20 years!) I can't tell you how many times I've been to a collectors house that has an el-cheap-o DMM that ultimately just has them chasing their tail for hours, can cause more problems than it helps solve.

D

 

[Grauwulf]

Thanks for the contributions guys, the fusebreakers was on my list to post, I have my breakers here, I just haven't had time to put them together and post them yet.

While I understand that nut drivers come highly recommended, I have a set that I've never used to work on a pinball machine. lol

 

[mwong168]

Spend the $$ on a good Fluke DMM and be happy you did, it'll be the last one you ever buy! (I'm still using my first Fluke DMM and I've had it for over 20 years!)

You have a good entry level or particular model # you recommend for the average user Doug?

 

[mwong168]

This might also be a cheap and handy set to have for those hard to reach where you can't fit a full sized tool.

http://www.princessauto.com/pal/en/Sets ... /2920892.p

 

[WARLOCK]

James hit the nail on the head when it comes to the DMM in your toolbox. Spend the $$ on a good Fluke DMM and be happy you did, it'll be the last one you ever buy! (I'm still using my first Fluke DMM and I've had it for over 20 years!) I can't tell you how many times I've been to a collectors house that has an el-cheap-o DMM that ultimately just has them chasing their tail for hours, can cause more problems than it helps solve.

D

Great suggestion. I have several personally and @ work. After watching Doug do repairs though,
I suggest you save your pennies and buy a Fluke once you are able to.

Where should we go to buy a Fluke? I am done with all these other expensive and inexpensive DMM's.

 

[Grauwulf]

Great suggestion. I have several personally and @ work. After watching Doug do repairs though,
I suggest you save your pennies and buy a Fluke once you are able to.

Doug, where should we go to buy a Fluke? I am done with all these other expensive and inexpensive DMM's.

Sayal carries Fluke, if you want to go in and play touchie-feely with one. My last one lasted me over 20 years, and took a *lot* of abuse. Worth every penny.

This might also be a cheap and handy set to have for those hard to reach where you can't fit a full sized tool.

http://www.princessauto.com/pal/en/Sets ... /2920892.p

I have a similar set to that from PA that came with a smaller ratchet, comes in handy as well. Takes a 1/4" drive socket on one side of the head and bits on the other.

 

[flyer666]

I don't understand is this line...

Where you don't want to skimp out:

Buy a good multimeter, you want one that has beep on continuity and a diode test at minimum. If you have the money, buy a Fluke.



A meter is a meter ....I have a mastercard, fluke and no name meters ...

All work just as well as the others...

JUST NEED TO KNOW HOW TO USE THEM,..

1.7 vs 1.738 V................ Does it really make that much of a difference

Just my two cents

 

[Menace]

A meter is a meter ....I have a mastercard, fluke and no name meters ...

All work just as well as the others...

JUST NEED TO KNOW HOW TO USE THEM,..

1.7 vs 1.738 V................ Does it really make that much of a difference

Just my two cents

This is where I must disagree, not all things are created equal. The meter you use ultimately should yield you the same results if you know what you are doing, but the Fluke will make getting you those result with way less hassle and with more accurate results. I can't tell you how many cheap DMM's have given me crazy readings over my Fluke doing the EXACT same thing. I don't trust anything but my Fluke, and this is coming from someone who's worked in the electronics industry for almost 25 years.

For those considering a Fluke, as James mentioned Sayal is a decent place to purchase as you can go in and play with them. There are places like MCM and the like that also carry them and offer decent sales from time to time, so go check them out in person to figure out which model works best for your needs and then shop around. (personally I wouldn't consider anything less than the model 116 though)

D

 

[brad808]

I've been wanting to buy a fluke meter for the last few months but really haven't gotten around to it. I need to really sit down and read what model I want or need to pick up. Just so many damn numbers and series. I've been using my mastercraft $10 special for the last probably 4 years and I think it's time for an upgrade.

 

[Monkeybug]

I picked up my Klein tools at Pinball Life. You can either by the 7 piece or you can just buy the ones you need.

http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p= ... nt=96&pg=1

As for Fluke... I guess I don't know what I am doing? I have tossed many cheapo Canadian Tire DMMs over the years and never found any happiness until I got my fluke. Fluke works great.

 

[websherpa]

This (Hex Drive Mini Ratcheting) might also be a cheap and handy set to have for those hard to reach where you can't fit a full sized tool.

I think "might" is the operative word here. I have tried using both socket and driver bits in one of these (and still carry it around in my mechanics hip pouch) but rarely use it and find it still of limited use in tight spots, with open ended or combination wrenches usually doing a better job, and a solid offset screw driver or two (the kind with a small s bend) for some screws.

The Klein Magnetic Nut Drivers are terrific (I've had one magnet break but haven't had it replaced yet). I think I got mine from Pin Restore, but I recall seeing them at Home Depot which is a Klein seller (although they may not be the magnetic kind, which are the best for the contortions we endure).

I have a "portable" bench top Fluke, but I got lucky buying a DMM at Sayal, had it for years and has served me well.

 

[Grauwulf]

Another useful 'tool' that I forgot from my first post. Most of us now have smart phones. Get a free bubble level app for your phone for levelling your machines. Same as when you level a machine with a torpedo level, place it on the playfield, not on the glass.

 

[brad808]

Another useful 'tool' that I forgot from my first post. Most of us now have smart phones. Get a free bubble level app for your phone for levelling your machines. Same as when you level a machine with a torpedo level, place it on the playfield, not on the glass.

I recommend "clinometer" for anyone on Android. Make sure to calibrate it.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

[Grauwulf]

I'm running MobileLevel for Blackberry. Forgot to mention that.

 

[Allan]

Good post I also carry a hand held oscilloscope handy for checking switch pulses.

 

[Grauwulf]

Good post I also carry a hand held oscilloscope handy for checking switch pulses.

Link?

 

[brad808]

Good post I also carry a hand held oscilloscope handy for checking switch pulses.

Would there be any benefit to that over using a (presumably cheaper) logic probe?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk