I.

ELETRICAL TOOLS
A. Screwdrivers
Driving tools are usually used in
projects while dealing with tightening,
loosening, and removing the screws.
These are also used to remove bits,
screws, nuts, and bolts from surfaces
and require manual force during
operation.
These tools are made of hard steel
and are tempered at the tip to loosen or
tighten screws with slotted heads.
Usually, it is recommended to purchase screw drivers in a complete set so that you
have one for every kind of screw. Screwdrivers can be availed in different shapes and
size, mainly including:
 Standard/Flat Screw Driver: It is a wedge-shaped driver resembling a negative
sign at the tip and is used for driving screws with a single slot head.
 Philips Screw Driver: It has a cross tip resembling a positive (+) sign and used to
drive screws with cross slot heads.
 Stubby Screw Driver: It has a short shank or blade and is used in tight spaces
where a standard screw driver can’t be used.
Available Brands:

 DEWALT DW2166 45-Piece Screwdriving Set

 GearWrench 20 Piece Master Dual Material Screwdriver Set
 JEGS 69-pc Magnetic Screwdriver Set

B. Hex Wrench
A wrench is used to turn
objects, usually rotary fasteners like
nuts and bolts, or to keep them from
turning. The main function is to drive
screws with hexagonal slot heads or
Allen-headed screws. In other words, it
is used to drive screws in places
where regular screw drivers don’t
work.
Available Brands:
 WIHA 36987
 TEKTON 25253
 STANLEY Long Arm

C. Utility Knife
A utility knife, or box cutter, is handy for
cutting sheathing from non-metallic (Romex) cable,
to cut off electrical tape, and to open cardboard
boxes. It’s one of the essential elements while
dealing with electronics as it can cut through most of
the materials. It’s portable, practical.
Available Brands:
 FC Folding Pocket Aluminum Utility Knife
 Alltrade 150003 Auto-Loading Utility Knife
 Gerber EAB Lite Utility Knife

D. Wire Strippers
It’s a hand-held tool for removing the electrical
insulation off the wires without damaging the interior
wire. Manual modes need some caution during use
while the automatic ones allow even the first-time
users to remove insulation quickly.
These tools are equipped with different sized cutting
teeth for various sized wires and have a cutoff portion
in order to cut the wire.

Directions for use:

 Determine the wire gauge and type. Identify the gauge of the copper wire to be
stripped. You can find this on the outermost sheathing that binds multiple wires
together inside an NM cable. With a number such as 12/2, for example, the first
number is the wire gauge (in this case, 12). Also note whether the wire is solid or
stranded copper.
  Match the wire to the tool: Match the wire gauge with the appropriately labeled
hole on the wire stripper. This step is essential: if you choose a hole that is too
big, the insulation will not be fully cut and you'll have a hard time stripping it; if
you choose a hole that is too small, the wire may be nicked or even severed
entirely.
 Open the tool and seat the wire. Open the wire stripper handles. "Seat" the wire
into one side of the proper hole. Slowly press the handles together until they can
go no farther. This action will cut through the insulation on the wire.
 Twist (optional): If the wire insulation does not fully cut, you may have to gently
rotate the wire within the hole (or the wire stripper around the wire, whichever is
easier). You do not have to rotate far: just a quarter turn in one direction and
back.
 Strip the insulation: Pull the wire stripper towards the cut end of the wire to
remove the insulation. The action is like pulling a sock off a foot. Some users find
it easiest to push against the tool using the thumb on the hand that is gripping the
wire, while the other hand holds the handles of the tool firmly shut.
Available Brands:
 IRWIN VISE-GRIP Multi-Tool Wire Strippers
 Klein Tools 11055 Wire Strippers
 Hakko CHP-170 Micro Cutter Wire Strippers

E. Soldering Iron and Station

A soldering iron is a device for applying heat
to melt solder to form an electrical and physical
connection between two surfaces. It is composed of
a heated metal tip and an insulated handle. For
electrical projects, wires are usually soldered to
PCBs, other wires, or terminals.
Directions for use:
 Hold the iron in your dominant hand and a
long piece of solder in your other hand. When
soldering two components together, you want to touch the area where they join
with the soldering iron. Hold it there for about a second, then slide the solder
underneath the tip of the iron, sandwiching it to the PCB. Hold it for another
second or two, feeding in how much solder you need. This amount will vary
depending on the project, application, and diameter of the solder.
  Now, this is really important. Pull away the solder first, and continue holding the
iron for another second. This allows the solder to continue to melt and pool,
forming a good joint. Then, you can remove the iron. The total process shouldn’t
take more than 5 seconds, and usually you’re aiming for 3-4.
 Wait a few seconds and don’t disturb the solder. It cools very quickly, but moving
or blowing on the joint will cause it to deteriorate. A bad solder connection will
look really oxidized, overly dull, and grainy. It also sorts of looks like a ball of
solder formed on the area. A good connection should be smooth and uniform,
and its sides will be concave. It won’t look like a raised ball, it’ll look flat.
Available Brands:
 X-Tronic FBA 3020-XTS
 Weller WE1010NA Digital
 Vastar VRK10-AXL-1 Kit

F. Multimeter
Two probes are plugged into two of
the ports on the front of the unit. COM
stands for common and is almost always
connected to Ground or ‘-’ of a circuit. The
COM probe is conventionally black but
there is no difference between the red
probe and black probe other than color.
10A is the special port used when
measuring large currents (greater than
200mA). mAVΩ is the port that the red
probe is conventionally plugged in to. This
port allows the measurement of current (up
to 200mA), voltage (V), and resistance (Ω).
Directions for use:
Measuring Voltage:
 If you're measuring DC voltage (such as a battery or a sensor hooked up to an
Arduino) you want to set the knob where the V has a straight line. AC voltage
(like what comes out of the wall) can be dangerous, so we rarely need to use the
AC voltage setting (the V with a wavy line next to it). If you're messing with AC,
we recommend you get a non-contact tester rather than use a digital multimeter.
  Make sure the circuit you are working on is powered up correctly. If your project
should be at 5V but is less than 4.5V or greater than 5.5V, this would quickly give
you an indication that something is wrong and you may need to check your
power connections or the wiring of your circuit.
 Multimeters are generally not autoranging. You have to set the multimeter to a
range that it can measure. For example, 2V measures voltages up to 2 volts, and
20V measures voltages up to 20 volts. So if you've measuring a 12V battery, use
the 20V setting. 5V system? Use the 20V setting. If you set it incorrectly, you will
probably see the meter screen change and then read '1'.
 Push the probes onto two exposed pieces of metal. One probe should contact a
GND connection. One probe to the VCC or 5V connection.
 We can test different parts of the circuit as well. This practice is called nodal
analysis, and it is a basic building block in circuit analysis. By measuring the
voltage across the circuit we can see how much voltage each component
requires. Let's measure the whole circuit first. Measuring from where the voltage
is going in to the resistor and then where ground is on the LED, we should see
the full voltage of the circuit.
Measuring Current:
 To measure current you have to physically interrupt the flow of current and put
the meter in-line.
 Pull out the VCC wire going to the resistor, add a wire where that wire was
connected, and then probe from the power pin on the power supply to the
resistor. This effectively "breaks" power to the circuit. We then insert the
multimeter in-line so that it can measure the current as it "flows" through to the
multimeter.
 Set the dial to the proper setting and measure some current. Measuring current
works the same as voltage and resistance -- you have to get the correct range.
Set the multimeter to 200mA, and work from there.
 All multimeters take readings over time and then give you the average, so expect
the reading to fluctuate.
Available Brands:
 Innova 3220 Auto-Ranging Digital Multimeter
 Extech TL809 Electronic Test Lead Kit & Multimeter
 Fluke 117 Electricians True-RMS Multimeter
 G. Tongue-and-Groove Pliers
Tongue-and-groove pliers are used to
remove knockouts from metal electrical boxes,
tighten cable clamps, and adjust expansion-type
ceiling fan boxes.
Available Brands:
 Crescent Brand 2PC SET RT400SG Tongue
Groove Pliers Grip Zone 10", 12"
 Channellock 430 Tongue and
Groove Pliers
 IRWIN Tools VISE-GRIP Tools
GrooveLock Pliers, V-Jaw

H. Fish Tape
A fish tape is used to pull stranded or solid
wire through metal or PVC conduit. Cable lube is
available to assist you in pulling the wires through
the pipe.
Available Brands:
 Gardner Bender 0.1 in. W x 65 ft. L Carbon
Steel Fish Tape
 Compare Klein Tools 0.25 in. W x 25 ft. L
Steel/Polypropylene Fish Tape Klein Tools 0.25 in. W x 25 ft. L Steel/Polypropylene
Fish Tape

I . Non-Contact Voltage Tester

A voltage tester is used for a quick
safety check to make sure there's no
voltage in an electrical wire or device before
you start working on it. Non-contact voltage
testers are the simplest and safest types of
testers because they can detect electricity
just by being near an outlet slot or wire.
Available Brands:
 Milwaukee 2203-20 10-1000V Dual Range Voltage Detector
 Klein NCVT-3

J. Lineman Pliers
Lineman pliers are electrician
do-it-all pliers. They cut wires, twist
wires together, and grip wires for
pulling. They have a squared-off end
that is great for twisting wires together,
a center cutting blade for cutting wire,
and a grip area between the handles
for pulling wire.
Available Brands:
 Stanley 84-029 8-Inch Bi-Material Lineman Pliers
 Klein Linesman Pliers
 Knipex Linesman Pliers