 | 40W soldering iron and solder |
| Solder sucker or solder wick |
| Simple digital multi-meter. (they are getting really cheap, US$10,- or so, and are absolute must for checking wire connections, voltage, polarity, potmeters, easy to use) |
| 0.3mm enamelled wire (the wire that is used on transformers etc. for making connections on experiment board). Normal isolated wire will also do, but stripping the isolation on short pieces is difficult. |
| tweezers, pliers, cutter |
| Isolation tape |
| For the more elaborate projects, (force feedback, motion platform) an oscilloscope is required |
For the mechanics:
(not everything is needed, depending on your skill and what you want to build).
| Metal hand saw |
| Figure saw (wood and metal) |
| Electric fret saw |
| (Table saw is handy for getting very smooth edges and 90o cuts) |
| Round and flat file |
| (A grinding machine is handy for shaping metal parts) |
| Small high-speed electric drill for drilling/grinding small parts |
| Electric drill and various bits + grinding bits |
| Bench vise for holding the stuff and clamping connectors |
| 100W type soldering iron for large metal parts soldering (if you don’t have a torch ) |
| (Gas torch if you want to do good hard-soldering) |
Some electrical and mechanical tools. (you can do with less).