Electronic crimping tools

Use a screwdriver to change dies. They may look like normal pliers, but these tools have a built-in crimping die. Dies snap in and out of this tool, so you can quickly change from crimping one electrical connector type to another. Dies are one piece and marked with a drawing of the connector type for easy identification. With one ton of compression force and an ergonomic design, this crimper reduces fatigue when crimping.

Use a Torx driver to change dies. The rubber grip provides protection up to 1, volts AC. These crimpers look like normal pliers, but they have a built-in crimping die. The dies are built into the rotating head. A reference chart on the tool shows you which one to use when attaching connectors to electrical wire.

No dies to buy or change— this tool has settings you adjust for different compression connector sizes. A reference chart on the tool shows you the correct settings, which you adjust with the turn of a single screw. The head has a flat surface for standing the tool up. The most crimping force we offer— these tools have a high-pressure pumping system with a replaceable pressure cartridge that lasts for 10, to 12, compressions.

Dies are required. We list lug markings for two common manufacturers to help choose the correct die for your compression lug.

These crimpers have individual square crimping slots for each wire gauge. Because you insert the wire ferrule from the front, this tool is useful in tight spaces. It automatically adjusts to the proper crimp size for different wire ferrules.

Crimp open- and closed-barrel pin-and-sleeve contacts in connectors. These crimpers also work on flag terminals. The ratchet applies the correct pressure to ensure a complete crimp every time when attaching open-barrel pin-and-sleeve contacts in connectors. Tools with a plier nose are useful for pulling and looping wire.

Tools with a reference chart are marked with wire gauge and metric sizes. Tools with a voltage detector safely test for AC voltage without contacting live wires. Light and sound indicators alert you when over 50 volts AC is detected. One squeeze strips insulation and pulls it off the wire.

The blades automatically adjust to the wire size. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Reduce strain from repetitive manual crimping. Crimp with the push of a button! CRS electronic crimpers and decappers fit standard laboratory vials and seals with aluminum crimp caps. The tools are ergonomically designed to reduce strain and arm injury associated with many manual crimping tools.

This websites use cookies. By continuing to browse you are giving permission for use of cookies. For our privacy policy and information on how to disable cookies, please click the Privacy Policy button at right. Close Privacy Policy. But, as always, caveat emptor. You may end up with a collection of dull or broken drills that are essentially useless. Better to spend a bit more and get one of the imported sets of new bits.

They might not be top quality, but with careful use, they will do the job. Note that small drills bits like those shown in Figure are useful for soft materials like plastic or wood, and of course they will make a hole in a PCB if they are sharp. In general, these types of drill bits will not work well with hard metals, but they can be used with soft metals like lead, silver, and gold.

Sometimes you really need a threaded hole, or maybe you want to make a special-purpose threaded shaft. Tapping is the process of cutting threads into an appropriately sized hole with a tool called a tap. A die is a tool for cutting threads into a blank rod to create a threaded shaft, and it is also sometimes used to repair damaged screw or bolt threads. Figure shows an inexpensive tap and die kit.

A tap and die kit is handy to have around, but it must be used with care to avoid damage to the tools. A small saw is useful for cutting things like tubing and sections of sheet materials. Figure shows a type of miniature hacksaw that is readily available at hardware and home improvement stores.

These tools will accept a standard hacksaw blade, and they are useful for getting into tight places. This allows it to make sharp turns without binding, but it also means that it easy to snap the blade if you apply too much force while cutting.

However, you will find that there is often a need to cut plastic or metal tubing, aluminum extrusions, or small plastic or soft aluminum panels. For jobs like these, miniature tools are available, like the little table saw shown in Figure You could, with a little effort, build table extensions for it to handle larger items, but then you would be treading into the territory of full-size table saws. For cutting tubing, extrusions, rods, or other long, thin items, a cut-off saw with a grinder blade is a handy tool.

Also known as a chop saw , a cut-off saw will produce a nice, clean cut, without the roughness and jagged edges that can result when a hacksaw is used. Figure shows one of the various types of miniature cut-off saws that are available. Note that some of these types of tools will work only with a grinder wheel, not an actual saw blade.

The primary advantage of small saws like these is their convenience and ability to deal with small work pieces. Just keep in mind that, like any powered tool, these are not toys. Although they are miniature versions of the full-size tools found in metal and woodworking shops, they can still cut you badly. Losing a finger with careless use is a distinct possibility, just as with their larger cousins. If you will be working with metal, there are some tools that you really should consider having in your toolbox.

Metal can be a frustrating material to deal with, and having the right tool for the job can make the difference between annoyance and satisfaction. When you are drilling or cutting a hole in sheet metal, the result often has sharp edges or little bits of leftover material called burrs. This most often happens when you attempt to make a hole without going through a series of step-up holes first see not available for drilling techniques , which is a common mistake of the impatient. A deburring tool, as shown in Figure , is essentially a swivel blade set in a handle.

It is used in a circular motion to trim the inside of a hole or cut-out, removing burrs and helping to smooth out the cut. These tools are inexpensive and readily available from a variety of sources. Creating a starting point is a good idea when working with metal.

The automatic punch, shown in Figure , is designed to take the place of a hand-held punch and ball-peen hammer. To use it, you simply push down until the internal spring-loaded mechanism releases, which causes the tip to create a small indentation in the material. The concept of step-up drilling was mentioned earlier and is discussed in not available , but there is a tool that makes the process easier which should not be surprising, since there seems to be a tool for every conceivable use.

This is called a step drill , and a typical step drill set is shown in Figure A step drill is best suited for soft materials, such as plastic, soft aluminum, or mild steel as found in electrical boxes.

Step drills are often used by electricians to make conduit holes in electrical enclosures. Brave and bold electricians notwithstanding, I would suggest that a step drill be used with a drill press if possible, since it can potentially bind in the hole and twist the drill out of your hands.

An electric drill can spin around and hit your hand before you can move it out of the way, and you could end up with a broken bone or two. At the very least, you can get a nice bruise if a drill gets away from you. When buying a step drill, get the best one you can afford. Tweezers for electronics work come in a range of styles, as shown in Figure In addition to tweezers that operate like the ones found in a home medicine cabinet, there are also self-closing types, where you have to force the tips apart rather than force them together.

A decent soldering iron or a soldering station is absolutely essential for working with electronics. A soldering gun is typically used for connecting heavy gauge wires and copper tubing, not for working with components on a PCB. Better yet, throw it away, donate it, or convert it into a low-cost spot welder. Figure shows a low-cost temperature-controlled soldering iron.

Companies such as Weller make excellent industrial-grade soldering stations with continuous temperature control and grounded tips to reduce possible damage from static discharge. A variety of tip sizes and styles is available, ranging from something like a slot screwdriver to very fine points for surface-mount technology SMT work. Figure shows a low-cost soldering station sold by Velleman, which includes the tool holder and a control unit to regulate the tip temperature.

Working with surface-mount parts requires soldering tools that are capable of working with small parts and closely spaced leads. Soldering stations for surface-mount work can be rather pricey, particularly for the stations that also include a hot-air attachment.

The good news is that a soldering station like the one shown in Figure will handle a lot of SMT tasks if used with a fine tip and the appropriate temperature. In addition to the soldering iron with a fine-point tip, it also has a hot-air blower with a selection of nozzles.

The hot air is used to desolder or rework a surface-mount part. The kit comes with the magnifying light shown. If you plan on working with surface-mounted components, and you value your eyesight, you should consider purchasing some type of magnifier or low-power microscope. A true stereo microscope is best, but of course it is also more expensive than a simple single-objective type. Figure shows a low-cost stereo microscope. The types of cheap microscopes sold as toys for children are useless for electronics work, as are more high-end laboratory microscopes used in medical and biology work.

The image quality of toy microscopes is usually rather bad, and both types typically have too high a level of magnification to be usable. An industrial microscope for electronics work is designed to provide a decent level of magnification between 5X and 10X is typical, and some are adjustable while still maintaining a relatively wide field of view.

You can find similar bargains on eBay or by checking out some of the optical surplus companies found online. Another alternative—a handy item mentioned in Clamps —combines a magnifying glass with a pair of clips, as shown in Figure Lastly, there are bench lamps with built-in magnifying lenses, like the one shown in Figure Some are large enough to allow you to look through the lens with both eyes at once, so you can get a sense of depth.

The pocket magnifier, with its multiple lenses, is popular with geologists and rock hounds. Having a lot of tools on hand is great, but only if you also have a place to store them and use them. If you have tight quarters, a surplus combination cabinet and shelf unit like the one shown in Figure might be just the thing. This setup has a board with rubber feet under it holding a small vise and an articulated work holder with magnifying glass. Things like the drill press, the miniature table saw, the cut-off saw, and the soldering station really need to live on a workbench of some sort.

You can purchase relatively inexpensive workbenches from places like Sears or Harbor Freight, or you could spend some serious money and get an industrial-grade, metal-frame workbench for several hundred dollars.

Another alternative is to repurpose old metal office and dormitory furniture. If you have a local college or university that holds periodic auctions, it is possible to find some good bargains.

A good toolbox is also essential. Figure shows a small, but overstuffed, toolbox. Larger roll-around toolboxes, like the ones used by auto mechanics, are nice if you have the space for them. A good one that will hold up to years of use is not cheap, however. Lastly, you can build overhead shelving for a table or desk for very little money.