Soldering irons may not have an open flame but they’re still capable of starting a fire. Here’s a recent example of an unattended soldering iron causing extensive damage to a home.
Remember to turn off and unplug your iron when it’s not in use and avoid soldering in a crowded or cluttered work area.
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It seems as if borescopes, especially the wireless and recordable variety, are becoming increasingly more popular these days. More and more of our vendors are coming out with their own version of a wireless inspection camera.
The basic elements of a borescope include a flexible shaft with a light at the end plus an LCD monitor to see what the lighted end of the shaft “sees.” Other options for borescopes include wireless, date/time stamp, waterproof, recordable, capturing still images and more.
The great thing about these tools is that are really versatile and can save you money in the long run. You can use a borescope to peer into walls and other tight places to look for something before you tear it down, move a heavy appliance, etc… the applications for a borescope are almost endless. Plus, the cost of these wireless inspections cameras are coming down in price; for under $300 you can get a wireless video borescope with color LCD monitor.
Here are 10 applications for borescopes:
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Here’s some food for thought:
Each hand is made up of 29 major joints, 29 major and minor bones, 34 muscles which move the fingers and thumb, 48 nerves, 30 named arteries and at least 123 named ligaments.
With the complexity of hands, it’s important to take a few simple steps to protect those assets.
Ergonomic tools protect wrists and hands from injury and even fatigue. Other benefits of ergonomic tools include:
Wiha recently came out with a few insulated tools which are ergonomic with a specialized handle and the head is mounted at a 23°offset angle. The Wiha Inomic tools are available in diagonal cutters, long nose pliers and combination pliers. All three allow you to work with your hand in a natural position.
Gloves such as ESD-safe nitrile gloves protect product but gloves also protect hands from cuts, chemicals, hot circuit boards and other hazards.
Vinyl, latex and nitrile typically offer some sort of ESD protection so they’re often used for working with static sensitive devices. These gloves are thin enough for the almost bare hand dexterity needed for detailed board work. Vinyl, latex and nitrile gloves can also be found in the medical field and other applications where the hands need protection from non-hazardous liquids, bacteria, etc…
Cotton gloves protect against snags and abrasions and can also keep hands warm if the gloves stay dry. Cotton gloves can be lightweight for sensitivity or heavy enough to protect hands from hot circuit boards.
Neoprene gloves protect against chemical burns/corrosion as well as abrasions and cuts.
There are countless other options for glove materials; technology continues to make gloves tougher but thinner, more comfortable and more effective, higher quality but less expensive, etc…
To get the best protection, make sure you choose the right glove for the application.
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