Chris Hackett - The Big Book of Maker Skills: Tools & Techniques for Building Great Tech Projects

CHRIS HACKETT
AND THE EDITORS OF

TOOLS & TECHNIQUES FOR BUILDING GREAT TECH PROJECTS

I was one of those children always taking things apartcommon to makers, but looking back, I realize that child me was a lot weirder and darker than one would want: I took stuff apart, but with zero interest toward improving the objects or even putting them back together. As I recall, I had no curiosity as to what the little bits did, and the concept of a soldering iron was totally foreign. I just wanted to carefully, methodically destroy things. I think we are all glad I did not have easy access to frogs or puppies.

But as I got older, I started to develop an interest in how the world worked, and realized my ignorance was deep and vast. I paid my electric bills, but where did the electricity come from (wait, back upwhat is electricity? ). And what, exactly, was it doing once it got here? I wanted to create things, but I was clueless as to where to begin or even the correct terms to use. Like more and more of us, I grew up in a world that downplays the physical and the practicalwhere the vague menace of lawsuits makes shop classes disappear and distaste toward working with your hands leaves us all idiots staring at screens.

Slowly I learned the words (thanks, McMaster-Carr) and then the techniques. A great thing about fake it until you make it is that, once youve made it, you no longer have to fake it. The first things you make will look like crap, will probably not work, and will become cherished, deeply confusing family heirlooms. Thats OK. In fact, thats all part of it.

This book is designed for the people starting from zero, the people who know a little and want to know more, and those who are pretty good and want some neat tricks. Writing it was harder than I thought it would be, but I hope it allows you to have hands that never come totally clean and a deep appreciation for the wonderful stuff that holds our world together.

CHRIS HACKETT

The perfect work space is one that works for you. If you are inspired and passionate you can work anywhere, and many do, soldering at the kitchen table late at night or grinding metal on the stoop. But a dedicated shop is a wonderful thingthe space and the work feed upon each other, your attention is focused, and the very act of setting it up often leads down interesting channels. Here are some starter considerations.

HARDWARE AND CONSUMABLES Store all the little bits that hold the world together in racks of plastic drawers. Label them clearly, and glue a sample to the drawer front for quick ID.

LIGHTING If you cannot see it, you cannot work on it. Overhead light should be bright but diffuse. Have at least one positionable bright lamp that you can shine into deep problems. Extra clip lights are nice for small work.

STORAGE Divide everything into Now and Later. Now goes where you can reach it in a hurry. Later is for future projects and can be out of arms reach. Store raw materials close to where you will use them.

TRASH Generating work generates waste. Have trash cans right at hand, otherwise scraps and wrappings will swarm. Start a recycling pilebroken tools, scrap materials, abandoned projectsthat you can scavenge from.

WORKTABLE It should hit hip height when youre standing and chest level when seated, plus be shallow enough that you can reach over it to access tools behind it. It is nice to have separate surfaces for materials that do not play well together.

POWER More is always better, but try to have at least 15 amps and a breaker just for shop usage. Mount power strips where you have easy accesshung beneath your workbench top or zip-tied high on the legs.

HOT- GLUE GUN This basic item is good for temporary and even permanent joints between most materials.

SCREWDRIVER Get grips of a few different sizes with swappable bits. Go in for extra Phillips bits, as they tend to disappear or walk off in your pockets.

HAMMER First tool in, still going strong. If nothing else, get a big, durable claw hammer, followed by a maul, blacksmiths hammer, and ball peen.

POP RIVETER Fun to use, it will give you durable, pro-looking connections for any thin materials.

GLUES, TAPES, EPOXY, AND CEMENT These arent always just an end solutiontheyre also great for tough jigs and clamping.

SOLDERING STATION Digital readouts are nice, but treat a low-end model well and youll get the same result. Try to have a dedicated spot for electronics work.

TAP AND DIE SET Cutting your own threads is deeply satisfying, and once you get some experience it only takes slightly longer than drilling bolt holes.

ALLEN WRENCH SET Necessary to keep your tools up and running as well as for making.

VISE GRIPS Get as many as you can, then get more.

FRAME CLAMPS These make perfect 90-degree joints.

BOX WRENCH SET The right way to turn hex bolts. Get extra - and -inch (14.25- and 16-mm) ones.

PIPE WRENCH Not just for pipes. Will grip round things like no other tool.

BENCH VISE Get the best one you can.

RECIPROCATING SAW It can impersonate many other types of saws; there are blades for every material.

ANGLE GRINDER Cuts, sands, shapes, and polishes, all with a change of the wheel. Traditionally for metalwork, the sanding and surface conditioning disks can be used on anything.

SHEET METAL SHEARS Best choice is a set of left- cutting, right-cutting, and straight-cutting compound- action snips with color-coded handles.

PIPECUTTER The cheapest, easiest way to get smooth, square cuts in steel pipe. Lightweight models for copper, aluminum, and plastic are likely to be called tube cutters.

ROTARY TOOL Dremel is the most common brand, but keep an eye open for older die grinders, which are twice the size and four times the power.

CORDED DRILL Much more powerful than a cordless model. Build a frame and you have a drill press, too.

KNIVES AND BLADES Youll need a selection of both disposable- and fixed-blade types.

SCISSORS Get a pair for paper, a pair for fabric, and a pair to destroy through misuse.

SIDECUTTER OR WIRE SNIPS These can only handle thin wires and component leads, but they do it better than anything else.

FILES Files set up and used correctly are the most versatile tools. They are all the hard-core truly need.

BENCH GRINDER Together with an abrasive chop saw, mandatory if youre going to be working with metal.