Red Lion, PA
Paul is my favorite pinball tool.. he fixes 'em and I play 'em 
-Chrissi
(Topic ID: 310931)
A white towel at the bottom of the cabinet covering the motorboard is my safety net to catch screws and nuts. Also catches solder bombs when soldering under the PF. One of Tim Arnold's essential tips.
Quoted from Flipsteen:A white towel at the bottom of the cabinet covering the motorboard is my safety net to catch screws and nuts. Also catches solder bombs when soldering under the PF. One of Tim Arnold's essential tips.
Hey you sass that hoopy @carlo45? There’s a frood who really knows where his towel is.
Quoted from ForceFlow:Dollar tree stores have boxes of pool noodles in the spring and summer for $1 each. I usually stock up every spring.
I just happened to stop by today, and the pool noodles were in stock already.
Quoted from LTG:Small Klein telephone repair pliers.
Hasn't been available for years. At the time when I got it, you had to get it from a telephone repairman. They were only sold to them.
Used from the EM days forward. Great for adjusting leaf blade switches, and many, many other things.
LTG : )
[quoted image]
These look amazing! I was just shopping around for better pliers but haven't found anything with quite that profile.
Quoted from Damonator:Nice Lloyd - I haven’t seen those. I did pick up a pair from Amazon that have a small nose that are handy:
[quoted image]
Hakko CHP PN-2007 Long-Nose Pliers, Flat Nose, Flat Outside Edge, Serrated Jaws, 32mm Jaw Length, 3mm Nose Width, 3mm Thick Steel amazon.com link »
These are *okay*, but nowhere near as good as Lloyd's. The ends tend to bend on these over time, rendering them irritating to use.
Wooden coffee stir sticks.
Always available.
They don't conduct electricity.
Good for holding one side of a switch steady as you clean the contacts on a relay where the dirty switch is always the one buried behind the rest of the stack.
Wrap some cloth or paper towel around it to clean out sleeves etc.
Scrapes grunge off a part without scratching. (Break off the end and you have a fresh end!)
Chewing on a clean end helps you think after cleaning that damn relay didn’t solve the problem.
Also stirs coffee.
2E78869F-13DB-4789-89B5-759D51FBCDA9 (resized).jpegQuoted from ForceFlow:Dollar tree stores have boxes of pool noodles in the spring and summer for $1 each. I usually stock up every spring.
It is now dollar twenty five tree!
Quoted from Damonator:That’s awesome - I just ordered a set!
Klein Tools SK234 Slotted Screw-Holding Screwdriver Set, 3/16-Inch, 1/4-Inch and 5/16-Inch Slotted Tips amazon.com link »
Very seldom do you see slotted screw heads anymore.
Most everything these days is phillips, square, star or hex head and for those, nothing beats magnetic drivers.
Quoted from Bryan_Kelly:Very seldom do you see slotted screw heads anymore.
Most everything these days is phillips, square, star or hex head and for those, nothing beats magnetic drivers.
True - I'm hoping someone will post their experiences with the phillips screw holding driver:
https://www.amazon.com/Greenlee-0453-17C-Holding-Screwdriver-Phillips/dp/B003NFG95O
My magnetic phillips #1 head doesn't hold for crap since the head is so small.
Quoted from Damonator:True - I'm hoping someone will post their experiences with the phillips screw holding driver:
amazon.com link »
My magnetic phillips #1 head doesn't hold for crap since the head is so small.
I will say, my experience with Greenlee and Klein tools are they are some of the best!
Quoted from undrdog:Wooden coffee stir sticks.
Always available.
They don't conduct electricity.
Good for holding one side of a switch steady as you clean the contacts on a relay where the dirty switch is always the one buried behind the rest of the stack.
Wrap some cloth or paper towel around it to clean out sleeves etc.
Scrapes grunge off a part without scratching. (Break off the end and you have a fresh end!)
Chewing on a clean end helps you think after cleaning that damn relay didn’t solve the problem.
Also stirs coffee.[quoted image]
I keep chopsticks in my toolbox for some of the same purposes
My friend built me a lifter like this, because he was sick of me calling him over to setup games. It's super handy because he also built in holders for my sockets needed to remove the legs and drive the jack, so everything is always handy. It also works great for adjusting the game level.
pasted_image (resized).png
If you are going to be in the hobby, do yourself a favor an buy a multimeter.
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I wish would have bought THIS wire stripper years ago. For some reason I always though this style cost a lot more then $20.
Finally, just for fun, here is the tool I don't own (personally), but should probably add to my pinball toolbox.
pasted_image (resized).png
My favorite tool, is the one I can walk by and look at, but not need to use, since my machines are working, lol.
With that said, a multimeter and 6” hollow shank nut drivers, and a head lamp. Various other tools as well.
Quoted from OLDPINGUY:$5 at ACE[quoted image]
I have one of those. In all the years I've had it, I've never actually needed to use it.
I don’t know how I lived without this for so long. It would be difficult to overstate how much difference it makes in being able too see what you are doing:
FANT.LUX LED Headlamp with All Perspectives Induction 230° Illumination, 350 Lumens, Lightweight Head Lights, Weatherproof Type C Rechargeable Head Lamp for Running Camping, Sensor Outdoor Headlight https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ZCX56TF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_XZBMKV4PH8JNDB2S1R23
Quoted from PghPinballRescue:99 cent Blue Harbor Freight screwdriver. Fits nearly every nut and bolt on the playfield.
Full hollow 1/4"-5/16" shank multi-drivers are a must have!
Gilligan's Island
Quoted from ForceFlow:I just happened to stop by today, and the pool noodles were in stock already.
Seems like you can find them year round at Five Below.
Quoted from KozMckPinball:Easy sliding removal of tight playfield glass.
[quoted image]
Absolutly! Also great for when you're removing a back glass (stuck or not).
1 month later
2 months later
Quoted from OLDPINGUY:Spring holding, Not Magnetic, much better for my old hands.
Just ordered one at Amazon. Different brand. Thanks for the recommendation.
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