The first thing you need is a basic computer toolkit that will handle most--if not all--of your hardware hacking needs. While you can put one of these kits together yourself, it's easier and cheaper to buy a set and then supplement as needed. I have the 25-piece set from JDR Microdevices. It cost US$40 and has been indispensable on many occasions. Similar toolkits can be found in most computer hardware catalogs and stores. Jameco has a nice set for $40 that includes a grounding strap, chip inserters/extractors and a set of ten different screw drivers, nut drivers and torque wrenches, but there are no soldering tools or pliers. Here's a rundown of what the JDR kit includes and what each tool does. I've put them in order of everyday usefulness.

* Screw drivers - It's good to have a collection of various size screw drivers in both philips and flat heads. The JDR kit has six screw drivers and several nut and hex heads.

* Needlenose pliers - Needlenose pliers are useful in all sorts of applications. I whip mine out almost daily for some reason or another. The 5" pair that comes with the JDR kit is nicely sized and has a decent "feel."

* Crescent wrench - A small crescent wrench is always good to have around. It can handle various sizes of bolts, it's a handy tool for "percussive maintenance" (whackin' the crap outta something to get it working again), it can be used to "gain mechanical advantage" (as they say) over some pesky object...lots of uses. The one in the JDR catalog is too small for most household uses, but useful around the office.

* 3-claw parts extractor - This is a very nifty tool that I never knew I was missing until I had one. When you depress the button on its handle, it deploys a little three-prong wire claw. When you let go of the button, the claw retracts. What's it for? Well, has this ever happened to you: You're inside your computer (or some other tightly packed electronic device) and you drop a screw into its innards. Bummer, right? You build up a big sweat trying to wrestle the screw out before you bang up the sensitive components with the clumsy pliers (or whatever you have on hand to fish it out with). Enter the 3-claw extractor. There are fancier ones and ones with longer extensions, but the small cheapy one in the JDR kit works fine for me. If you're buying one separately, go for a long one.

* Diagonal cutters - The cutting head of this type of cutter allows you to get close up against a soldered joint to cut off the excess material. The handle on the 4 1/2 inchers in the JDR kit are a bit small if you have large hands.

* Chip puller - This handy tweezer-like tool allows you to get a good grip on a chip to extract it from the motherboard.

* Chip inserter - The chip inserter helps apply a consistent pressure across a chip's surface as you install it. The connecting pins on computer chips (like the ones on the level 2 cache you might want to add) are fragile and easily bent. A chip inserter can be very helpful in cleanly installing new chips. If you do screw up a chip installation and bend the pins, there's a tool you can buy for around $6 that will straighten the pins again. Hand straightening is possible, but more risky than with the straightening tool.

* Wire cutter/crimper - This tool has multiple functions. It includes a gauge to measure wire gauges, wire strippers, a terminal crimper (for attaching solderless terminals and connectors) and a wire cutter.

* Parts tube - Not a necessity, but it's a convenient place to store screws, jumpers, circuit board spacers and other small parts while you work on your machine.

* 35-watt soldering iron - A basic soldering iron that can be used for most soldering/desoldering tasks on circuit boards, terminals, connectors, etc. You'll need a soldering iron if you want to "overclock" (PC) or "clock chip" (Mac) your computer (speeding up a computer processor by changing the crystal oscillator chip). The tip on the JDR kit's iron is rather large so it's not very good for precision soldering. You definitely want to make sure you know what you're doing before taking a soldering iron to your motherboard. Soldering takes some skill and practice. Find an old radio or other electronic device and desolder/resolder it 'til you get good, clean solder joints. If you still feel squeamish about soldering after some practice, stay away from your computer! Let a pro handle it. Motherboard soldering is for serious wireheads only.

* Desoldering pump - This is a device that lets you suck away the melted solder from a component lead (e.g. the pins on a chip) that's been soldered. The pump is spring loaded. You heat up the soldered joint, and when the solder has melted, you press the trigger and the suction in the tube removes the molten solder.

* Solder - Solder is a tin-lead alloy that's used to make electrical connections and hold components in place. The molten solder is applied to the joints where it quickly cools to form a permanent bond (unless you desolder the joint to disconnect it).

* Heat sink - A clip-on heat sink can be used to shunt undesired heat away from a component while you're soldering part of it or a neighboring component.

Besides the tools I've describe above--most of which you can get in a kit-there are a few other essential/semi-essential tools you might want to add:

* Grounding strap - This is an anti-static wrist band that you attach to yourself and then to the electronic component you're going to be working on. This insures that you won't build up a static charge in your body and then release that charge on your components (which can damage them). You can always tap the power supply inside your computer to discharge any static electricity before you start touching components, but a strap (which can be had for around $5) is worth the insurance that you'll be grounded the entire time.

* Electrical tape - It's always a good idea to have a roll on hand. Electrical tape, as the name implies, is specifically designed for electrical wires, cables and parts. Made of a stretchable vinyl, the tape has good adhesion, good insulating qualities and can withstand high temperatures. It comes in many different colors so you can match cable colors, color-code the tangle of wires behind your machine, bundle wires, etc. Keep in mind, though, that it leaves adhesive residue if you remove it. For cable bundling, use twist ties or plastic cable ties.

* Mirror - A mirror helps you see behind components and into areas you can't see without moving/removing stuff. You can get mirrors especially designed for this (mounted on an adjustable extension), but I just use a small, flat cosmetics mirror I stole from my wife.

* Dust-Off - OK, so it feels a little silly buying a can of compressed air, but after you've blasted all of the dust out of your disk drives, inside your computer, between keys, inside your printer, copier, VCR, etc. you'll be hooked! Dust can form a blanket inside your components, overheating them and shortening their life. A little blast of compressed air periodically is all you need to keep the dust at bay.

* Bendable flashlight - Any flashlight will do, but there are several types of bendable flashlights you can buy. I had a cheap plastic clip-on one that I got from American Science and Surplus for about 5 bucks (it broke). Now I have a non-clip type that I got for about $10. The basic design is a light on a bendable stalk that you can aim where you need it. The clip feature is great 'cause you can mount the light, aim it and then work with both hands.

Here's a few extras that you may want to consider:

* Soldering stand - What do you do with a hot soldering iron? You obviously can't let it touch anything and if you bump into the tip...YEOW! A soldering stand keeps the iron suspended and your skin away from it. A stand runs about $5.

* Third Hand - This gizmo has a magnifying glass and alligator chips on an adjustable base so that you can hold an object (such as a circuit board) while you solder it. Jameco sells a small cheap one for $4.95 (or one with an attached soldering iron holder for $7.95).

* Tinning block - If you use a soldering iron, you'll want to get a tinning block, which is block of tin used to clean and re-tin the tip of your iron.

- Gareth Branwyn [8/5/97]