A Look at the Behind the Scenes of Repairs! - Common Tools

There are many tools used in the repairing process and when it comes to a repair job, many of you may think of the voltage tester and the soldering iron as a technician’s main tools.
This time, instead of typical repair tools, I’m going to talk about some tools that you probably have never even thought of when it comes to repairs behind the scenes.

■ Cotton Swabs　

The first tool is the cotton swab. Almost everyone has used cotton swabs at least once in their lives.
For repairs, cotton swabs are useful for cleaning tiny areas and applying liquids.
There are many types of cotton swabs like ones with spiral tips and sharp tips.

■ Cable Ties　

Next one is the cable tie, but I’m not talking about Kessoku Band from the Japanese manga Bocchi the Rock!
Cable ties are also called Insulok or Ty-Rap, but these are trademarks of certain different manufacturers. Insulok is a trademark of HellermannTyton and Ty-Rap is from Thomas & Betts.
The cable tie is an indispensable item for securing wires. I consume dozens of them every day.
By the way, I am a heavy user of HellermannTyton cable ties. They are strong, sturdy, and also weather resistant, making it ideal for fixing wiring of heat generating devices.

■ Hot Glue Gun　

The hot glue gun is often used for crafts and hobbies to fix three dimensional objects by heating and melting the plastic.
The glue gun is sometimes used to fix parts for repairs. Hot glue is not as strong as normal glue, but it is often used to fix a large surface. Glue sticks come in many different colors, so you can choose a matching color of the glue stick according to the part to be repaired.

■ Kitchen Scale　

The kitchen scale is a tool that weighs ingredients and seasonings when cooking.
In fact, this scale can weigh amounts as small as 0.1g, making it excellent for weighing tiny spare parts.
Although it is rarely used in the repair process, it is a must-have item for comparing weights. It is also used for weighing machinery in repair when parts are selected according to the load capacity.

■ Radiation Thermometer　

A radiation thermometer is a non-contact thermometer.
I think you may have seen them often in the last couple of years.
In repair work, it is used to measure changes in temperature of a machine. Some equipment may malfunction due to heat, so we check to see if it is operating at the proper temperature.

This is only a quick list of five items that I found around my desk.
Some of them may not be used for their original purpose, but they can definitely also be used for repairs.
I will continue to introduce more tools, techniques, and give you even more insight into the behind the scenes of repairs.
Thank you for reading.