A commenter after a recent Toolmonger post about French curves complained about the cost of 3D software, which is a very good point. Retail copies of software like SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, or CATIA can go for ridiculous amounts. No, seriously. Their markups can make Snap-On reps run for cover.

But, as is the case with basically every rule in human history, there’s a loophole. An online retailer called JourneyEd offers software at educational prices, which are massively less than retail. SolidWorks, my graphics program of choice, sells for $140 through JourneyEd, but full retail is $2995. 95.3% off, anyone?

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*Although I must admit I paused when I got to the “Insert into Post” command for adding its picture to the TM blog.

USB Snakescope Camera [Firebox]
Handheld USB Snake Scope [USB Fever]
USB Snake Scope Camera [Manufacturer's Site]

Looking at a printed circuit board (PCB), ever wonder how they bend every one of those resistor leads perfectly every time? Depending on how many PCB’s are in a production run, you’d use different tools.  For a run of one or two boards, you could always try a pair of pliers and a keen eye, or you could use a plastic lead former. If you’re running a ton of boards at once, a better solution would be a lead forming machine from a company like PEI.

Slots for radial lead resistors run along the length of the high impact ABS plastic former. Each slot is .05″ longer than the next and has radiused edges to make perfect bends without stressing the leads. It can be used to bend the leads of 1/2 watt resistors, 1/4 watt resistors, and diodes.

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OK, so it may not strictly be a tool — although it is done using a computer, which is a tool we use for reading TM — but it is a lot of fun. The site offers other options including building, gas station, and highway signs. You can also do computer error messages:

Atom Smasher [Manufacturer's Site]

The DeoxIT® Service Kit, $60 from Caig Laboratories, comes in a zip-top bag with a variety of products incorporating their DeoxIT® contact cleaner including sprays, wipes, and brush applicators. Caig claims that DeoxIT® is a “fast-acting, deoxidizing solution that cleans, protects, lubricates, and improves conductivity on all metal connectors and contacts.”

Different versions and sizes of DeoxIT® are available through Amazon and other web sites.

I have used DeoxIT® on many connections including tool battery packs, flashlight batteries, vehicle batteries, vehicle audio and antennas, and computers — and found that it does work. Have you used DeoxIT®, or similar contact cleaners? What’s your opinion of it?

Caig Laboratories [Manufacturer's Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Fixing computers can be a puzzling business, especially when faced with odd startup behavior and intermittent power issues. One of the most common causes of computer hardware problems is failure of the power supply, yet many technicians and do-it-yourselfers aren’t aware of the possibility, pointing instead to a dying motherboard or faulty RAM as the cause.

Manhattan manufactures a slick little tester which can take some guesswork out of computer diagnosis. It’s designed for testing every type of connector you’ll find on a modern power supply, from the 24-pin Molex motherboard connection to three-pin fan leads. Both types of graphics card power connections (6-pin and 8-pin Molex) are covered, plus motherboard auxiliary power connections, and finally SATA power connectors and normal 4-pin bodies. Not bad for $28 from Frozen CPU.

ATX 2.0 Ultimate Power Supply Tester [Frozen CPU]

Toolmongers lucky enough to have a computer in their shop (whether for CNC, CAD, simple word processing, or to satisfy that Twitter addiction) have probably gotten crap in the board at some point. If you’ve ever wrestled with an aluminum chip stuck under your spacebar or tried to type with fingers doused in 5W-30, you probably know what I’m going on about.

You can keep your keyboard intact with a plastic overlay, but those tend to get really nasty over time, and finding one to match your specific keyboard may be a struggle. But Adesso has a cheaper solution: the waterproof, fully-sealed AKB-230. We see them a lot at the auto repair shop or the steel shop. Those guys swear by them.

At $23, it’s priced reasonably, even if you probably can’t write an email in the Marianas trench. Dust and contaminants are no problem, since there are no recesses for crud to fall into. It’s flexible enough to roll into a neat cylinder, which is a useless feature for shop use, but it does make the board very portable if need arises. If the sucker gets dirty, all it takes is a spritz of Simple Green to give it that new-rubber luster.

Adesso AKB-230 [Adesso]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

One problem with some cable organizing sleeves is that it’s hard to add or remove cables, but with the Zip-It Up cable organizer you can just unzip the sleeve, remove or add cables, and re-zip it.

The 20″ fabric sleeve can stretch to contain as many as 20 wires.  It comes in either gray or black and sells for as little as $5, but watch out for the shipping costs.

Zip-It Up [Clear Prospects Ltd.]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

As it gets warmer this spring, your ambient room temperature goes up, too — at least if you have your furnace and AC set to reasonable levels — which means your computer has to work harder to get rid of the heat it produces, so the CPU doesn’t turn into a molten pile of goo.  I didn’t know just how stressed my computer was till it started beeping at me as I was getting ready for bed the other night.

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Computers seem to be infesting new vehicles so fast, I can’t keep up with ‘em all — computers for emissions, engine management, braking, climate controls, and probably for the poser seats.  When it comes to maintaining all these systems, I can pull codes out of most vehicles, but then I usually end up researching the fault codes on my computer;  so why not use my PC as the scanner, with the AutoEnginuity Scan Tool?

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Everybody has their favorite method of keeping cable clutter under control, whether it’s Velcro straps, cable trays, zip ties, or even cable lacing.  Here’s another method to add to your cable-organizing repertoire:  Wirestraps.  These clear straps keep cords together, keep them in position, and blend into the background.

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If your PC’s power supply dies, you might have trouble diagnosing it;  you might wrongly blame the failure on the power switch or a bad motherboard.  You can unhook the cables from your PC, haul the whole computer to your local computer store, and pay $20 for them to tell you the power supply’s bad — or you can save some dough in the long run by picking up this CoolMax PS-224 Power Supply Tester.

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Those ubiquitous high-buck zipper-case computer tool kits always start looking appealing around this time of year, either as gifts for techie friends or for yourself.  But I’ve seen very few that aren’t oversimplified — or loaded down with useless “tool count” boosters.  On the other hand, the case these kits ship in is often perfect in size and shape.

My advice?  Pick up a cheap kit that comes in a decent case, then throw away junk like chip pullers and flesh the kit out with some selections of your own.  Here are ten of my favorites:

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