[coltello]

I've been wanting to start performing DIY projects as a hobbie for years, and after several months of delaying and deliberating I finally decided the best way for me to get my foot in the door is to build some interconnects and try a recable or two on some old headphones I have collecting dust. This is purely for recreational purposes and to satisfy my own desires to make something I can call my own after I witness the prowess of the various projects on this forum every week. Eventually I want to surpass my current comfort zone into more complex projects but this is building a foundation of tools with an easy starter project.
 
Now that all the background and emotional blabber is done, I want to discuss equipment. I understand a lot of it has "personal preference" factors, which is why on my equipment list (to follow) I sometimes have redundant or slightly varying choices selected, this is to understand what works for me when I get the hands on experience. My question ignores that, I need critique and expertise that ensures I haven't completely overlooked something or made a terrible decision. The entire list was largely built around research on the forum and with the help of more experienced professionals I believe we could get myself as well as all future DIY amateurs set in the right direction with a great backbone discussion to follow.
 
The image is almost 1MB so I uploaded it to imgur.com to avoid upsetting the "no large image size" rule.
Please take a look: http://i.imgur.com/ZcF0fYE.jpg
 
Thanks!

 

[vixr]

I find that a simple X-acto knife is worth its weight in gold...I also find the Paladin wire stripper to be a bit of overkill. This is my personal opinion, you may love it. I have 6 different types of strippers at work and in my own shop and I rarely use them. I use the X-acto for stripping insulation from wire. The solder wick quantity should be upped to two of the 2.5mm size and get a smaller size too...like a 1mm. One of those headband magnifiers that flip up is also very handy. A pump type dispenser for denatured alcohol and a pack of 100 six inch wooden handled Q-tips is nice for cleaning flux. If you plan to salvage parts from dead home electronics (no shame in this) you will need precision screwdrivers , nut drivers and allen wrenches. All these suggestions are in my humble opinion, very useful.

 

[Johnsonr520]

I just started on that path too. I would definetly buy some electronics screwdriver set. Its like a dollar at walmart. But your list is pretty good other than that. I would suggest for organization to get 2 small toolboxes. One for tools and one for components. Nothing is more maddening than going to make a wire and only finding one jack. So organization go's a long way

 

[coltello]

Those were some fantastic suggestions. I definitely had overlooked the helpful tools to couple with a solder kit. As for an X-acto knife I realized how much I agree since I find myself using a simple knife to remove sheathing when I build cat5 and 4-wire cables at work. I always viewed it as a substitute for not carrying strippers but I've become extremely comfortable to doing it that way.
I realized I hadn't seen my precision screwdriver set in some time and looked for it, only to discover the chrome vanadium bits have rusted over from neglect over the past year or so. That's disappointing because the set worked well.
 
I've seen the value in your suggestions and picked the following:
Screwdriver Set
Alcohol Dispenser
Wooden Q-Tips
X-acto set (Probably overkill but I'll make use of it for other things)
 
Solder Wick, why is it suggested to have different widths?

 

[Johnsonr520]

Not sure I dont use solder wicks, just a simple desolder bulb

 

[vixr]

Quote:

 
Solder Wick, why is it suggested to have different widths?

I find that sometimes the wider wick is too big to get where you need it. The wider stuff will sometimes overlap onto a nearby pad and remove the solder there too. The thinner stuff is just right for very tight areas and tiny pads like those on T0-92 type transistors...again, just my humble opinion.