A good cheap starter kit for modding?

[Niku-Sama]

interesting, mine doesent have a temp chart....

[teh_d3th_st4r]

I don't own that iron anymore, but I had cut the chart out of the manual and taped it to my station. It was a general overview of the 5-40 watt range on the dial, and their relative temperatures. I'll see if I can find a scan of it.

[FABombjoy]

Harbor Freight is great for small hand tools. These sets are invaluable:

http://www.harborfreight.com/6-piece...set-31675.html
or
http://www.harborfreight.com/6-piece...set-94931.html

I've actually had better luck with HF diagonal cutters than Craftsman.


Also, I'm embarrassed to say that these work surprisingly well. Based on the reviews, YMMV. On sale they're as little as $1:

http://www.harborfreight.com/6-1-2-h...ent-66690.html


Beware of:
Multimeters - About the only thing they're good for is telling you if an outlet is hot, or if a wire in your car has 12v or not.
Electrical tape - The adhesive sucks for anything but warm, indoor use.
Security bit sets - Give them a good inspection first. Bits are frequently misshapen or have offset holes.
Plastic zip ties - Make sure they say "nylon"