Before you start any of the hardware projects on this site, there are three tools worth knowing. You don't need a full workshop — these three cover the vast majority of what comes up in maker and electronics work.
Hot Glue Gun
A hot glue gun melts glue sticks and dispenses them as a liquid that sets hard in seconds. It's the fastest way to bond almost anything to almost anything else — components to enclosures, wire bundles to surfaces, fabric to foam.
Best for: Holding things in place where appearance doesn't matter and the bond doesn't need to be permanent. Hot glue can be peeled or cut away with a knife later, which makes it ideal for prototypes.
Not great for: Load-bearing joints, anything that gets hot (the glue softens above ~60°C), or surfaces where a clean finish matters.
Tips:
- Work fast — hot glue sets in 30–60 seconds
- Use low-temperature glue sticks for foam or thin plastics that might warp under heat
- A slightly damp finger (not wet) can smooth a bead before it sets
- Dried "strings" peel off most surfaces cleanly
Safety: The tip and fresh glue are genuinely hot. Keep a glass of water nearby for finger burns.
Soldering Iron
A soldering iron melts solder (a metal alloy with a low melting point) to create permanent, electrically conductive joints between metal surfaces — most commonly connecting wires to circuit board pads.
When you need it: Any project where components connect to a circuit board and the joint needs to be reliable. Soldering is what makes a connection permanent.
When you can avoid it: Many components come with header pins that slot into breadboards (a reusable prototyping board with holes that grip component legs) or use screw terminals — no soldering needed for those.
Tips:
- Tin the tip before each session: heat the iron, melt a small amount of solder onto the tip, and wipe it on a damp sponge. A shiny, silver tip transfers heat far better than a dark oxidized one.
- Heat the joint, not the solder. Touch solder to the joint after it's hot enough to melt it on contact — this makes a stronger bond.
- A good solder joint looks shiny and smooth. A dull, grey, or lumpy joint is a "cold joint" and may fail later.
Safety: Soldering iron tips run at 300–400°C. Never put one down unattended without a stand. Solder smoke is an irritant — work near a window or use a small fume extractor.
Heat-Shrink Tubing
Heat-shrink tubing is a plastic sleeve that shrinks to roughly half its diameter when heated. It insulates, protects, and labels wires and connections.
Best for: Covering a soldered wire joint to protect against shorts and strain, colour-coding wires, and tidying up bundles of cables.
How to use it:
- Slide the tubing onto the wire before you make your connection
- Make your joint or solder
- Slide the tubing over the joint
- Apply gentle heat (a heat gun, or a lighter held at a distance) until it shrinks snugly around the joint
Sizing: Sold by diameter before shrinking. For most small wire joints, 3mm or 4mm works well.
Safety: Keep a heat gun or lighter moving — holding it in one spot can scorch insulation or melt nearby wires.
What to Buy
| Tool | Recommended starting point |
|---|---|
| Hot glue gun | Any 20W–40W low-temperature gun from a craft or hardware store |
| Soldering iron | A temperature-controlled iron (Hakko FX-888D or similar) for regular use; a cheap fixed-temperature iron to start |
| Heat-shrink kit | A multi-size assortment — cheap and you'll use every size eventually |
These three tools are referenced throughout the Arduino and hardware projects on this site. Once you have them, most project builds become straightforward assembly work.