I've been wanting one of these for ages.
If you don't know, it's a tool designed to straighten the legs of ICs so they fit into PCBs or IC sockets.
It is a version of a highly coveted tool I had in a previous job.
The one I had was a RS branded version, which is long since discontinued.
I saw this one on ebay when I was trying not to look for something else.
I don't know if that is the original box, but it was well packed anyway.
It was a little grubby as it arrived.
But well made, half a kilo of solid metal.
The idea is you push the IC along the rail, past the roller bearings, which bend the legs straight so they fit directly into a PCB or IC socket, rather than the way the come out of the IC tube.
And there you go.
Hmm, that's almost right, but the 600 mil wide chips look a little too much pushed in on one side, the side passing the central bearing.
Let's try the other side, the one for 300mil ICs.
Again, a little squashed on the side passing the central bearing.
It does look like that bearing has been replaced, it is different to the other two, and does not seem to be turning as easily. (even though it smells very strongly of machine oil, as do my hands after using it)
I think I need to strip it down and clean it up and re-lubricate or possibly replace the bearings.
I went back to the ebay listing to see if there was a part number or specification, so I could check what the bearings should be.
I couldn't see anything, but I did spot something else.....
Whoops, I bought another one.
This one is only for 300 mil DIP ICs, but works as before, slide the IC along the rails, past the bearings (which both rotate freely on this one).
And there you go, perfectly straightened IC legs.
That's great, and I can now have one for the soldering bench, for straightening IC legs before soldering, which is almost always the smaller ICs. The 600 mil chips are usually too expensive, unobtainable or potentially reprogrammable or replaceable that I tend to always socket those.
But for my main desk, I need to see if I can improve the other one to do narrow and wide IC packages.
I ordered a pack of Amazon's finest cheapest skateboard bearings.
Those look right. I took the opportunity to give the base a good clean, ready for the shinny new bearings.
I also took the opportunity to replace the screws and washers (since the middle bearing was missing its washers).
That all went together neatly.
Time to give it a go.
That's better, nice and even.
That will get a lot of use when I am packing the ICs for the Minstrel and Mini PET kits.
It can even cope with the 48 pin dual RAM ICs (which I am fast running out of).
All done, another Mini PET kit ready to go.
That has worked out very nicely.
Something I have been looking for for many years and now I have two of them.
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