I recently discovered a Youtube channel called "NorthridgeFIX" that is similar in content to the Louis Rossmann repair video blog.
This post is NOT a review of NorthridgeFIX or the videos that he produces. What I am detailing here are some useful tools that I have added to my workshop to aid me in the repair and restoration of electronics, most commonly thermal imaging cameras.
The owner of NorthridgeFIX believes in fast repairs and wants tools to help achieve this without lots of fussing around. He has a significant pile of equipment awaiting his attention so looks for products that will ease his life rather than be 'toys' that look good but do not perform. This mirrors my desire when it comes to tools 
The tools that I am showing in this post are some that NorthridgeFIX uses in his videos and they caught my eye so I sourced them in the UK and purchased them yesterday. Most of them arrived today ! Some items were sourced from other sellers and will take longer to arrive. If you live in the USA you can buy many tools direct from NorthridgeFIX and I am providing the URL for their online store. I have borrowed a few pictures of the PCB holder in use from their store pictures and hope they do not object. Out of respect for the NorthridgeFIX business I am not providing my eBay source links for items that they are selling, but the items can be found with some searching. I will include details of those items not sold by NorthridgeFIX.
The items that I have added to my toolbox are as follows:
MIJING T24 PCB Holder - 4 slot version (2 slot and 6 slot versions are available)
Mechanic UV curing Solder Mask - Green (available in several colours)
UV LED Torch - Nice quality
Sunshine SS-022B Anti-static PCB cleaning brush - Fine steel and hard bristle heads
UT658DUAL (A&C type) USB Power Meter - This is very useful for analysing a units power consumption and gives an insight into charging circuits and over-current situations.
The links to the NorthridgeFIX review of PCB holders and their shop are shown below:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLaXgfNlVxY149shiA1pykQ
https://northridgefix.com/shop/
I will not produce a review here as NorthridgeFIX show the tools in use in most of the videos produced so you can see them in action. I did want to highlight the PCB holder though as it is truly excellent. The easily positioned, yet solid, PCB holding clamps are a joy to use and adapt to all manner of PCB shapes. I deal with some very unusually shaped and/or small PCB's that are populated tight up to the edges of the board. As NorthridgeFIX state, some PCB holders can knock tiny SMT components off of the board by their clamping action and 'jaw' shape. I opted for the medium sized ‘4 slot' model as it is the perfect size for the work I undertake and I have other options for larger PCB's. The combination of good weight and securely affixed rubber feet means that the PCB holder stays put on the bench when working on a PCB. The height of the holder and its associated clamps are perfect for resting your hands comfortable on the bench/PCB holder whilst working with modern tiny SMT components that require a very steady hand. I cannot fault the design of the unit and it looks built to last. It is not the cheapest but then neither in the kit that I will repair with it and I lover the ergonomics of the design. My unit cost me £35 in the UK, inc next day delivery. Worth every penny to me. The '2 slot' MIJING T22 costs £22 and the '6 slot' MIJUNG T26 costs £45.
The other tools are pretty self explanatory but a word about the Solder Mask. NorthridgeFIX use Solder Mask to hold fine wires in place on PCB's and it offers the advantage over normal glue as it is UV cured. It works very well in the videos of repairs and I had not used it in this way myself as I tend to use epoxy or similar strong glues to hold wires safe and in position. I will now experiment with UV Solder Mask. I purchased a reasonably priced powerful UV torch that may be focused on a spot. It is also rechargeable which is a bonus. The UV torch cost only £5.59 and that is from a UK warehouse.
Hope this is of interest to others.
Fraser
