If you are starting out as a new Ham or electronics hobbyist, you will soon find a need for having your own workbench stocked with special tools and equipment. The ultimate electronics workbench is different for each person and changes as personal knowledge and interests evolve and as technology changes. Some people have two or three 'electronic' work benches - RF bench/AF bench/Computer bench/soldering bench, metal working, computer area, etc., etc. The choices and decisions of precisely which tools and equipment you need to have available are not usually easily resolved. Choices seem difficult but even more so when you are just starting. The location where the bench will reside, the actual physical size, where the technical support information will be located (you will collect a lot of information), and how much 'extra equipment'/'parts storage' will be required are all factors to be considered and will impact your other tool choices. As your interests grow, perhaps adding 'more benches' will be a decision you will face. Equipment additions are balanced with your work effort and finances. As we stated, many people have a basic work bench and a ham/radio work bench and perhaps a computer/micro-controller bench. Each bench designed with it's own set of requirements and instrumentation / tool requirements. Only you can decide what is required and desirable to meet your demands.
HINT: Add items to your 'gift lists' for birthdays and Christmas. This can help you add quickly to your bench! My kids have purchased and gifted items they have no idea what the unit is or how it is used - but they paid for me to have some nice stuff!
SAFETY must ALWAYS be your very first and most important consideration on or around your workbench (and the hobby in all aspects). Make your bench as safe as humanly possible. All working benches have electrical power involved in some manner. Include a single power emergency 'kill switch' into each of your bench design(s) and setup. Grounds, isolation and emergency shutoff are a required area to focus on. Please, please make sure your entire bench area has Ground Fault Interruption [GFI] supplied power. "Electrical Isolated" power for all equipment being worked on is a major consideration. Improper consideration on grounds can KILL you, as well as kill your equipment. Think and act accordingly! Various pieces equipment are all potential electrical shock hazards. Include the "workbench lighting" in your safety list. You need to be able to see where you are going to make a connection(s) and touch things., if you are touching a piece of equipment and touch a lighting component (switch or fixture), what is the possible result? What equipment failures can be tolerated? The testing equipment and any 'units under test' require your considerations (with added failure modes). Insure proper fusing in all power circuits. An 'unintended ground' can be a killer. A good article can be found in the March, 2019 QST magazine on page 36. if you are a member of the ARRL you can find an electronic copy of the article on the ARRL web site. PLEASE in all cases give some careful thoughts to your work bench power! Ground paths and shock hazards are 'sneaky' safety areas to be around... plan accordingly. Then re-do the thinking with a 'failed' piece of equipment - say a bad capacitor (short or open) in one of your pieces of gear (an instrument or unit under test and/or test equipment or both)... are you still safe? If the answer is not 'Yes' then go think more BEFORE making connections or turning on any power.
A details list for you to consider {topics vary}:
Rubber Floor Mats - beside offering better foot comfort these can insulate you from the floors electrical conductivity {better safety}.
Isolated power - supplied to all test equipment and units you are working on. You do not want direct connect power to any surface you could be touching or able to come in contact with (intentionally or accidentally). Ground isolation and common grounds are something to always watch carefully - especially when making measuring equipment connections. Are all equipment grounds at the same level or isolated for the safety and measurement accuracy?
Bench Lighting - You will need more light then what you initially think. Suggest you go 'over bright' on your bench designs and have a method to dim it down if desired.
Computer Access - Most modern benches will use a computer (with internet access) to provide information directly at the workbench. I stopped using clipboards on the bench in the mid 1980s. Yes I still use a 'scratch pad' at the bench. I use the computer more than one would think to check various datasheets and articles. Also, consider power connections and isolation between your computers, test equipment and various units under test. Test equipment may use the computer for for better readability and for control and to some degree units being tested.
Calibration and various lab standards ~ know that your testing equipment is reading correctly? Do you do 'regular accuracy checks'? Logging of when checks are done [another use for that computer]. Different equipment will have different errors and tolerances, know how that impacts your efforts.
TOOLS - WORKBENCH Here is a list of basis tools that 'well equipped' electronic workbenches will usually have available. The quantity can be added to as you learn and finances allow, but please remember: "You get what you pay for". Cheap tools will usually have a short life and may not be up to the task which your requirements may have for the tool. a 'cheap' special tool may be quite a bit better than 'no tool', just consider what your requirement should be. You do not need all these tools to start, but as you take on more workbench tasks, the list below will handle a very large portion of any bench task. There may be others that your needs/wants require in order to be "all inclusive" - add as you desire. Consider how you are going to provide storage and access to your tools (tool boxes vs drawers and shelves). Work benches are best utilized when you are comfortable at the bench, consider your chair or stool. I use several 'close-by' tool boxes and many shelf units for tools, equipment and spare parts. How easy is it to access the tool and return to storage when you are at the bench?
Breadboard(s)
Wires for Breadboard (Solid Conductor to start).
Patch Cords with Alligator Clips. Jumpers for temporary connections.
'Miscellaneous Junk Electronics' - great for starting a parts supply {Hams usually call them 'Junk Boxes' ~ are they really 'Junk'?}.
Various spare parts. I have resistors, capacitors, inductors, small modules, various controls (pots / switches / pilot lights / nuts & bolts / etc.) KEEP them organized - if you cannot find it when you want it ~ it becomes worthless (junk), but if organized a great source of supply.
Equipment test leads, connector adapters, patch cords to interconnect several instruments and units together.
Set of Screw Drivers (small 1/8", medium 3/16" and large 1/4" ~ 5/16") - Flat Blade and Phillips (#1; #2; & #3) of various lengths. Torq-head drivers (?)
Standard Combination Pliers ~ Slip Joint (6" and 8")
Needle Nose Pliers (4", 6", and 8") fine tips to beefy designs are handy
Diagonal Cutters (Small and Large) Consider 'flush cut designs'.
Adjustable Wrenches (4" and 8")
Wire Stripper & Crimper (Champ Style - smaller is better)
Channel Lock Pliers (various sizes)
Set of Hex Wrenches (English & Metric Sizes)
Nut Drivers w/hollow shafts (English & Metric Sizes) - consider pocket depths for your needs
Soldering Iron/Station (about 40 watt)
Solder 60/40 or "low melt" No Lead ~ small diameter
Solder Sucker (or vacuum bulb or powered pump)
De-soldering station ?
'Hot Air' soldering ?
Small Tape Measure (English and Metric Scales)
Pocket Knife / Razor blade knife
Hand Reamer w/ Tee Handle
Automatic Center Punch
Nibbling Tool
Small Ball-peen Hammer (1 lb.)
Hacksaw
Rat Tail Files (small and medium - & Flat and Triangle and Round)
Vise Grip Pliers (Small)
Miscellaneous - Vision magnifiers and microscopes, Emery Cloth; Pencil Scribe; Electrical Tape; non-magnetic Tuning Tools; Various Adhesives/Silicon Sealer; Machine Oil; Various Insulated Wire (Enamel coated; plastic insulated; different sizes; etc.)
1/4" Electric Drill (perhaps a 3/8") ~ Variable Speed
Various Drill Bits (Metal Bits from No. 60 up to 1/2")
4" Bench Vise
Magnifier lens with light on movable arm and or computer microscope.
Dremel Tool (with Bits "As Needed")
Volt-Ohm Meter / Multi-meter ~ Small Digital with high input impedance
Vacuum Tube Volt Meter [VTVM] (with large analog meter) ~ An older device, but robust with high input impedance
Computer & Printer (w/ Internet Connection) - direct access from workbench position is mandatory in today's world.
Bench Variable Power Supply (0 ~ 30 volt) with Current Metering
Fixed 12 volt Power Supply (and a 3.3/5.0 volt are Handy)
Solder re-flow station (Newer stuff uses Surface Mount technology)
Equipment for Capacitance & Inductance Measurements ~ Values and Performance Characteristics
Dummy R.F. Load - metering of readings.
Miscellaneous Meter Movements (Ammeters and Voltmeters ~ accuracy/calibration considerations)
SWR Meter
Attenuator allowing for switching in up to about -80 dB (or more) of controlled attenuation
Audio Frequency Generator - calibration details.
Radio Frequency Generator // Arbitrary Waveform Function Generator (calibration checks need considerations).
Oscilloscope (Dual Trace and Triggered - minimum). Consider calibration checks.
Frequency Counter with reference for calibration checks and accuracy.
Digital Logic Probe
Antenna Analyzer
Wavemeter
FFT Analyzer and/or Transistor Analyzer
Spectrum Analyzer
Vector Noise Analyzer
Time and Frequency Standards - how do you check your instruments?
Voltage, Current, resistance, capacitance, inductance - "standards" for checking your instrumentation.
Resistor Selection - Leads and SMT types (I suggest 1% tolerance assortments.)
Capacitor Selection(s) - Disc; Electrolytic; SMT
Inductor Selection(s) - Fixed, Variable, Torrid Cores, etc.
Diode Selection - Leaded and SMT (Power and Switching)
Transistor Selection -Leaded and SMT (NPN, PNP, FET, small signal (audio and RF), Power)
Light Emitting Diodes (LED) in various colors and sizes
Potentiometers - Various (Variable Resistors)
Switch Selection - Various Styles (Toggle, Slide, Rotary, Push Button, Various Pole Configurations, etc.)
Ferrite Core Selection
Magnet Wire and Teflon Tape for windings on Ferrite Cores
Batteries, Tester and Holders (1.5 volt and 9 volt)
Voltage Regulator ICs (Various Voltage/Power Sizes )
Relays (12 volt - small and large) {Perhaps Sockets for the Relays}
Miscellaneous Integrated Circuits [IC] (555 timers; Op Amps; Digital Logic Gates; various analog devices)
IC Sockets
Loud Speaker(s)
Displays - Seven Segment and Sixteen Segment and LED Types
Micro-controllers / Microcomputers
Tubes and Tube Testers? - What age equipment do you wish to support?
Various Sensors, Clock, GPS, etc. Modules for small computers. {Watch the voltage requirements - 3.3 volt Vs 5.0 volt can burn out devices quickly! Buying items more than once is expensive.}
Measurement check 'standard's for your test equipment.
Go online and search to get some tips about "Buying Electronic Components ", search for other ideas on electronic components or equipment on the internet. Read "Testing and Test Methods" and pages linked to that site. Try scavenging various components from used equipment (cheapest method and not just radios, computer, printers, TVs, etc.) and by going to a hamfest looking and actually looking for components (inexpensive) and searching surplus component suppliers (bargains). You can purchase from electronic parts suppliers (usually most expensive) you can fill many voids. Add slowly as your needs develop and "keep it organized" if not you will never find what you need easily. Old televisions, computers w/monitors, microwaves ovens, old Hi-Fis and radios are a few items that you can tear apart for components. My home has a ham shack, work bench, & general activities desk, general type work desk each has a computer on a linked intranet system. Learn to use that computer to organize your parts collection. Use your computer to keep lists of materials on hand for use on any project (make a 'project card' and a 'part information' card). I use a small program called "AZZ Cardfile" as a 'database' for my parts collection (do a web search). You can search the database (card contents) to find physical and electrical information on the item, I include what shelf number the unit I physically put it on last (I label my shelves ~ you know, that organization thing). For each part I list where and I collected the part, links to internet data on the part, datasheet copy, article and where it was published, a schematic and component pin out information, 'other thoughts' or 'notes' which I may want in the future, etc. it can all be stored on an azz card for the part and equipment unit. I keep an eye out the old equipment cabinets/boxes. Usually $3 ~ $5 at a hamfest will provide quite a few boxes. I cannot estimate how many times I have used an "old piece of gear" cabinet, repainted and filled in various holes, drilled new holes, etc. to house one of my new projects. Special attention to 'water proof cases' is a way to save a lot of money (Harbor Freight, Home Depot, Menards seem to work best for me).
I test each component part before placing it in stock. Unknown component status or failed components have a set place for them in storage. That area ends up with twice per junking review. My 'stock component's are ready for quick and sure usage. I have several sets of shelves for storage of all this.
Please make sure you collect parts in a safe manner - search the internet for safety requirements. NEVER approach this task in a careless manner. Burns, electrical shocks, eye hazard, material chemical issues, hazardous material handling are a few of the important areas you need to ALWAYS consider. Make your environment a safe one for you and all family members and/or visitors!
Organization of the parts cannot be over stressed. If organized correctly, you will know what is 'on hand'/'in stock' and what you may need to look for at swaps and purchase opportunities. Search out datasheets for the components you collect and store them (on your computer). Use engineering simulation (see LT Spice - free version) and circuit board layout software (look on internet for free software) to design, analyze, and make circuit boards for projects. The design and construction of electronics can be a hobby unto itself, but it adds greatly to the personal satisfaction of many hams. If you keep it organized, you can quickly determine what you have and decide if you need to purchase something for that next project. Hint: I will start the planning of a project by labeling a container and placing a list of all needed components inside. Then I place those parts in the container and cross off the item list for that project. When the list for that project is completely crossed off, I am ready to start the actual assembly step. I usually place a schematic diagram and any referenced source or filenames inside for reminding me of what I was planning. It is not unusual to have several of these containers on the shelf at the same time. As I get time I will pull a full one down and do the actual construction. Sorry to admit that some of my 'projects' have shelf lives of a few years. I have in the past given a full project container to some just starting out in the hobby. It promotes their learning and can be considered as a 'kit project'. I assist in construction and test out, so they get maximum learning is project build. It usually starts them a long path of adventure. So consider how you can help others.
Small micro-controllers/microcomputers fit well into these project areas. This will lead to a need to understanding some various software languages and Integrated Development Environments [IDE] as you implement the designs. Only "you" limit what you may accomplish! This knowledge may even lead a younger person to consider a technical career along these lines. People with these skills are always in demand on the commercial fronts. Learn to take advantage of all your new knowledge. Ham Radio and computer technology feed off each other for quick technical understanding and knowledge growth.
Sometimes we need help with a technical issue or procedure. A place for some help is ARRL Technical Information Service. It is for ARRL members, but is a great place to search for information. Searching the internet has grown into a very productive process. There are countless 'YouTube' channels that have a lot of electronic workbench information for you. Searching a project concept can add significant knowledge before you waste time 'reinventing' the project design several times ~ even your 'hobby time' has limits and needs consideration.