Mike DuBois, Author at TechShop Magazine - Page 3 of 4
Check Under The Hood For You? Tool Truck Maintenance

Are you taking care of one of your largest investments?

Electrical System Testing Tools and Equipment

One day we are fat, dumb and happy using a piece of wire with a 12-volt bulb on the end of it to test things with. Now we are faced with deciding between using the 10 meg-ohm computer safe test light, the power injector or a logic probe complete with polarity protection, audible alarm, light and 20-foot memory cord. Geeesh! How did things get so confusing so fast? Progress my boy! That is the root of our problem here! As the cars and systems have gotten more and more complicated, so have the tools and equipment needed to work on those cars ….

Electrical System Tools and Equipment

Neutrons, Electrons, Klingons? As today’s cars and systems have gotten more and more complicated, so have the tools and equipment needed to work on those cars. The professional technician is expected to be able to understand electrical theory, electronics, physics, as well as understand and interpret readings from complex electrical test equipment.

Pipe Benders: Just Around the Bend

I like many people, I have a childhood memory of going on car trips that seemed to last forever. Usually about 15 minutes into the trip, I would ask: “Are we there yet?” This question would be delivered with the accompanying whine that only very small children and some wild animals are capable of making.

Hose & Reels: Reeling It In

It is said that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. This idea applies to many things in life. Air tools and equipment are no exception. Today’s pneumatic equipment is far superior in many ways to equipment made just a few years ago. There are lighter materials and better designs, resulting in

Hand Tools

Striking a Blow for Safety, Reliability and Value It all started thousands of years ago. Grogg picked up the jawbone of a T-Rex in one hand and a piece of broken tooth in the other hand. Voila! The first chisel is invented. Early on in our history, man realized he could do more work (or

Jacks: The Ups and Downs of Jacks

The famous actor/comedian Rodney Dangerfield was well known for his routine about respect. You couldn’t watch him for more than a few minutes before you heard his signature line: “I can’t get NO respect!” If we were to start assigning personalities to tools in the shop, jacks would definitely be the Rodney Dangerfield of the

Tool Storage: Buying a Toolbox is Like Buying a House — For Your Tools

The journey of a thousand miles starts with just one step. Deciding what new tool storage system you want can feel like that kind of journey. As the single largest purchase you are ever likely to make in your career as a technician, it is an important one! In fact, other than your home and

Climate Equipment: Hey, It’s Cold in Here!

Wherever two or more shall gather… Somebody is bound to be too hot or too cold! It seems to be a fact of life, people can never agree about the temperature inside. This one says it’s too hot, while that one says it’s too cold. One thing we can all agree on is that we

Powertools: Select Power Tools that Meet Your Service Needs

Considering these definitions, a power tool, loosely defined, is anything used as a means of accomplishing a task using mechanical energy. All power tools use mechanical energy to accomplish tasks that would otherwise be difficult or even impossible to accomplish by hand. Now think about all the jobs that we are able to accomplish with

New Tools: What’s Old is New Again

There is an old saying that there is nothing new under the sun. A recent trend in the tool industry might lead you to think there is some truth to that statement. It seems that although a new tool gets introduced every few minutes — with suppliers bringing more and more new items to market

A/C Service: The Heart of the Matter

The heart of the business, feel the heart beat, he has a good heart. These familiar thoughts and sayings all refer to the same thing. Whether it is a figurative or literal reference, the message is the same. There is always a central and irreplaceable part or component or, sometimes, person to all things. This