[BenWA]

if you don't have variac use dim bulb set up

You're going to have to expand on that thought. I am a complete newbie to this stuff.


I saw a picture someplace online where someone clamped blocks of wood to either side of the chassis so they can have it turned upside down on their workbench which looked like a great way to keep it turned that way for working on.

This is the workbench I have my eye on, but I'd have to get a piece of wood cut for the top to cover the metal. For my small apartment, I think that size would be ideal.
http://www.harborfreight.com/multipurpos...60723.html

I wear strong prescription glasses so I won't think a wearable magnifying glass would work well for me. These would be ideal though:

Unlit: http://www.harborfreight.com/helping-hands-60501.html
Lighted: http://www.harborfreight.com/jumbo-helpi...65779.html

Heat guns, at least harbor Freight ones, don't last worth a darn. I had 2 of them. The first one died after a week and I got 1 free replacement. The second one lasted longer but then quit also. I was using it for heat shrink tubing on just wire splices, no components involved. I turned to using a grill lighter after that which worked great. Obviously, a grill lighter wouldn't be good for this task, but a hair dryer might work nicely and they don't burn out as fast as heat guns. Plus you can pick them up used for a few dollars if they do wear out.