These are the sort of skills I like to teach all my new electronics maintainers; learn how to use the tools you have. If you learn the skills you need to do things when you don't have the ""proper tools"" at hand, you'll be much better prepared to apply them when you do have those tools. It's also a great feeling when you realise that you don't need the expensive tool you thought you needed, or all the extra gadgets that you didn't really need either.