Tinkering is a fine gnomish pursuit with a long and troubled history. Before getting too far into the toolbox, it's wise to keep a few things in mind.

The Nuts and Bolts of Tinkering

First off, keep in mind that there are many stories regarding what can and cannot be tinkered, whether certain items even exist, and how difficult it is to advance in skill. Remember that before you start spending thousands of platinum pieces on components that you've never heard of.

That being said, the process of tinkering is easily embraced by the gnomish intellect, and can be broken down into six easy steps.

Find the Tinkers

	Nearly everything you need to start out your tinkering career can be acquired from Bom Knotwood in Steamfont. Old Bom isn't on the best of terms with the Dark Reflection, so don't expect him to cut you any deals. You can usually find him puttering around with windmill gears.
When you get to advanced tinkering and Bom doesn't have what you need, Rylin Coil in Ak'Anon can give you some further direction. Look for Rylin and his assistant in the lower caverns.
	If you're stuck in Kunark, a few standard tinkering supplies are available from Tin Merchant V at the outpost in the Overthere. The prices aren't very good, so it's only useful for picking up an extra cork or two if you happen to need one. If you're curious about the presence of our clockworks in a primarily Teir'Dal outpost, all I can say is, "Mua ha ha...."
Adinel Jailbar, currently with the Pirates of Iceclad, has a number of items which the master tinker will be thrilled with. Apprentices will likely find the recommended experiments far too costly, and are advised to practice "traditional" tinkering before moving on to most of the new gadgets.

Study Your Gimblestan

The legendary tinker Gimblestan wrote a number of journals regarding his experiments and his travels. Many of those volumes have been lost over time, consumed in explosions or dissolved in acid when a particular passage wasn't properly understood. The remaining journals have been faithfully copied and contain the tinkering recipes for many popular items. Every gnome should be proud to have the complete Journals of Gimblestan in their library.

Acquire a Toolbox

The toolbox is the centerpiece of tinkering. You can't tinker without one. Standard toolboxes are usually available from the same vendors who sell the components; a smith can also forge one fairly easily. The Pirates of Iceclad offer a larger and better-equipped Deluxe Toolbox, which their advanced recipes require.

Trade All of Your Platinum for Components

Unless you're limiting yourself to Animated Bait and the like, you're going to be spending vast quantities of coin to get the fiddlybits that you'll need. Put a wrench in your coinpurse and accept it. Tinkering isn't cheap.

Insert Part A Into Slot B

Follow the instructions for the item that you're attempting to create. Place each required item into your toolbox, making sure that nothing is stacked. When all of the items are in the toolbox, invoke the Spirit of Gimblestan and combine them.

Cackle or Curse

You are now either holding your newfangled invention with pride, or cursing the gods and bashing your head into a nearby wall. Either way, you may have learned something from the attempt if the item provided enough of a challenge.

Such is the fate of the tinker.