This is an easy way to make yourself your own pair of helping hands. Helping hands (or 3rd hand) is a simple mechanism that holds the part(s) that you are soldering together, aka a PCB Board, wires, etc. Very handy (ha ha) and you will love yourself for making one! Mine cost only $2!

Parts needed:
10-12 Gauge Wire (1ft or more)
2 Alligator Clips (ones that fit 10-12 gauge wire)
Small block of wood capable of weighing down the helping hands

Tools needed:
10-12 Gauge Wirestrippers
Staple gun
Large Pliers

Step 1: Strip about 1/2 inch (1.5cm) off each end of the wire.
Step 2. Staple the middle of the Wire to the Block of wood or your weight. Make sure you put a bunch in there to hold it down well.
Step 3: Put the alligator clips on each end.
Step 4: Clamp the alligator clips very hard on the wire, so it holds down well.

This is a cheap way of making very effective helping hands. You could put anything you want on the end of the wires, and even add more arms if you want to (I made myself the octupus, a 8 legged helping hands). Be careful!

 

Another way that you can do it is to cut the wire into 2 seprate peices, and put each end on a round hole socket, like for bolts in the center. You then bolt that onto your wood thing or whatever. That also works well. I am going to build another helping hands thing, except with 22 gauge wire and build a ton of hands for it (a new octupus). Let me know how your coming along on it, and if its working out for you.

 

Can you post some pictures? I face some problem when doing soldering sometimes

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Sure here are some pictures!

You dont need to solder anything; just a good strong pair of pliers to crimp them on to the wire.

Help 1 shows a general overview of the Helping hands. I mounted it to PVC board instead of wood, because I couldnt find a peice.

Help 2 shows a closeup of one claw.

Just crimp it on there.

Attached Images

	Help1.jpg (808.1 KB, 68 views)
	Help2.jpg (564.2 KB, 51 views)

 

anybody try building it? I made a amputated octupus (4legs) with the bolt instead. Use a bolt, works better.

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MechTronics

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Just wonder is the stapler bullet strong enough to hold the wire?

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I worry that the wire will snap after a few uses. Nice idea though.

 

very bright idea..

 

The wire of the holding hands breaking? It wont snap if its really thick, or really thin.

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MechTronics

World of Warcraft is a disease

 

How brittle the wire is does not depend on how thick it is.

 

Even if it snaps, big deal wire is so cheap it doesn't matter.

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Is it worth having to re-build it every few uses in order to save a couple of quid ?

I'm sure there are better things to use than wire which would still be cheaper though. Any ideas ?

 

How many uses do you get though?

Take a piece of wire that thick and see how many times you can bend it before it snaps.

By the way it's better to use thinner wire as you can get away with as you can bend it more times before it snaps.

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I also post at the following sites:
http://www.stop-microsoft.org http://www.heated-debates.com
Screen name: Aloone_Jonez
And http://www.silicontronics.com, same screen name as here.

 

Ive been constantly using mine now for about 2 weeks, and every wire has the same strength as it had when i first made it.

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MechTronics

World of Warcraft is a disease

 

Fair enough, I'm just used to solid core cable breaking constantly. :c Maybe it's the heat from soldering ?