Homemade Helping Hands!

[Krumlink]

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!

 

[Krumlink]

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.

 

[bananasiong]

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

 

[Krumlink]

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.

 

[Krumlink]

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

 

[bananasiong]

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

 

[yngndrw]

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

 

[hamm3rst0rm]

very bright idea..

 

[Krumlink]

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

 

[yngndrw]

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

 

[Hero999]

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

 

[yngndrw]

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 ?

 

[Hero999]

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.

 

[Krumlink]

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.

 

[yngndrw]

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

 

[justDIY]

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

it's from nicking it with your strippers. need to switch to a stripper that rips the insulation off, without trying to cut it first.

 

[yngndrw]

Maybe stripping with side cutters isn't the best idea after all. :c

I'll have a look around for some decent strippers.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Maybe stripping with side cutters isn't the best idea after all. :c

Not unless you're skillful with them!

 

[Rolf]

I get sooo tired ..........

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.

Of posters constantly calming this or that without any specific proof!
How much trouble would it be to bend a wire a few times?
I think your design is fine, no mater what type of wire you use. Copper tends to work-harden if bent in the same place, maybe iron wire for high usage. but the likelihood of that happening in your design is nil.
Testing; I took a piece of solid hook-up wire (22 gauge) and bent it back an forth, over 30 times, in a 180° arc while holding it in a pair of round nose pliers!
Made the same test with a 24 gauge wire and it broke (didn't hear any snap) after only about 20 bends. So much for all the theory.
Your design it wont be put to this kind of bending so it should last forever.
For a little fancier design, I might look at a small table top tripod (less than $5) that has some kind of spiral legs, only 3/16" dia. (don't know what it is called), they would make great arms.
Keep up the good works!
Rolf

 

[Hero999]

You could easilly reverse the effects of wear by heating the wire untill it's cherry red but that will probably distroy the chrome plating on the crocadile clips.