[dorkbotdc-blabber] Make: Online Toolbox

Mon Mar 9 16:29:45 EDT 2009

One milli-hack I did to the standard $5 "third hand" fixture with alligator clips and a magnifying glass was to buy two of them and put all four clip arms onto one of the bases - two on each side of the base support. That way the inside two clips can be used to hold a small circuit board while the others hold wires, or you can have two clips on each wire for better strain relief and isolation from pulling.  

To do this I removed the magnifying glasses from the moveable clamp that slides along the rod, put both clamps on the same rod, and stuck the alligator clamps and joint from the second unit onto the ball ends where the magnifying glass joints went.  

I can send a photo if you'd like...
--Tim

--- On Mon, 3/9/09, Gareth Branwyn <garethbranwyn at comcast.net> wrote:

> From: Gareth Branwyn <garethbranwyn at comcast.net>
> Subject: Re: [dorkbotdc-blabber] Make: Online Toolbox
> To: dorkbotdc-blabber at dorkbot.org
> Date: Monday, March 9, 2009, 1:57 PM
> Yeah, if anyone could find a pic of this. This was a biggie
> for me too when I first saw someone do it. A real
> "duh" moment. It'd be great to put this in the
> piece (goinf live at 5pm today).
> 
> -GB
> 
> 
> On Mar 9, 2009, at 10:35 AM, Alberto Gaitán wrote:
> 
> > Matt,
> > 
> > Picture the cliché Indian Rope Trick, with the rope
> being the solder strand, coiled on the bench and extended up
> to the height needed.
> > 
> > Correct me if I'm wrong David, but I think
> I've seen Tim Slagle use this technique (and correct me
> if I'm wrong, Tim!).
> > 
> > Alberto
> > 
> > 
> > On 3/9/09 10:20 AM, M@ wrote:
> >> I'm having trouble imagining your trick. can
> you take a photo/make a rough sketch in paint and post it
> somewhere where everyone can see.
> >> M@
> >> On Sun, Mar 8, 2009 at 8:49 PM, David Brunton
> <dbrunton at gmail.com <mailto:dbrunton at gmail.com>>
> wrote:
> >>    This is only sort of a jig/clamp.  I learned a
> soldering trick about
> >>    a year ago from another DC Dorkbot, of coiling
> up the solder on the
> >>    table and extending a solder wire up into a
> little shepherd's
> >>    crook.  It's the single best soldering
> trick I know... coupled with
> >>    Helping Hands (duh) and an occasional home-made
> jig, it covers just
> >>    about everything.
> >>    I'll eventually get to writing a glowing
> blog post about this
> >>    technique, but in the meantime, hopefully it
> makes it into yours, to
> >>    free up a hand for other solder-ers...
> >>    -db.
> >>    On Sun, Mar 8, 2009 at 7:59 PM, M@
> <mattbillings at gmail.com
> >>    <mailto:mattbillings at gmail.com>>
> wrote:
> >>        I'm a fan of the panavise as well.  I
> picked up a larger  than I
> >>        needed at the time model, but it was super
> cheap on ebay. I've
> >>        grown into it and it's super handy. The
> base is quite heavily so
> >>        it doesn't move around when flipping
> and turning.
> >>        M@
> >>        On Sun, Mar 8, 2009 at 9:36 AM, Jason
> Schlauch
> >>        <jason.schlauch at gmail.com
> <mailto:jason.schlauch at gmail.com>> wrote:
> >>            On Sat, Mar 7, 2009 at 11:35 PM, Gareth
> Branwyn
> >>            <garethbranwyn at comcast.net
> >>           
> <mailto:garethbranwyn at comcast.net>> wrote:
> >>             > category (e.g. spring clamps,
> Dremel universal work
> >>            holder, etc.) those will
> >>             > go into this column.
> >>            The "universal work holder"
> that I pointed out isn't
> >>            actually made by
> >>            Dremel -- it's made by some
> anonymous import company and
> >>            sold through
> >>            Harbor Freight (and others).
> >>            Anyway, I'd also recommend the
> "Panavise Jr." (Panavise
> >>            Model 201) as
> >>            a benchtop hands-free work-holder.  The
> vice jaws are long
> >>            and have
> >>            various grooves cut in them for holding
> PCBs (and other
> >>            objects).  The
> >>            jaws can swivel, rotate, and pivot
> about the base to allow exact
> >>            positioning of the work piece.  The
> Panavise line of vice
> >>            heads and
> >>            bases is extensive, but sometimes
> pricey, so you might want
> >>            to see
> >>            what's on eBay.
> >>           
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