[WTS] Custom 'Helping Hands' Benchtop Version

[Cablez]

I have made a pair of these 'helping hands' for my brother and me for Christmas based on a design at Instructables.  I have enough materials to make another 2 if there is any interest.

EDIT: I can do 5BTC each shipped to the US. The arms can be tailored to your specs.

http://imgur.com/a/YUsYQ/


They are made from plate aluminum with a textured neoprene mat for the underside. This makes it very stable and doesn't slide on my bench top.  The alligator clips can be replaced with anything that attaches to banana clips, so it is fairly customizable.


The hands are coolant tubing and can be positioned in any direction. They also can hold several pounds without buckling, like this PSU.  


If you have any questions please let me know.

[x0Jakeyboy0x]

Very nice. Holding that power supply is pretty impressive. How hard are they to adjust position wise?

[Cablez]

They are basically ball and socket joints made into tubing.  This gives them rigidity and flexibility.  The arms can be readjusted using one hand.

I am really starting to like using it compared to my old small base store bought one. 

[sega01]

I don't yet do enough electronics work to justify getting one of these, but that is really cool! Amazed by the weight those things hold. Seems much better than my puny Radioshack arms.

If you can build a heavy-duty vice and this combined, I might be quite interested :-).

[Cablez]

I don't yet do enough electronics work to justify getting one of these, but that is really cool! Amazed by the weight those things hold. Seems much better than my puny Radioshack arms.

If you can build a heavy-duty vice and this combined, I might be quite interested :-).

You mean something like this? It is a neat addition for sure, just not something I needed....yet!

I actually threw my radioshack arms in the trash as I was just tired of clamping it to my workbench.

[lolwut]

is that your weller? what kind is it?

[Cablez]

is that your weller? what kind is it?

No, that's from the instructables page. It looks to be a WLC100 40W station.  I just picked up a WESD51 for Christmas and I can't wait.

[sega01]

I don't yet do enough electronics work to justify getting one of these, but that is really cool! Amazed by the weight those things hold. Seems much better than my puny Radioshack arms.

If you can build a heavy-duty vice and this combined, I might be quite interested :-).

You mean something like this? It is a neat addition for sure, just not something I needed....yet!

I actually threw my radioshack arms in the trash as I was just tired of clamping it to my workbench.

Haha! That's awesome!

Unfortunately, I need a bit more clamping force than that. More like this, but with those gator-tentacle like things. I'm pretty sure it's a bit infeasible and may not even be a good combination, though :-P.



Something that can hold a 30lb motorcycle crank in place while I drill it. Current vice is much too small... I had 30lbs of death spinning offcenter on my drill for a moment. It was pretty scary.

This is my current setup. Magnets are for catching steel fragments when drilling. At least I did finish the job yesterday!.

[Cablez]

Ah I see now. Technically you could add the arms on a standard vise but I just don't think its worth the effort.

Better to just make a one-time jig.  At least that will keep those crank's at bay!

[Cablez]

Bumpity.

[Cablez]

Bump for looks, and merry Christmas.