A better helping hands tool

[VK5RC]

Oooh,  I would love to be able to make tools like robrenz,  mine end up looking as though some clumsy ape made it.  (it is the case)
Another possible holder
https://www.hobbyking.com/mobile/viewproduct.asp?idproduct=17626

[janoc]

Not inexpensive, but some good ideas http://solderbuddy.com/

Not inexpensive? Asking 40+ bucks for a piece of wood with an aligator clip on a piece of wire?!? Whooa. That is ridiculous.

[tooki]

But they're for audiophile cables, err, I mean, "interconnects". The lacquer finish of the soldering jig will affect the sonic performance of the stereo system! It has to cost a lot or it won't be good! 

[LaurentR]

QuadHands

Not cheap but nice.
http://smile.amazon.com/QuadHands-Four-Helping-Hands-Soldering/dp/B00GIKVP5K/

[KL27x]

Not inexpensive? Asking 40+ bucks for a piece of wood with an aligator clip on a piece of wire?!?

Maybe you didn't catch the double negative. Not inexpensive == expensive. 

I like to try new things. I keep buying helping hands and then loving them and then throwing them away when I need the bench space and realize I hardly ever use them. I have yet to come a big enough task where they actually save me time or effort over other alternatives.

[Julez]

Ha, I just found photos of my contraption I posted years ago in another forum...

[Julez]

I dismantled my GRS helping hands:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/a-better-helping-hands-tool/msg835225/#msg835225

[rx8pilot]

Ha, I just found photos of my contraption I posted years ago in another forum...

Me likey likey.

[nanofrog]

Another Panavise user (376, 315, and 303 heads with a 300 base). Used a steel plate for the base mount. 

You can also DIY some helping hands that actually work from segmented CNC coolant hose, such as Loc-Line (inexpensive stuff from China is stiffer than expected, so will work). Jeton is another name brand (COO = Taiwan), but the pricing is about the same as Loc-Line brand. Any of it will work though.  Take a look here for some links to examples (photo of the Desk Squid). 






Base mounted tweezers can be useful as well, such as tinning wire or used to DIY your own custom helping hands as well (alligator clips, tweezers, hemostats, ...). You can also get the parts separately, or just buy an entire helping hand with double jointed pivot assemblies (disassemble for parts, as it's less expensive if you mean to make more than one).



Flexible metal tubing used for camera mounts could be useful too (threads =  1/4"- 10, length = 1/4").



FWIW, the following type of Dial Gauge Holder could be handy as a tool or probe holder as well. 



Based on what I've seen for eBay pricing, the DIY ideas above are reasonable on your wallet too. 

[LaurentR]

I hadn't seen the Tested review of the GRS Tools hands.
I stumbled upon the GRS Tools after some heavy searching, and they're great.  The company is just down the road from me.... down I-35 about 100 miles, but this is Kansas, so that's not reall all that far.

Here's my quick review:
https://youtu.be/UNu4pcFq15Y?t=2m51s

Another vote for the GRS third hands. I tried everything, the cheapo ones, the Hobby Creek platic ones, the QuadHands flexible ones, but the GRS are it. Expensive most definitely, but much better than anything else I have tried.

[dfmischler]

Count me with the Panavise people.  I, too, have 376, 315, and 303 heads, with both standard and low profile bases.  I also have a Panavise Junior (201).  I have one of those things with the alligator clips, but it doesn't seem to stay where I put it as well as the Panavise stuff.

[LaurentR]

Count me with the Panavise people.  I, too, have 376, 315, and 303 heads, with both standard and low profile bases.  I also have a Panavise Junior (201).  I have one of those things with the alligator clips, but it doesn't seem to stay where I put it as well as the Panavise stuff.

I love the Panavise Jr too. For board soldering, it's great.

The third hands are awesome for cables, connectors and other odd-shaped items and as a third hand for the Panavise.

[nanofrog]

I have one of those things with the alligator clips, but it doesn't seem to stay where I put it as well as the Panavise stuff.

If you go with a DIY route using the CNC segmented coolant line, you'll have much better results IME. 

[Samogon]

Hakko omnivise especially two of them pretty versatile.

[blacksheeplogic]

Hakko omnivise especially two of them pretty versatile.

I have four of these, with the top 'jaw' removed I use them under the board for support as well. I like them but they can be a bit of a pain to use if you need to reposition the board on the bench.

[Samogon]

They are ok for small boards, if you use four i assume it is rather big. For this case it is cumbersome to move and impossible to incline, fo that purpose panavase fits better.