Soldering helping hands that don't suck please!

[Brian Hart]

Is there such a thing as a good set of helping hands for soldering?  Every set I've ever had fell apart in no time.  I love using them for suspending wires over the body, prepping pots and jacks, etc.  Just wondering if there are any out there that aren't total Chinese bottom dollar poop.  Thanks!  

[RETROROD]

Good topic! I have one of those cheesy Rat Shack units that you refer to.

A quick google brought up this...

http://www.amazon.com/QuadHands-Armed-Helping-Soldering-Station/dp/...

...and this DIY type...that is similiar in form and function.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Ultimate-Helping-HandsStation/

I have no "hands on" experience with either one..... ;-)

 

[Robbie Collins]

Storks are useful:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wild-Stork-Nest-Six-Storks-Silver-Solder-To...

A good stand is great to have. I keep my solder, braid, tip cleaner and sponge on mine:

https://www.adafruit.com/products/1154

[Ned Knepp]

Robbie, I like how secure the Wild Stork Nest looks but it looks like a pretty big heat sink too.  Do you have trouble heating things up with that rig?   

[Robbie Collins]

You can put an item on the white fire brick or use a couple of storks to hold it off the mat. I have wooden blocks with holes for pot shafts such as a 4-hole block for 4-pot Les Paul wiring.  I haven't found that any one thing works best.

[Andrew]

I like that DIY retrorod posted. You could easily adapt the ideas for working over a guitar cavity. And its cheap!

Those 'storks' robbie posted are great for holding wires in place. Hemostats are also great for things that really wont stay put.

Im still looking for a way to hold ground wires to the back of control pots while I apply the iron and solder. Theyre always trying to move around on me when I do that one. Anybody here have a method?

[Robbie Collins]

I clean the back of pots with flux then apply solder with a Weller WP35 iron with a ST4 screwdriver tip. Then I hold wires down with the soldering tip then slip in a flat head screwdriver to remove the iron.

For working on top of guitars I make mats like these out of 11" x 17" flexible cutting mats I get at Walmart:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Color-Flexible-Cutting-Mat/20531370

I also use them to make protective covers:

[Andrew]

Ah good tips :). Ill have to keep an eye out for those cutting mats. Are they sold in the kitchen section? Seen em anywhere else?

[J R Emmett]

A couple of comments on the potentiometer soldering:

1. Turn pots all the way down before you solder to prevent damage to the useful portion of the range of travel.
2. If you are going to solder the pot in the body, remove the knob and retainer nut.  Push the pot back through the hole to prevent exterior finish damage.  Ditto for pickguard mounted pots.
3. Soldering iron temperatures between 325 and 350C seem to work best, 15 watt iron
4. Burnishing the plating with a fiberglass burnishing brush speeds solder adhesion and limits soldering iron time.  The nickel oxide on the adjacent areas limits solder flow and keeps things neat.  It also makes it possible to add and remove wires without affecting the adjacent solder joints because, unless you are using excessive heat.
5. Put a small deposit of solder in the burnished area by tinning the tip and then placing the solder glob on the location.  The molten solder bridge is key to efficient heat transfer and proper wetting.
6. While the solder is still molten and iron in place, place the pre-tinned signal wires into the pool, holding them with tweezers.  Remove the iron and allow solder to solidify.

Burnishing brush: 

http://www.amazon.com/Scratch-Brush-Fiberglass-Colors-vary/dp/B0019...

[tadej bratkovic]

Are the alligator clips the ones causing trouble? Can't snug them up enough inside the sleeve? Solder a thick piece of plain copper wire inside it, so it won't squish anymore.

I epoxied my helping hands to a 5/16''×2''×4'' piece of steel, that really helps keeping it steady.

[Russell Vance]

Tadeg mentioned my fix for the cheap alligator clips of soldering a rod inside the clips to stop them flattening, but I have to say my most useful "always there" third hand is my standard size needle nosed (beakies) pliers with a hair band (scrunchy, big rubber band, whatever) wrapped around the handles where they flare before the joint.   Provides just enough tension for the pliers to hold anything and the weight of the pliers keeps stuff steady - You can use it anywhere as a temporary clamp, and its fine for holding stuff adjacent to or in the control cavity on electrics etc where the commercial stands  and contraptions can't get to.   I use a speed clamp to hold the handles if I need the pliers to stand up.

I know this sounds dodgy but its just one of those tools that does the job at hand quickly.

Rusty.

[J R Emmett]

I have a couple of helping hands and find them indispensable.  A few modifications that I find useful:

1. Line the base plate bottom with self adhesive felt (prevents finish scratches)
2. File the serrated edges off the clips, insert a small piece of rubber and apply heat shrink over the top to hold in place
3. I have also used flat nose micro clips, when I can find them in the correct size but they don't seem to last as long as the modified standard clips (bend too easily).

Yesterday, I saw a post for helping hands from Sparkfun that look to solve the range of motion problems associated with the typical dual ball joint designs.  I've used the coolant tubes in the machine shop and this solution might just be the ultimate answer for helping hands.  Link follows:

http://toolguyd.com/sparkfun-third-hand-kit/

Added to my list of things to purchase or fabricate!

[Robbie Collins]

Good idea!