Make a 3 degree of freedom 'hand' to help with soldering / gluing work

How to make a new three degree of freedom hand for your 'helping hands'. The design allows you to make custom, switchable end-pieces (in addition to the standard alligator clip).

Step 1 Find parts lying around

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you'll need:

three screws,

four nuts (appropriate to the screws above),

two big washers,

'ZapGel' (gel cyanoacrylate) and 'zip kicker' (a solidifying accelarent)
(http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXCX45&P=M)
-OR-
ShapeLock
http://shapelock.com/page2.html

alligator clip

a thin piece of metal/plastic that you can drill holes in (I used a lego piece with holes already in it)

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optional:
two capped nuts (I don't know what these are actually called, see picture),

Comments

[Handsome-Ryan]

The heads of acorn nuts will break off if you keep tightening a screw into them. I learned this by accident and had to go buy a new nut for the project I was building but it would be perfect for intentionally removing the dome part as you are doing.

[Junkyard John]

I see one problem with the glue. If you're are soldering for a long time, and using the arm as a heat sink, the clip will get vary hot and melt/burn the glue. Safety hazard?

[leevonk]

zapgel is pretty good under heat, but I don't know how much heat it can take. Good point. I never use the metal hand as a heat sink, I always put insulation on the claws so the hand doesn't get hot.

[_soapy_]

If you had a small ball-joint, that would work too. Or a flexible/bendable wire with a gator clip on the end might be a useful addition.

[ElectricJ]

Hey, this looks like it would be pretty handy! Thanks