Introduction: DIY Helping Hand With LED Lights and Iron Holder

A normal 3.5x helping hand costs around 1000 Rs (6-7 dollars) here in Pakistan and student like me can`t afford easily so i was having scrap metals plates,nuts and screws,some clips,usb cable,leds etc so i made my one.

I was also able to add the magnifying glass in it but i don't need that

Maybe some of you find it cheap or don't like it but people like me which can`t buy everything new can get help from it and also its about the DIY and reusing of your old scraps things;-)

This instructable is only to give you the idea about how to make your own helping hand with led lights from scrap materials

Supplies

  • slotted metal strips, metal sheet and two edged hole metal strips
  • some nuts and screws (hand tight nuts prefered)
  • metal sheet for base
  • crocodile clips
  • battery clips
  • 7/44 gauge wire (wire used in house wiring)
  • 50 mm paper clip (optional)
  • card holder clip (optional)
  • iron holder and iron wool (optional)
  • 1 watt LED x3
  • USB cable

Step 1: Frame Making

First of all see all the pics to get the idea.

  1. First of all make metal base balanced and make holes on both ends to connect the vertical metal strip on one end and iron holder on other end
  2. connect slotted metal strip horizontally on vertical strip
  3. connect two holes strip at both ends of slotted strip and bend them as they faced towards you
  4. use single conductor for small crocodile clips and sold them
  5. twist the conductors to connect battery clips (i have used 4 conductors of 7/44 wire)
  6. sold the twisted conductors to the battery clips and connect other ends via hand tight nuts
  7. use single conductor for small crocodile clips and sold them
  8. connect cardholder clip with a conductor and connect it to end of horizontal strip
  9. connect paper clip directly to vertical strip with elbow metal
  10. now connect iron holder with base
  11. put some hot glue on base and paste the iron wool

Step4: i have used small crocodile clips for small size pcbs

Step5: i have used 4 twisted conductors with battery clips because it can hold heavy or big PCB`s also

Step6: the wires will give flexibility to move clips around but if you need more movement you can loose the hand screws

Steps8: i have used card holder clip to hold the wires for soldering.it can hold wire steady at one place whether it becomes too hot. you will be able to sold them easily

Steps 9,10,11: these are optional steps

Step 2: LED Light Making

  1. Connect 3 LED`s (1 watt) in parallel (note that i was having a pcb so i used it)
  2. strip usb cable and cut green and white wires(see pic).they are data wires and we don't need them
  3. if your usb cable has two wires then its good
  4. incase if your usb cable wires are in different colour then first check the +5v and negative wire with multimeter
  5. connect led`s +ve with red wire and -ve with black wire
  6. you can see i didn't used any resistor. the will run smoothly without getting hot.i have used them constantly for 4-5 hours but no heating or damage so its safe.
  7. connect pcb with little metal strip with hot glue or super glue
  8. you can also connect led`s directly to metal strip but be careful their point should not touch the metal strip

Step 3: Final

Finally you have made your own electronics helping hand with bright light and iron stand

You can also add magnifying glass in it

Thnaks for your time