Improving a 3'rd Hand

I got tired of my old 3'rd hand scratching up my circut boards, and that it only had 2 crocodile clips.
I then went to the equal of the "dollar store," and bought 2 3'rd hands. This is the end result a really nice 3'rd hand!

Step 1: What You Need

2 3'rd hands
Scissor
3 mm. ID hot shrink tubing
Heatsource eg. lighter / soldering iron

Step 2: Disassembly

Not to create confusion, as we got 2 3'rd hands, we will name them A & B

1 - Screw off the crocodile clip, on the opposit side of the magnifying glass, on A (pic 1)

2 - Screw off the crocodile clip, on the same side as the magnifying glass, on B. (I forgot to take a picture)

3 - Screw off the magnifying glass, on B. (I forgot to take a picture)

Step 3: Re-assembly

1 - Use the crocodile clip, the link and the part that slides on the rail from B (pic 1), to create your 3'rd crocodile clip arm that attaches to A (pic 2)

2 - Slide the 3'rd crocodile clip on A. (pic 3)

3 - Attach the crocodile clip, you took of A earlier, to A (pic 4)

Now you just need to add your hot shrink tubing to the crocodile clip tips.

Step 4: Hot Shrink Tubing

To avoid scratching/damage to curcuit boards, you can add hot shrink tubing to the tips of the crocodile clips.

You will need some 3 mm. ID hot shrink tubing, cut to pieces about 3 cm. long (pic 1)

1 - Put the pieces over the tips if the crocodile clips, and heat them. (pic 2 & 3)

2 - Add an extra layer of tubing, and cut it off. Leave about 0,5 mm. of tubing. (pic 4)

Step 5: Finished!

So you followed the steps, and now you've ended up with a really nice 3'rd hand, instead of the two shitty ones you started out with. Congratulations!

Step 6: Left Over Parts

Well, now that your finished you got some left over parts. Assemble them and you got an extra 3'rd hand. Offcause it only got 1 crocodile clip, so it isn't really that usefull.
It does make a great nerdy picture holder though :-)

Comments

[IdahoErnest]

Use the remaining stand and clip to hold a small fan from an old pc to pull smoke away from you when you are using the new improved one helping hand you describe.

[iectyx3c]

Silas, good i'ble -- but this is a family cartoon, please edit them narsty street grammar out.

[qubert]

they are at a store called princess auto the go on sale for dirt cheep thats when i bought mine www.princessauto.com

[Firebert010]

type much?

[jewelzc4]

some rubberizing dip could work good for the clips also

[austind1993]

Where could you get a third hand???

[Silas]

It say's in the intro.. Don't ask if you don't bother to read! Come on, IN THE INTRO!?!?

[digitaltripper]

This also would be useful to hold say a wire whilst you tin it....Or perhaps the chip your building your bug bot around...

[sysadmn]

Actually, a one-handed second hand IS useful - for disassembly. If you're scrounging parts off a circuit board, the clip holds the board at the correct angle, the magnifying glass shows you what you're heating, you have one hand for the soldering iron, and the other for braid, a pick, or a pair of needle nose pliers, depending on what you're working on.

[crapflinger]

i think the unintentinal picture frame is much more interesting than the 3rd hand...but i do see the use for having 3 clips instead of 2...

[Silas]

I just like the ekstra clip, becasue it can hold components while the 2 others hold the curcuit board. Also i didn't destroy one, it's fine, it just only got 1 hand. Take a look at the pic in step 6.. Yeah the first layer im heat shrink tubing rips on some of the teeth, hence the extra layer..

[naught101]

why destroy one to make the other only slightly better and/or more annoying? surely three hands would be too much? I like the idea with the heat shrink though. do the clips end up cutting through the tubing? I think I might just use gaffer tape

[boocat]

I am going to make one of these!

[andorphin]

Simple yet wonderful!