The Easiest Way to Solder Wires Together

Soldering wires together is a part of almost any electronics project. While most soldering will occur using a "helping Hand" Or a "Third Hand", I find that most of my wire soldering go much easier and quicker with this tool i made instead of a helping hand. This helper tool is mobile, not constrained as a helping hand (comes in very useful when your soldering off work bench, in the car or everywhere else...).

In the following steps, i'll explain what went into consideration when building this tool.

Here's what you need:

Soldering iron
Solder wire
Solder paste
2 X small alligator clips (3cm long)
2cm length piece of wire, 1~1.5mm diameter. (i got mine from a toy car i stripped. Use your scavenging skills...)
Metal ruler
220 grit sandpaper

Step 1: Preperation:

First, be aware that soldering anything requires a clean surface, and in our case, this means sanding the parts to be soldered.

To get a proper joint that will hold you'll need to sand the clip and the piece of wire. Make sure to clean with alcohol or acetone so no residue is left.

Step 2:

Attache the two alligator clips on the metal ruler making sure you space them apart 2cm. The metal ruler will make sure the clips are aligned and leveled.

Step 3:

Place the piece of wire on the back end of the alligator clip about 2~3mm from the edge. You can hold it in place with another alligator while you are soldering it.

Place solder paste on both sides and solder the wire to the alligator with ample solder so it will cover the wire and bond seamlessly.

This part is a bit tricky if you are a novice in the world of soldering, the key here is to sand, clean properly, apply enough heat and let the solder flow. If it doesn't go right, clean and start over.