DIY Third Hand for Soldering

Easy inexpensive third hand for soldering with tip cleaning steel wool and solder stand.

Step 1: Parts Required

1. Crocodile clip of enough size

2. Lathe Coolant hose with nut for securing

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/6Pcs-lot-Excellent-...

3. Small Brass Plate or similar plate and wood screws for securing it

4. Steel wool type dish washing brush

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Steel-Wire-Ball-Cle...

4.1 Small box to keep the steel wool

5. Solder Stand

http://hacktronics.co.in/home/126-soldering-stand....

6. Square 3/4" thick Plywood 12"x12" dimension

7. 3/4" Beading (enough length to cover the plywood edges)

8. Rubber sheet 12"x12"

9. All basic hand and power tools.

Step 2: Designing

Here I have made solder stand and a tip cleaner which is steel wool.

Arrange the components where it suits the best location.

Step 3: Preparing the Coolant Hose

Drill a 1 mm dia hole at the tip of the hose.

Take off the sleeve from the clip and match with the hole.

Use a 1" 1 mm dia screw and nut as shown in fig. to secure the clip with the hose tip.

Step 4: Base Preparation

Drill 4 mm hole circumstantially to make a large hole to accommodate the Hose base as shown in the fig.

After making the hole, file off the burs and fit the hose base and secure with the brass nut.

Step 5: Securing to the Plywood

After attaching with the brass plate, mark the hose base with nut dimension in the plywood.

Use Die grinder and Chisel and cut out to the required depth and make it a square cut.

Drill 6 or enough holes to secure brass plate to plywood.

Step 6: Finishing

After marking the holes on brass plate do not immediately secure it.

Cut the rubber sheet to the same dimension of plywood, also carefully cut the hole for hose base.

Preferably glue with Fevicol SR998 or SH or similar

Here I nailed it to the plywood.

Mount the solder stand with two provided holes.

Step 7: Beading

Use headless nails and carefully attach the beading to the sides of the plywood.

Make sure edges and round cornered.

Finally attach the steel wool with plastic box to the plywood and firmly screw it.

Hope you like it.

-Kumaran

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