If You Had Use Of One Good Hand...

[MEXICOWANDERER]

And had a burning desire to continue to work on stuff, meaning small things, electronics, other than a conventional "Helping Hand" set of alligator clips. hemostats, and a hobby vise, what would you suggest?

Go to your bench or close your eyes and imagine. Stick your second hand in a pocket, perform a task, say clipping an integrated circuit to a heat sink. How would you do it?

I am looking for fresh ideas, so I can say CAN DO! Not whimper and whine and scuttle away defeated...

I have vise grips and the normal stuff. But "something" may be lurking out there that would be a "Lifestyle Improvement" to keep me happy and busy.

I can only cross my fingers and hope. Fumbling is frustrating...

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Duck bill clips in cart. Thank you!

Here's another small step for independence. The 3rd clip is magic. Set two of these on a steel plate with neodymium magnets glued in the bottom and all kinds of possibilities open up...

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__10615__Hands_free_small_item_holder.html

[JiminDenver]

Don't laugh.

duck bill clips

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Just bookmarked the flexible drill extension for purchase Jim, thank you!

One item I really need is a featherweight solder-won't-stick-to-it clamping or pressure device. Clips items to a circuit board with spring action. Should have deep reach. The problem is weight. A bit too heavy and the Third hand tool falls over or moves. I have reverse tweezers, squeeze to open, but they are too big, too long and do not have enough tension. Is there a website that sells electronic assembly aids? Weird shape strong alligator clips, hopefully plated or stainless steel? If I have to I will make a Tinker Toy compartment box assortment of small gizmos to aid bench work. I have a great hobby vise, but it does part of the work well.

[JiminDenver]

Mex

I was digging around in the tools, saw this and thought of you. It's along the same lines as the goose neck lamp. It will hold any shape you put it in.

click

[westend]

I try to steer clear of magnetic holders, they usually screw me up at the most inopportune times.

I build some stuff out of extruded t-slot There are a variety of fastening alternatives for the slots.

Panavise Panavise makes some of the best vising devices but are kind of spendy.

[BrianinMichigan]

Magnetic tool bar Click

Another one click

[DutchmenSport]

I recently had knee surgery that has caused nothing but pain ever since. It has slowed me way down. I am in the (life long) process of remodeling my house. I am working on the family room now. I do everything with wood (and build and make my own stuff). I spend a LOT of time standing in my wood shop building stuff. With the pain in the leg, I have had to find alternative ways to do almost everything. Crawling, stooping, squatting, bending, lifting, carrying are excruciating difficult now. But I am determined NOTHING is going to stop me. I now work a little slower. I work a little more careful. I have to ask my wife to assist me a little more. I have to have my adult son carry lumber for me sometimes. But I still do it!

I told my wife recently, if I were paralyzed from my neck down ... I'd still find a way to run my radial arm saw! She laughed and said, "yes you would!"

Point being made ... when we experience physical limitations after a lifetime of health, if we are still determined ... we will find a way! It might be a little slower getting it done, but there is a way to do it!

If I were limited with only 1 hand, I'd make use of every device I have to hold, clamp, claw, grab, and secure and just go a little slower at it!

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Part of the load I went north for in October included a high-end 5 diopter, five inch lens LED lighted (whew pant-pant) swing arm magnifier. It is worth it's weight in platinum. This is BMW Lexus grade stuff, a gift to me I could never have afforded on my own. Even with 5 diopter, I fit reading glasses to see component markings on voltage regulators, and opto couplers.

But puzzling over this while asleep (the best way I know how) I awoke with an idea. A thin bar magnet plate. Maybe three inches wide, a foot long, and a quarter inch thick. Slap two or three helping hands on it and shuffle them around as needed. Now, to find such a magnet that's another project.

No way am I going to become a couch potato. I have one eye remaining to get the cataract fixed and that will help with the depth perception problem. The medical is why I am here 2-days from the border instead of 5. After the toad is fixed I move right to the border and let the quacks have at me. Things are really getting sorted out. A roof rack, a rehabbed toad, goodies galore, some surgeries, new clothes and home I go. Solar panels even! Wowee with the roof rack I can get a mini 0-50 volt 5 amp adjustable power supply and a ton of one amp 12 volt wall warts. Dimmers. Jed Clampett heads for Michoacan.

[myredracer]

I bought this one on ebay a couple of years ago but I'm positive I only paid in the $20 - $30 range. High quality too - first one didn't work so vendor sent a replacement no questions asked.

There's tons and tons of various types of desktop illuminated magnifiers on ebay like this one, starting at $0.99. I can't remember the right search words to narrow it down.

There are some tools scale modelers use such as these ones. Try going to some of the scale modelling websites that have recommendations for tools and assistive devices.



I have this thing which is handy. I think it's called third hand tweezers.

[George_H]

Been there, done that. I've been 50 years with thumb and forefinger of my right hand (yes, I'm still right handed). I've never been into the small stuff that you are working with. Got by with whatever I tried until arthritis got too bad the last few years. Found that I needed to work out my own solutions to handling issues as there was no one that had the same issues available.

[vermilye]

A n inexpensive alternative to commercial "helping hands" is to crimp alligator clips to soft iron wire which is stuck in a drilled hole in a wooden base. Very flexible, cheap, and easy to customize to fit the situation. I used these all the time, even with two working hands...

[wa8yxm]

Well a good bench will have a Pan-a-vise and a set of "Helping Hands" clips and some hemostats lying about as well (or hanging on the peg board).

I'd suggest all of the above.

Some days you really need an assistant.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Whew baby have you checked the price of those gooseneck lamps lately? The idiots on eBay want fifty dollars plus shipping - absurd. Some are a hundred dollars and they are butt-ugly. The trick is to find a lamp that has a long-enough gooseneck.

But a great suggestion Jim. Thank you. Maybe if I glued a strong neodymium magnet to the end then used ferrous attachments...

[JiminDenver]

Remember the clamp on desk lamps with the flexible neck? Take the lamp off and mount the clamp to that. It will stay where you put it. A modern version is a LED BBQ light, it clamps on or has magnetic feet.