Third hand recommendations

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Does anyone have a recommendation for a third hand tool? I have one of the type where the arms are formed from cones of plastic, like this:

A third-hand tool where the arms are cones of plastic
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Perhaps it’s a manufacturing rather than design problem, but it seems that every time I get it out to use it, another cone has cracked, allowing the section above to move freely. Tightly applying duct tape helps, but there is only so much duct tape in the world!

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Those goose necks are for spraying lubricant on cutting tools :wink:

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Heh, well, they work OK for holding stuff in place but their durability leaves something to be desired.

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I’m not surprised they don’t last long. They’re not meant to hold any weight, and they’re a disposable. They’re for stuff like this, and you’d usually expect to change it regularly (depending on quality of the shop).

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I have this set and they are quite expensive but durable.

I just found this on AliExpress:
NEWACALOX Soldering Third Hand Tool PCB Holder with Magnetic 4Pcs Flexible Arms Crafts Jewelry Welding Workshop Helping Station

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Screenshot_20250815_231325_AliExpress
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This is the one I see the pros use. Cheaper on taobao, but the shipping is expensive.

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Thank you very much.

Fortunately the plastic gooseneck one came with a steel plate, and the seller has another listing with just the arms for cheaper.

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I was curious as to what the points of failure were with those. I have experimented with different materials for the armature while using the same clips. I found that braided and insulated speaker wire is decent but the best is ductile wire used by florists and gardeners.

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There are a few high-end ones.

  • Omnifixo
  • PCBite from Sensepeek the board holders work well with the probes.
  • I have an old Model 300 PanaVise with an optional 2.88" grooved jaws PCB holder. The swivel ball is handy - you can flip the board back and forth during assembly with PTH parts and you can position the board at any angle. (My browser refuses to connect to the PanaVise web site). DigiKey and Mouser sells them, but it’s hard to get the right combo. Perhaps the Model 209 is the closest. I recommend the 239 Speed Control Wheel as the jaws close slowly.
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I got an Omnifixo a couple Christmas ago. I love it, and it’s “good enough” for almost anything. It has a number of useful “hidden features” too. The only downside (which is slight) is I sometimes wish the arms would not rotate quite so freely. For me, that only matters when using a two arms … when I’m using one, it’s usually holding something quite light (such as a wire), and when using 3+ I’ve never noticed. Only when I’m trying something silly with two…

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