DIY Solder Holder

In this instructable you will see how to make very simple yet very effective tool for your working place. This DIY solder holder is adjusted for third hand. It keeps tin solder spool in one place and stops it from rolling all over your table. And the best part it's very cheap!

Tools and Materials

To make this holder wou will need some tools and materials which can be found at home.

Tools and materials:

scissors;
a jigsaw;
drill bits (3mm, 8.5mm);
glue stick and/or sticky tape;
universal wood glue;
super glue;
third hand;
a little fan;
two zip ties;
heatshrink tube;
some wood;
plexiglass;
sanding sponge or sanding paper.

Drawings

FIrst what you will need is to draw all parts. I have made this with SolidWorks. You will see the assembly video in other step. If you are lazy, you can download pdf file with all parts layout and print it.
Before glueing parts layouts on wood, take two parts of it and glue them together, to make it thicker.

Downloads

all - Sheet1.pdf

Preparing

When you print all drawings, cut them out as you can see in photos. Take glue stick and glue the smallest parts on wood. Other two parts needs to be glued on plexiglass.

Cutting and Assembling

Before cuttin out the parts, drill all holes. It will be easier. After cutting the parts sand all edges for better look.
Glue wooden parts together, clamp them and let it dry. Then take bigger plexiglass circle and glue it to wooden part with super glue. After this, take the last plexiglass part with lug and mark the bending line. Heat that place with lighter and bend it 90 degree angle. Wait until it gets cold. Then take this part and glue it to the bottom of the holder. Also use super glue.
After all parts gets stuck, place solder holder instead of magnifying glass.

For better assembly understanding look the video.

Finishing

After you assemble everything in place, put the solder spool in place. And that's it!

If you want to make your third hand better, put heatshrink tubes on crocodile clips. Those helps to isolate from short-circuiting the PCB and improves the grip. One more thing you can do, is to put a little fan for fume extraction. It's quite simple but very effective.

I hope this will help you. Enjoy and good using!

P.S. Don't forget to vote