Model Paint/helping Hands

Helping hands out of recycled parts.

I have a XYZ 3D printer which uses proprietary cartridges for the filament. Once they are all used up the cartridges are no good and are just recycled. However, I decided to get a little more mileage out of them by ripping them apart for parts.

Once you open up the cartridge container you'll find a chip and an empty wheel. Remove the wheel and you have a great place to start for a model paint stand or helping hands.

Whenever I get back my dry-cleaning my suits always come on the cheap hangers which are part plastic, part cardboard and part metal. I pulled off the plastic and cardboard which gives me several lengths of solid metal to use as helping-hands arms. I cut variable lengths for use in the tool.

I used alligator clips on one end of each variable length arm. I drilled a few small holes into the wheel for placement and hot clued the arms into place.

I use this mainly for holding 3D printed models while I paint them so they do not touch the ground and I can use a spray gun to get into all of the areas of the model. It works pretty well so far. The arms are rigid enough they do not move, but sometimes I need to bend them a little in this direction or that to allow for multiple models. Next I think I'll try to make one where the arms are retractable so I can store it easier. That and maybe add some LED lights. . .yeah I always like LED lights.