Introduction: DIY Helping Hands Soldering Station
In this tutorial I am going to show how we can make a super flexible helping hands soldering station using basic materials which are low coast and can be found easily in nearby stores. This 4$ helping hands soldering station looks decent and can perform all the tasks that a commercial helping hands soldering station can do.
Supplies
- 10 Gauge plastic coated single string metal wire
- Block of wood (15x30 Cm)
- Alligator Pins
- Some different sizes of steel rods
- Solder Holder (Or) Thick metal wire
- Solder tip cleaner (Or) A small container with steel scrubber
- A (7X10Cm) metal sheet
- Wood Finish Oil
- 5V White LED Light
- Hand drill and other tools
Step 1: Making Flexible Arms:
- Take the hand drill with a long 5mm diameter rod.
- Mark a point on rod for length of the arm.
- Take the metal wire and roll on the rod to make the spring.
- Similarly make few more springs.
- Take the same metal wire and double it using drill.
- This double wire is going to act as core for helping hands.
Step 2: Drilling Holes on the Wood:
- Take the wooden block and mark the positions where you want to place your helping hands, solder holder, lead wire holder and solder tip cleaner.
- Drill the appropriate holes at the marks you made.
- For placing the helping hand drill a hole of spring diameter.
- Inside the same hole drill a hole of core diameter.
Step 3: Installing Helping Hands:
- Put the cores and springs in the respective holes using glue.
- Take the heat shrink tubes and the alligator pins.
- Fix the alligator pin using super glue.
- After the glue dries position the heat shrink tube and shrink it.
- Put the heat shrink tubes on the teeth's of the alligator pins.
- Glue a 5V LED light on a flexible hand.
Note: You can even put a magnifier and a small DC fan on the flexible hand.
Step 4: Final:
- Fix the container with screws on to the wood.
- Place the scrubber and put the lid.
- To this lid make a opening.
- Fix the solder iron holder and a small rod for lead wire holder.
- Apply the wood finishing oil.
You can use a commercial solder holder and commercial solder tip cleaner instead.

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13 Comments
2 years ago
Is the outer coil necessary or does it just class things up?
Reply 2 years ago
Hi, Sorry for late reply.
Yes it is necessary.
2 years ago
You might consider adding a small fan to blow/suck away the soldering fumes!
Reply 2 years ago
Yes that's a good idea.
2 years ago
Brilliant idea... Wow...superb helping hands... And also too easy to make it..superb
2 years ago
Thanks for sharing Mukesh. Very useful and cost effective. Waiting for your next posting..
2 years ago
I have one of those with the "universal joint" but for some reason, it's just not universal enough and I can never quite get them to bend to the angle I need. This design is WAY easier to use AND comes with a light I can move! Bravo! Thank you for posting this.
2 years ago
thankyou
2 years ago
Lovely!
Gonna make me one one day!
2 years ago on Introduction
If I may for our American friends:
• 10 Gauge plastic coated solid core wire
• Plywood or scrap (6x12 inches)
• Good Quality Alligator Clips (Amazon, etc)
• Different lengths welding rods
• Solder Holder (from soldering kit) or 6 gauge bare copper wire
• Brass scouring pads
• Metal tin, see picture (Hobby Lobby, etc)
• Heat shrink tubing; NOT the Marine type (Harbor Freight)
• Flat metal flashing; size not critical, see pictures
• Wood Finish Oil
• A 5V White LED Light (see pictures)
• Hand drill and other tools
Reply 2 years ago
Thank you for doing this addition. I did not need it, but some will. You can buy 6-10 guage used for grounding, or "bonding" panels and meters and boxes, (oh my). The wire does not need to be plastic coated and in a HD or Lowes, or supply house it will be THHN or THN or even AF/MTW (those are all coating insulators) or, it can be bare. Some electrical codes want the wire bare, or green or just bare or green.
Big box stores will gladly sell you a few feet, a supply house wants you to at least take a roll. For me I never needed it insulated. But it does look way nicer. And if you are going to use the shrink tubing, that comes in colors.
This is a lot cheaper then buying a jig, and if you have certain needs you can add or take away , shorten or lengthen any part as needed. You can add a lens as well!
Bravisimo Maestro
2 years ago
Super use of on hand materials. I think I would add a battery holder for the LED light power supply so the station is self-contained.
2 years ago on Introduction
Super helping hand. Really money saving and an essential work table accessory. Thank you...