Compact Helping Hands | Gridfinity Soldering Kit, Magnetic Base

What it is

I designed these helping hands to be compact and relatively cheap to make. I wanted them to fit in a soldering kit I'm making from this model: Storing solution for TS101, TS100 soldering iron & addtional tools. The goal was to make the helping hands fit in a three-high Gridfinity bin when they're taken apart.

The magnets let the arms be used on the standard metal plates that come with helping hands.

A set is 4 arms plus the base plate. Printed on a Creality K2 Plus with a 0.4 mm nozzle; the full set takes about 3–4 hours.

Hardware (per arm)

• 1 × M3x30 screw

• 1 × spring from a retractable ball-point pen

• 1 × 6x2 mm neodymium magnet (optional)

• 1 × M3x6 brass insert (optional)

Printed parts (5 per arm)

• Arm Base. Pick the version that matches your hardware: Arm_Base (no magnet or insert), Arm_Base_Magnet, Arm_Base_Brass_Insert, or Arm_Base_Magnet_Brass_Insert.

• Upper Jaw. Jaws_Top, Jaws_Top_V2, or Jaws_Top_V2 (no support). The V2 jaws have a more recessed hole for the screw head.

• Bottom Jaw. Jaws_Bottom, or Jaws_Bottom (no support).

• Bar × 2. There's also Bar_Easier_Assembly if the standard bar gives you trouble.

Also included: Base_Plate_4x5, ready-to-print no-support project files for Creality and Bambu slicers, and STEP files for the arm and the base plate.

Print settings

All arm parts:

• 0.16 mm layer height

• 4 walls/perimeters

• Infill: any infill works

• Material: I printed everything in PLA, but a tougher material is better if you have it

Arm Base: no supports.

Upper & Bottom Jaw: use supports (or print the no-support versions). Take note of orientation.

Bar: take note of orientation.

Base Plate:

• 0.2 mm layer height

• 3 walls/perimeters

• 10% infill

• Material: PLA

Assembly

Some sort of hammer helps for pressing the bars into the arm base and the upper jaw.

1. Put some super glue in the bottom of the arm base and place the magnet in the hole.

2. Place the brass insert in the top of the arm base and use a soldering iron to melt it flush with the top surface.

3. Take note of orientation: insert both bars into the slots on the arm base. You may have to tap them in gently with a hammer. (If this is tough, try Bar_Easier_Assembly.)

4. Slide the bottom jaw onto the bars you just inserted.

5. Place the upper jaw on the bars and gently tap it in with a hammer.

6. Insert the M3x30 screw halfway through both jaws.

7. Carefully place the spring between the bottom jaw and the arm base, then finish inserting the screw.

Notes

If you'd like to see any additions or other variations, let me know in the comments. If you print these, please post a make. I'd love to see them!

Feel free to leave any questions or suggestions in the comments. Thank you.