Soldering tool question

Hi there

I'm looking to buy/make a small tool/stand to assist with soldering - basically something with a crocodile clip type attachment on the end of some bendy-yet-rigid wire.

I want to use it to grip the item(cable) to be soldered still whilst my hands are busy holding the solder and the iron - does a readymade item exist amd, if so, where can I get it?

Apologies for the dumb question but I'm fairly new to the DIY-side and could do with some help.

Cheers in advance...

 

helping hands

maplin number - YK53H

hth

 

Penance, you are a star - that's absolutely perfect.

Cheers....

 

nice an cheap aswell

 

so cheap, in fact, that I find myself ordering a multimeter and spare soldering bits, too....

 

I've got a spare "helping hands" which I'd be glad to pop in the post if you PM me your address.

 

its also handy to have a cheapo socket fixed to a bit of wood,use it to hold the plug wilst soldering,or learn the ancient art of holding the soldering iron and cable in one hand,the plug in the other hand and the solder in your mouth, olny problem is the lead poisoning

 

well what would explain a few things

I've got a solder sucker thingy. It's a bit shit. Is this typical of them? Or just mine not up to standard?

 

they can be awkward to use MO
try de-solder braid aswell

 

What is this braid you talk of? Sounds a bit girly.

I am man! I make fire!

UGH UGH UGH!!!

:MO!:

 

maplin part number - RE94C

ya big gurl

 

Helping hands are great for 2 of the 4 hands you need to solder conventional circuit boards, but there is an easier alternative still, if you are building circuits from scratch....

Do a google search on "dead bug construction" and find the easy way to hardwire circuits, with great electrical performance [because you can keep critical wires apart, and then seal the circuit when you have tested OK].

 

Cheers, everybody, for the advice and to NOS-4-A2 for the kind offer of his/her 'helping hands'.

I got one of the ones from Maplin in the end(and a new multimeter too) and am now waiting for a suitable time to sit down and have my first go at making some interconnects.

I've actually already mounted a 4x female rca board onto a bit of wood with the intention of making a heatsink out of it by - as kindly instructed by Zanash - soldering some cable onto the contact and ground pins. Does anyone know if any particular type of cable is suitable/unsuitable(I was gonna use some multistrand speaker cable twisted into a 'braid')?

Thanks again.....

 

solid copper

 

Lightning speed again there, Penance, with your assistance - thank you.

Will the middle bit of a TV aerial lead be sufficiently thick, do you know?

Thanks again...

 

should be, depends what coax it is
i used 2.5mm2 but i would think 1-1.5 will do

if this is for bullet plugs, you still need to be carfull and not hold the heat on for to long

 

Yep, despite the naysayers this is for fitting bullets - I've been practicing on a couple of spare rca's I have to increase my hand to eye efficiency, etc, so I'm hoping to avoid a meltdown when it comes to the 'actual' plugs.

Fingers crossed, wish me luck and all that......and many thanks for your help with this. I'll let you know how I get on.

Bye for now and many thanks,

Goomer.

 

mo you may find resoldering the joint before desoldering helps, there realy olny any use for circuit board work .i dont bother with desoldering braid,a bit of tinned stranded wire works just as well if i ever need to remove exesive solder