>>900523
over $100 for a fancy vice?
I'd rather just invest in a DIY reflow setup and have my designs enter this millennium.

>>900523
A pair of helping hands

>>900523

if you're making a display to sell them for a business, yes.

looks like a bunch of 80/20, stock set screws, aluminum stock, and some stainless steel rod

>>900523
Whoa, that's pretty awesome. However, it looks fairly easy to replicate using some off-the-shelf hardware store parts.

>>900523
various thoughts...
I've never used PCBgrip before (or seen it really)
I have posted before about how badly the cheapo $10 helping hands things were, they suck
The only couple other similar devices I've found that were better, cost a LOT more ($80+) and weren't that much better
I have an idea to DIY one tho. will post when I get around to it.

...A couple things I don't like right off about the PCBgrip:
1) it is metal. which is conductive. It would be better to have the rods, beams and clamp jaws as plastic, so that if you wanted to test-run a PCB while clamped in, it would not get shorted out...
2) it is rather big and bulky for what it does

>>900942
There is no reason why you would test run a pcb while it is clamped into the vice. It just wouldn't make any sense. The stand is for soldering.

>>900953
Huh? Nothing you make has never been so small and light that the wires and probes make it slide on your desk?

>>900973
I stick the edge in a panavise

>>900953
>There is no reason why you would test run a pcb while it is clamped into the vice. It just wouldn't make any sense. The stand is for soldering.
how about doing continuity checks on solder points and traces?...
IMO it would be better if the clamps, frame & rods were non-conductive

it's too big and heavy anyway

>>900953
I think they make probe clamps for it tho

>>901021
Yea, you're right, could do that. I could also use it to beat off, but doesn't mean I should.

I'm going to assume by looking at the sleek construction of this mechanism that they took the time to make it short proof. The clamping pieces could be insulated preventing any sort of shorting even with the frame being metal.

>>901021
And if this was made of mostly aluminum it would weight next to nothing.

>>900523
Not worth the investment...spend your time practicing. I soldered for 8yrs as a kid before getting my micro miniature solder certs and we never needed anything like this in my 9yrs of soldering under a microscope. the more you practice the better you get and most of these holders are for people that shouldn't be soldering in the first place.