Safety warning Soldering irons get very hot and can reach temperatures in excess of 400 degrees centigrade, so...
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Christmas and New Year
We are dispatching orders every weekday apart from Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.
If you order is time critical, select next day delivery at checkout.
The shop in Sandown is closed from 25th December, reopening on 30th December.
What is a "helping hand" tool?
Introducing the most useful piece of kit that any modeller could have in their toolbox. It is called a helping hand tool but sometimes masquerades as a third-hand tool. It delivers what its name promises: a helping hand!
A helping hand tool is a little stand that sits just in front of you on your workbench, it has two adjustable arms protruding from it with crocodile style clamps or grips on the end of each arm to hold just about any lightweight material in place while you have both of your hands free to work.
Its most useful application is when soldering, as any modeller will tell you holding two wires, solder and a soldering iron all at the same time takes multitasking to the next level, using a helping hand tool makes easy work of it.
Most helping hand tools come with a magnifying glass attached, conveniently located in front of the working area so detailed or fine work needn't be a headache either.
There are several variations of helping hand tools available, some have up to six arms whilst others have built-in lighting, but for the purpose of modelling the two arm variety with a magnifying glass is plenty and such tools can usually be purchased for a small amount of money.
So no more waiting for your buddies to come and help you with that latest project or frantically scrabbling around with bunches of cables just praying for any wire to stick anywhere without burning yourself on the soldering iron, your helping hand has arrived!
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