I needed a clamping support for my printed circuit boards when soldering; the so called helping hand or third hand. You can find cheap ones on Ebay or Aliexpress but look at them, is it really what you need? is the base so heavy and the clamps so strong to hold a pcb only on one edge without bending? i do not think so and i did not want to waste my money, so this is how i solved the problem. The idea to use magnetic darts is not new and is not mine, i saw it on Instructables; i rearranged the assembly with screw and crimp terminal instead of flexible wire

The magnets are strong enough to avoid tilt and slip while working; i played a little throwing them from 6 meters distance to a metal door and they never fell on the floor even when reaching the target at 45° angle







Parts list:

Magnetic Darts 6pcs $1.49

Alligator clips 45mm (big size) 20pcs $ 2.68

Crimp terminals

Screw and nut (not sure if M5 or imperial, get the darts first)

Old Cd-Rom drive for metal base

I listed the prices at the time of purchase, make sure to find the best price for you

There are 3 sizes of alligator clips: 28, 35 and 45 mm, i used the big ones; you may want to use medium size

I have two magnets left and they will be used to support a magnifying glass with light.