Hobby Creek Third Hand Workstation
When it comes to DIY projects....
such as fixing electronics or crafting jewelry, struggling with your tools instead of focusing on the actual work can turn an exciting DIY project into a living 
nightmare. Standard helping hands used for soldering often lack flexibility, built quality and durability; the arms are hard to adjust and can get loose easily, and the alligator clips can damage your electronics. But there’s no need to go through all of this hassle anymore; at least not with the Third Hand by Hobby Creek. What at first glance looks like an alien torture device it’s actually a very innovative and useful tool; equipped with four flexible arms, a hefty aluminum base and a solid design, the Third Hand by Hobby Creek was created to end frustration and make any soldering work much easier.
Features
The Hobby Creek Third Hand Workstation kit comes fully assembled so you can get to work immediately on your DIY projects without having to worry about your tools. It offers a set of innovative features no other standard helping hand possesses:
- High-quality, milled aluminum base with rubber anti-slip bottom and two pockets for small parts.
- Alligator clips with heat-resistant silicone covers, which ensure that your wires or electronics won’t get damaged by the clips, as often happens with traditional third hands.
- Built-In Swivel Mechanism which allows the alligator clips to rotate a full 360 degrees without losing grip strength.
- Four 12’’ adjustable arms, each one made of twenty-four rotating segments for unlimited working angles and maximized accuracy.
- Removable feet for a standalone operation.
- Easily customizable; you can add extra arms up to 12 arms total, and the aluminum base has integrated mounting holes that allow it to be attached to any PanaVise bases or mounts.
Upon unpackaging, you also get a bag of assorted candy included, courtesy of Hobby Creek.
Design
The third-hand workstation design definitely outperforms most (if not all) of the competition, and for a reasonable price. The flexible arms provide a wider working angle than other helping hands in the market, and the high heat-resistant silicon covers protect your electronics from the heat and the grip of the alligator clips. The aluminum base is heavier as well, so you get more accuracy and stability even when working without a PanaVise. The high-quality of the materials is self-evident; every component looks and feels durable and solidly built.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- You can attach the Third Hand to most PanaVise work stations; compatible models include the PanaVise Multi-Purpose Workstation 350, PanaVise Jr. 250, PanaVise and Tray Base Mount 312.
- Innovative design that provides much more flexibility and precision than other helping hands in the market.
- Much higher built-quality and durability than standard models in the same price range.
Cons
- The arms can be too stiff and don’t flex in fine increments, which makes aligning precision components harder in some instances, however that can be easily remedied with the lubricant provided by Hobby Creek
- Alligator clips have a limited opening width, which may be problematic for some applications.
Final Thoughts
The Hobby Creek Third Hand is definitely an inventive tool designed to make soldering, craft work, or jewelry work an easier task and at a reasonable price. With a set of unprecedented features such as four flexible arms, an aluminum base, and additional ports that allow several customizations, you can be certain that you won’t have functional problems with your tools anymore- and your DIY projects will be completed in much less time.