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I looked at several craft stores, but found nothing suitable.

I do a lot of work that requires my using my 2 hands whilst needing an object to stay stationary.

I have these items along with plenty of 1/8 inch plywood, screws, bolts, etc.

Drill, router, sabre saw, etc.

I want to BUILD something to hold an item or items at a flexible number of different angles?

I do NOT want to buy something already made.

The 1/8 wooden dowel as shown would be sufficient to hold the weight of say 2 wires I would like to solder for example.

But, I am OPEN to other materials and ideas.

https://imgur.com/1UrBKCz

enter image description here

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Here're INSTRUCTIONS describing HOW TO MAKE something to hold small parts stationary as per your request and by using the materials pictured.

  1. Break the dowel into 3 inch pieces.
  2. Jamb each end of the dowel into an alligator clip. Make a couple. Fixit7 Clip
  3. Use the clip on the bottom of each piece to hold onto a base
    such as a clean empty tuna fish tin with the top removed with some weight put inside for stability.

Fixit7 Clip base

  1. Use the clip on the top of each piece to hold onto your thing.
    The alligator clips can be rotated on the dowel for positioning.
    The dowel position can be altered by positioning the bottom grips.

Fixit7 Clip exploded view

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  • Thanks. Very clever. @Stan – fixit7 Aug 2 '19 at 3:31
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    @fixit7 Tip 'o the hat, sir. That was very kind. – Stan Aug 2 '19 at 3:58
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If I get you right, you are looking for something like this:

enter image description here

You can find this kind of thing if you search on Google "clamps for soldering wires" (as I did). They may have a better name, but do not know it.

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  • Great. You know what I am looking for. Now to build it. The swivels are a good idea. I am open to using metal as well. I have wing nuts and bolts and can :-) @virolino – fixit7 Jul 2 '19 at 7:19
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    They are often known as "Helping Hands". There are many different varieties available and they are normally very cheap to buy. – Lefty Jul 2 '19 at 10:41
  • @Lefty I made an edit to my original post that should clarify things. – fixit7 Jul 3 '19 at 15:35
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The Panavise company make several products that feature a configurable number of adjustable hands. They will have no doubt acquired plenty of rivals making similar products cheaper. I'm also minded that science lab equipment suppliers may offer some usable things- stands and clamps intended for holding flasks and test tubes over burners, titrators and other such equipment

It's one of those things I probably wouldn't bother making myself but I'm struck from you picture that obtaining several lengths of thick copper wire (thick as possible that will still fit in the rounded end of your crocodile clip), twisting them all together at one end and soldering it, drilling a hole in a bit of wood and glueing the twisted end in, then fixing croc clips to the other ends of the wires should leave you with something that looks a bit like a plant with bendable stems and you could use one or more stems to hold your work while you deal with it. Eventually the wires may fatigue and break but replacing then should be easy enough and the clips can be reused

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  • @Calius Jard Those are wooden dowels. I enjoy making things. – fixit7 Jul 9 '19 at 8:52
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    I saw that, and knowing wood's fairly inflexible it gave me the idea that really thick copper wire would be far more useful - i meant obtain some wire as thick as the dowels, or use a few strands of thinner wire twisted together to be as thick, then you can bend the arms of your "plant" to any location necessary to hold th work – Caius Jard Jul 9 '19 at 10:05
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thanks for all the help.

I had some usb cables with a small light on the end. The cables have a bendable wire next to the wires carrying the signal.

I cut off the ends and inserted them into the alligator clips.

https://imgur.com/aYwbo7o

https://imgur.com/a/khgBPhP

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