For everyone who hates those helping hands things

[ahiddentableau]

I saw this referenced in the most recent edition of TapeOp and thought it might interest some folks around here.  It's a different take on the whole "third hand"/"helping hands" deal using silicone.

http://www.thecheese.biz/

Looks pretty cool, particularly if you are doing much in the way of guitar/amp/studio tech work.

[Leevibe]

That's a great idea. I like it. Blue tak and PCB vise or hobby vise keeps me covered. I abandoned helping hands a long time ago. I always felt like they would hold stuff at every possible angle except the one I needed and the jaws aren't kind to insulation.

[somnif]

the jaws aren't kind to insulation.

A bit of aquarium tubing slipped over the jaws helps with that particular problem.

[pickdropper]

You can ditch helping hands and all sorts of things like this once you learn to hold wires with your feet.

[davent]

the jaws aren't kind to insulation.

A bit of aquarium tubing slipped over the jaws helps with that particular problem.

I used heat shrink on mine.

Also a big improvement was gluing a piece of dowel into the base of each jaw so it doesn't get crushed when the thumbnut get tightened to hold jaw/alligator clip. Replaced the wingnuts with brass thumbnuts(?).
dave