It takes about 4 hands to properly solder: two hands to hold each of the wires, one for feeding the solder and the final for holding the iron. The solder helper allows a mere two-handed mortal to solder effortlessly.

The tool itself is simple. Two spring loaded clamps hold the wires near each other and a knob when spun dispenses solder right at the joint. Unlike flexible arms soldering stations, which need to be sat on flat surfaces, the solder helper is handheld and can be used on the go.

The solder dispensing mechanism relies on a drive gear that is commonly used in 3D printer extruders. An adjustable smooth idler pushes the solder against the drive gear. The tension of the smooth idler can be increased or decreased through tightening or loosening an M5 bolt, respectively. This ability to change the tension of the idler allows for solder as small as 0.5mm to as large as 3mm to be dispensed. Solder is stored in the handle or pulled right off a spool depending on how mobile you need to be.

Soldering large diameter wires requires a lot of heat, which can cause the clamps to soften if the insulation gets too hot. For this reason, the following heat resistant filaments are recommended:

Pro Series ABS: https://www.matterhackers.com/store/c/pro-series-filament/pro-series-abs?aff=7480 or Pro Series PETG: https://www.matterhackers.com/store/c/pro-series-filament/pro-series-petg?aff=7480

A small amount of support is required for printing since there is an overhang present on the clamps.

Supplies are linked below:

625-2RS Bearings (x3): https://amzn.to/3F1FTdD 0.8x6x15mm Springs – or similar (x2): https://amzn.to/2ZCLnLu Drive Gear (x1): https://amzn.to/2Y7NDKz Low Profile M5 x 30mm Bolt (x1) Low Profile M5 x 15mm Bolt (x1) M5 Nuts (x2) M3 x 20mm Socket Head Cap (x1) M3 Nut

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Please note that affiliate links are present to support the creation of these models.