Reddit reviews PanaVise Model 201 "Junior" Miniature Vise

Those are really cheap. They are mostly used to solder wires since they can't support much weight. I would get him something better like this or this if you wanted to spend a little more. I have all three of these, so I know what is good :)

I like the panavise ones, also.

You really need a set of helping hands or a vise or something. Trying to hold everything in place, control an iron and control the solder is a challenge without it. In a pinch I have used my feet as a quick clamp, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Secondly, properly prepare your wire. You only need to expose about 1/8" or so of bare wire. make sure you have a nice twist on each bare cable, and if necessary, go ahead and apply solder to it so it stays together. I do t usually like to do this personally, because it makes the end too rigid and difficult to maneuver at times, but sometimes it is necessary to keep the wire and connection clean.
Also, with TRS jacks, you want to trim the shield back a little bit so that everything lines up. (If there is a ton of shield, feel free to trim a little off to make the wire a bit more manageable- you don't have to connect the whole rap to have a good connection.) Use a pair of small pliers to open the strain relief on the jack (the part you were trying to thread through) and bend the shield pin down a bit if necessary.

As far a flux, hopefully you have rosin core 65/35 or 60/40 lead solder (I still don't trust the lead-free stuff); if you do then the flux isn't really necessary. The rosin core contains flux, which has a lower melting point than solder, so flux is applied by the iron heating solder on the surface. There are occasions when the solder type or the board you're trying to solder to needs a flux coat to prep the surface, but this isn't one of them.

Thirdly, make sure you have a decent iron that gets hot enough, and is properly tined. You should have a little solder on the tip (that is shiny) so that heat is properly transferred to the surface. Make sure you apply the iron to both the cable and the surface so both get equally hot. Once you flow solder on them, keep the cable still until the joint cools- it should also look shiny when done, (if it looks really dull, you have a cold joint, and need to reheat it.

Clamp the strain relief down on the cable and seal it up (I hope you remembered to put the sleeve and any shrink or cover over the wire before you started soldering..)

I've had to do hundreds of jacks for patchbays and audio cable tielines. You'll get better at it with practice.

Do not grab the wrong end of the soldering iron.

I really love my Hakko FX-888. They've gotten really hard to find, but I prefer the analog version, as I can reach over and put the temp right where I want it without looking at it. (Soldering sounds so much better on vinyl.)

Good magnifiers and third hand (or zillion hands!) tools are a must. Head-worn jeweler's-type magnifiers can be good.

Clear (rather than opaque) components jars/boxes/drawers/bins are great, as it makes it easier to find stuff.

I bought my gf a Fluke multimeter for her birthday. I shouldn't have touched it. Now my meter seems old, slow, inaccurate and annoying.

A Panavise or Bessey is incredibly useful.

> Flooring is one of my current sticking points.

My ideal would be something tacky--I drop things a lot!

Most of your questions are answered in the videos series ( links follow )

Ready ??? Ok here you go

Give this series a watch

https://youtu.be/5iY-NMaamrk and https://youtu.be/x_HbCExOxkc

I suggest buying individual picks Here is what I would buy if I was a beginner on a budget but sparrows sets are good just avoid ones with a lot of rakes

Peterson picks and prybar’s from https://www.thinkpeterson.com/individual-0-025-picks-plated-10-95-carbon-steel/?sort=bestselling&page=2

INDIVIDUAL 0.025 PICKS (PLATED 10-95 CARBON STEEL) $3 each Hooks 3,4,5 (hook 2 and the steep postal hook if can afford) Pry bar in .050 $10 Total $19 to $26

https://www.sparrowslockpicks.com/product_p/ft5k.htm Sparrows five piece flat bar set $9.50

$30 and you got what’s really needed listed above If you want to explore Multipick then their picks are awesome (same variety hooks 2,3,4,5)

If you are interested in a vice then

PanaVise 201 Jr. Vise
PanaVise Model 201 "Junior" Miniature Vise https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000B61D22/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_402qDbRXWR5BC
$28

PanaVise 312 Tray Base Mount https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000B63208?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
$20

And of course the stab! List follows in the next comment

PanaVise products are popular among hobbyists. I use this model to hold small PCBs.

Thanks!

The tabletop vice is the "PanaVise Model 201 'Junior' Miniature Vise" (amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000B61D22)

I use it mostly for soldering, but it is super useful in a lot of random situations. I am 100% pleased with that purchase.

> workpiece holder

> IMO those helping-hands with alligator clips are marginally useful but better'n nothing.

I'd like to tentatively second this. I've been using two helping hands tools to solder, and they kind of work... but I find myself wanting something more robust.

I think my next tool purchase may be a PanaVise. But I'd still like something to hold smaller things (wires, toggle switches, etc.) in place, so I may still keep the helping hands around for that.

Yeah, those helping hands are trash.... I have one of these panavise juniors which works pretty well, but I like the suction base of the one you linked. I'd probably recommend it to anyone now over the panavise. (Whose heads melt if you hit it with a soldering iron, by the way.)

Spend another $10 and get the Panavise JR. I promise you won't regret it.

I like your setup. If you don’t have one already, Panavise makes some nice stuff. Like this:


PanaVise Model 201 "Junior" Miniature Vise https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000B61D22/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_986RDbYZT1M85


Also some version of the helping hands;”:

US $5.58 23％ Off | Helping Third Hand Tool Soldering Stand With 4X Welding Magnifying Glass led Adjustable 2 Alligator Clips 360 Degree Rotating
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/Ea8dD8yg

And depending on what you end up doing, a hot air smd rework might be helpful to have. I initially got one to repair my arduino after blowing out a chip on it and have found it useful for heat shrink tubing and other projects that are repair work. Especially since nothing you buy nowadays comes as a through hole board. It’s all smd.


US $25.07 41％ Off | 700W 858D Hot Air Gun Desoldering Solder Rework SMD Station Set
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/Bblg8Wyo

This thing isn't cheap, but it's come in handy quite a few times working on locos and electronics. You solution wins major creativity points, though!