Doctor Octopus Rides Again

Hi guys and gals,

No grand announcements or anything this time. Just wanted to say hi and see how everyone’s doing. Also, just wanted to mention that I post nonsense to Instagram and Facebook every so often, so check those out if you have any insomnia. As a follow up to my last Instagram post, Mister Stinky is currently resting in peace at a garbage dump right now.

Anyways, as I’ve got some space to fill, here’s a hack on how to build yourself a “helping hands” soldering tool for cheap. If you’ve got no idea what that is, search “solder helping hands” on Amazon. It’s basically just a tool to hold your wires or circuit boards for you so that you can solder without the need for a third or fourth arm.

First, get yourself a pack of these cheap flexible coolant hoses:

Then, order a pack of alligator clips:

You don’t need a giant pack like this, and I also have no idea why WordPress keeps rotating images 90 degrees randomly.

Use a pair of pliers, and squeeze the not-business end of the alligator clip so that it’ll fit in the nozzle of the hose.

Now, realize that four of these things are even more useful for holding circuit boards steady, and go make two more.

Now, you’ll still need to have some kind of relatively heavy object to attach the other end of the coolant hose into. There’s a threaded connector, so you can tap a hole in some old metal blocks. A small wooden block also works wonders. Just make sure it’s heavy enough to not topple.

I’d go cut one right now, but it’s freezing outside. So… um… stay tuned for the end result.

As a side note, if you plan on using these cheap coolant hoses as actual coolant hoses, I would strongly advise against it. If you’re lucky, you’ll only have a leak to worry about.

In any case, I hope everyone’s keeping safe. I know it hasn’t been the greatest year for anyone. But, for what it’s worth, stick with it and we’ll get through this somehow.

Happy Holidays, folks!

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