Circuit board vise?

I use helping hands instead of a vice. Is a vice generally preferred for holding the pcb in place? Hands seem to work nicely.
 
This is kinda expensive, but it has a REALLY useful feature you'll want...

 
This is kinda expensive, but it has a REALLY useful feature you'll want...

I like the first red one with the pad to hold the socket so you can flip over to solder on the other side. For the life of me, I cannot understand him. Did he say "Valer" or "Weller"?

The idea is like mine....which is really cheap, but it's the best so far:https://www.amazon.com/Aven-17010-A...8937&sr=8-2&keywords=pcb+holder+for+soldering
https://www.amazon.com/Aven-17010-A...8937&sr=8-2&keywords=pcb+holder+for+soldering
Mine is just too cheap, the red one looks to be a better version of mine plus the pad ( which I agree is very important for soldering sockets.
 
Hi

I just want to share my experience. I see suggestions on all sort of vises, I literally have experience with each and every single one in my career, none is better than my cheap one:https://www.amazon.com/Aven-17010-A...8937&sr=8-2&keywords=pcb+holder+for+soldering. When I first got this, I though it's too cheap and tossed it aside and kept using the panavise, but slowly, I start using it for bigger pcb and the more I use, the more I like it.
https://www.amazon.com/Aven-17010-A...8937&sr=8-2&keywords=pcb+holder+for+soldering
BUT, It is just too cheap, I am looking at the red one in the video posted by Dlucy. It's the same idea, just much better constructed and the pad that can hold the socket so you can flip over to solder on the other side without worry the socket falling off. It is so much more convenient to have the board clamped on both side, easily flip over. None of the vise type comes even close.

This one sounds good on paper but it really doesn't work that well in real life as it's hard to adjust. It's expensive too when you get the hold thing.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000B5Y99...41Q00H05M174WW7D1&ie=UTF8&qid=1502309432&sr=3 Company I worked for before has two, they're sitting in the cabinet. All said and done, people still rather using those panavise type.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000B5Y99...41Q00H05M174WW7D1&ie=UTF8&qid=1502309432&sr=3
I am trying to find the red one in Dlucy's video, that I thing is going to be a lot better than my cheat holder.
 
That looks pretty nice and seems like a good deal. I like the one I have and haven't felt the need for any kind of replacement or upgrade. If I were looking for one today I'd have to give that one strong consideration :thumbsup:
 
Ha ha, usually I am born cheap, the cheap one I have really works, it's just this one should be so much better. the idea is exactly like my cheap one, just all the knobs on mine are small and cheap, it's hard to tighten them and they tend to slip.
 
Ha ha, usually I am born cheap, the cheap one I have really works, it's just this one should be so much better. the idea is exactly like my cheap one, just all the knobs on mine are small and cheap, it's hard to tighten them and they tend to slip.

Alan,we're not cheap,we're ''Thrifty'' :thumbsup:
 
Hope the panavise does the job for you- it looks pretty good to me.

I use these, the vise it a heavy die cast with a suction lock on the bottom, removable soft jaws and a decent jaw spacing. It's good for holding boards when re-working at weird angles in difficult positions, more often than not still attached via multiple wires. Plenty of lightweight alloy copies float around, so be careful- pick the heaviest ones, with brass inserts on the jaw guides.

IMG_1606.JPG

IMG_1607.JPG

IMG_1608.JPG

The Japanese Goot PCB holder is awesome for populating small-medium sized PCBs and can firmly hold the edge and rotate on any angle you set. Very heavy cast-iron base that doesn't tip over. It's probably long since discontinued however. Model number is ST-10.

IMG_1610.JPG

IMG_1609.JPG
 
I finally received the Weller pcb holder after all the confusion of the first incomplete shipment. I don't have a board to stuff, so I cannot comment on real use. But I did play with it. It's a MILE better than the cheap one I have. On top of the component holding pad for flipping the board over to solder, the turn has a lock. You can turn the pcb around and lock in position very easy. This is the biggest problem with the cheap one, the cheap one lock the rotation and the spring that holds the board with the same screw, so if you lock it, you cannot compress the spring to change to a second board without freeing the rotation.

The width adjustment knobs are much bigger and easy to turn and lock also.

I love it, it worth every penny I paid. Anyone in the market should take a look at this. I got it from Newark, it's the cheapest and I got free shipping for over $50.http://www.newark.com/weller/esf-120-esd/circuit-board-holding-vise/dp/66F7803?ost=66F7803&searchView=table&iscrfnonsku=false&ddkey=http:en-US/Element14_US/search

Only complain.....if it is a complain is it's big. But, I still have the smaller cheap one, and for real small pcb, I have the panavise I can still use.
 
Last edited:
I have a chance to use it, the only thing is it's a little clumsy to adjust the width to hold the board. But once you clamp the board, it's a dream. It lock in position very tight, you can press on the board when you solder and it won't rotate the board because the rotator is locked, my other one starts to rotate if you press on the board. If you have multiple boards of the same type, replacing the board is easy also once you adjust the width to hold the first board.

It can hold a big board also, My board is 3"X12", but I can see it can hold a board up to the limit of the width which is about 9 to 10". Of cause if you have small boards, you can use a panavise type of the cheap $12 dollars, I would say if you have one of those panavise and one of this, you are covered.

I am happy camper, money well spent.
 
I finally received the Weller pcb holder after all the confusion of the first incomplete shipment. I don't have a board to stuff, so I cannot comment on real use. But I did play with it. It's a MILE better than the cheap one I have. On top of the component holding pad for flipping the board over to solder, the turn has a lock. You can turn the pcb around and lock in position very easy. This is the biggest problem with the cheap one, the cheap one lock the rotation and the spring that holds the board with the same screw, so if you lock it, you cannot compress the spring to change to a second board without freeing the rotation.

The width adjustment knobs are much bigger and easy to turn and lock also.

I love it, it worth every penny I paid. Anyone in the market should take a look at this. I got it from Newark, it's the cheapest and I got free shipping for over $50.http://www.newark.com/weller/esf-120-esd/circuit-board-holding-vise/dp/66F7803?ost=66F7803&searchView=table&iscrfnonsku=false&ddkey=http:en-US/Element14_US/search

Only complain.....if it is a complain is it's big. But, I still have the smaller cheap one, and for real small pcb, I have the panavise I can still use.

I have an older version of this Weller pcb holder and have been using it for several years now. Stable and very nice to use, I like it a lot. The one that I have has thumb screws on the leg clamps instead of Allen screws as pictured in the ad, that makes it easy to adjust the width. It's a nice tool and imo worth the cost.

Cheers,
James
 
The picture in Newark is wrong, mine have a big finger screw as shown.

Weller holder.jpg

My only complain is the two round rail rods are very tight, even though I loosen the thumb screws, it is still hard to slide. Maybe I need to oil it a little.

I have not have a chance to use the component holder, but I am sure it's very useful, it is such a problem to solder like socket and connectors while you have to have it up side down to solder while trying to keep it in place.

Even though the base looks large and can take up a lot of bench, but in reality it takes up less space than some of the panavice type holder. For example this one.https://www.amazon.com/PanaVise-315...9296917&sr=1-11&keywords=circuit+board+holder
https://www.amazon.com/PanaVise-315...9296917&sr=1-11&keywords=circuit+board+holder
It might looks to be very convenient and doesn't take up lots of space. But in reality, it takes up more space. First you have to have a big base to keep the thing stable, then when you flip it so the pcb is horizontal, it actually take up a lot of room on the whole.

My hold rotate at the center of the holder, the max space is just the size of the big pcb when rotate horizontal.

Another big advantage, the two clamps on the holder are made of insulated material, it will not short out the components if the components are too close to the clamp. The one from Amazon will short out stuffs if the components are close to the edge of the pcb. We had two of those in the lab, it's not very popular.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom