Circuit board vises are great, but you may find yourself repositioning the head too often trying to get an ideal view of your project. With just a little additional hardware, it’s possible to raise a Panavise Jr. to eye level and free up some valuable bench-top real estate.
If you find yourself reaching for more than ‘hands’ for ‘helping’, check out this quick and easy guide to building – The ARMS of ASSISTANCE! –Link
Ingredients
5/8″ Microphone Surface-Mount Flange (Radio Shack #33-332)
13″ Gooseneck Microphone Extension (Radio Shack #33-330)
Panavise Jr. Head – from Model 201 or standalone 203
3 self-tapping screws (#6~#8 size)
~7/64″ drill bit
Philips head screw bit
Power drill
Step 1 – Mark!
Mark the holes for the mounting plate on your prospective surface
Step 2 – Drill!
Drill holes with 7/64″ bit
Step 3 – Screws!
Send in the screws. (and set ’em straighter than this one)
Step 4 – Gooseneck!
Twist the gooseneck on good and tight to ensure a stable connection.
Step 5 – Vise head!
Here’s the hackiest bit – Insert the free gooseneck thread between the loosened vise mount clamp. Straighten the connection by eye and then tighten it up while keeping it aligned. (It may seem an awkward fit, but don’t sweat it – I’ve found the end result to be quite reliable.)
Step 6 – Use!
There you go – one arm fully installed . . . and it even has a stylish ‘modern’ aesthetic (aka – chrome).
Observe your newfound verticle freedom and visibility! It feels good to liberate that table space for parts, documentation, elbows, etc. (I find myself creating far fewer random component piles now.)
Plus – you can now easily raise your PCB to eye level to avoid hideous eye/neck/back strain – healthy!
++Arm > Arm;
Don’t let him go lonely. If you’ve got the budget, add a second arm for concurrent work, testing, and enhanced workspace luxury.
EOM
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