I pretty jazzed about this "Helping Hands" add-on to my PanaVise. I have had the PanaVise for probably 30 years, and found it indispensable, but it was a little tricky using it with a small helping hands device that sat way down on the table top. I had my sights set on a different add-on for my P-Vise that had screw-in positioning arms, but it was out of stock when I was ready to buy. I'm glad that it was, because it gave me time to look around and find this version with magnetically mounted arms that permit me much greater flexibility in positioning the "hands." The wide plate does block the downward positioning of the P-Vise head as shown, but it is something that I can live with in exchange for the greater flexibility in placing the arms. This company offers another version of this with a smaller base that has "ears" for mounting the arms, if the width of the base is a problem.
The base comes with bolts and nuts that are intended to mount the P-Vise directly to the plate, which has rubber feet to protect the work surface and provide space for the nuts. That would preclude the use of any existing P-Vise base. My preference was to keep my current base and to mount the plate on top of that. To accomplish that, I had to buy longer flat-head bolts. Neither the existing bolts or the ones provided with the QuadHands were long enough. Three 1/4-20 x 1" flat-heads did the trick.
I look forward to using this arrangement to make my hobby-life easier for the project shown and many more to come. Having the long and infinitely configurable arms that come up to the level of the PanaVise jaws is going to be really handy. Plus, I like the rubber tube cushions provided which eliminate alligator clip cutting and teeth marks in the items being held. The thumbscrews that permit free rotation of the alligator clips, then to be able to cinch those down to fix them in position? Yesss! A well thought-out design.
| Manufacturer | Alphidia, llc |
|---|---|
| Part Number | QH Flex Helping Hands Device |
| Item Weight | 1.2 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 5 x 5 x 16 inches |
| Item model number | QH-FLEX |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Color | Mellon Yellow |
| Material | Metal |
| Shape | Flex |
| Installation Method | Screw-In |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Included Components | 3 each 1/4-20 x 3/4 flat head bolts |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
