Here is a small piece of 3D printing magic that beginners almost always miss: the best model on your printer probably was not designed by one person. It was designed by one person and then quietly improved by five more. A soldering "third hand" making the rounds this week is a perfect example — a maker named CoatOver took a well-loved clothespin-style holder and shipped a version that fixes three annoyances the original never solved.
The changes sound tiny written down. The slot the clothespin sits in was pulled back a couple of millimetres so the clip grips instead of rattling. A curved brace was added behind the jaw so it stops drifting sideways mid-solder. And the footprint was stretched out so the whole thing stops tipping over when you open it with one hand — which, if you have ever tried to hold a wire, an iron and a board at the same time, is the exact moment you need it to stay put. A little tray was tucked onto the front for the screws and offcuts that otherwise vanish into the carpet.
That is what a remix actually is. Nobody redrew the model from scratch. Somebody used the original enough times to learn where it was irritating, then fixed those three spots and put the result back out for everyone. This is the loop that makes 3D printing different from buying a finished product: a design is never really done, it just gets to the next person. Filament choice matters here too — this one is recommended in PETG rather than PLA, because a soldering iron lives at a few hundred degrees and PLA starts going soft somewhere around 60°C. A holder that droops next to a hot tip is worse than no holder at all.
To try it yourself: download the STL, slice it at roughly 0.2 mm layers, and use 3 or 4 perimeters with 20–25% infill so the base has enough mass to resist a tug. Print in PETG if you have it, and orient the base flat on the plate so the layer lines run across the direction of stress instead of along it. Add a brim if your first layer is temperamental — a wide, well-stuck base is the entire point of this remix. Then use it for a week and notice what still annoys you. That annoyance is your remix.
Try it on your printer. If you are still dialling in PETG, or you want filament that behaves the same way on the tenth spool as it did on the first, have a look at what we stock at Flarelab — and tell us what you would change about this design. We love a good remix.
Frequently asked questions
Why PETG instead of PLA for a soldering helper?
PLA softens at roughly 60°C, and anything sitting next to a soldering iron gets warm fast. PETG holds its shape closer to 80°C and is far less likely to sag or deform. ABS and ASA work too, but PETG is much easier to print for beginners.
What actually is a 'remix' in 3D printing?
A remix is a modified version of someone else's model, re-shared publicly. Most open model licences allow it as long as you credit the original designer and share under the same terms. Check the licence on the model page before you republish.
Do I need supports to print this?
Usually not, if you orient the base flat on the build plate. Clothespin-style holders are designed to print without overhangs. Preview the sliced file first — if your slicer shows a large unsupported bridge, rotate the part before adding supports.
My print keeps tipping over when I use it. What do I do?
That is exactly the problem this remix solves, so start with the extended-base version. Beyond that, raise your infill to 25% or more so the base carries weight, or add a coin or nut into a pocket in the base as ballast.
Spotted via Adafruit's #3DThursday. Original design by Wolfchild; extended-base remix by CoatOver, shared on MakerWorld. Written and expanded by the Flarelab team.
Originally published at flarelab.com.
