I am going to do a series of posts on things that geeks might need for Christmas / the holiday season. It will be a learning process, as I am going to rely on the collective wisdom of the internet to pick between a few similar products. Some might be big and some might be small, but I can guarantee that more than a few people are lusting over these…
One important disclaimer is that you need to know the kind of geek you are shopping for
. If you buy a unix geek some anime, they might not be too excited. These gifts are for the kind of geek who is interested in hardware, robotics, DIY electronics, and microcontrollers (particularly Arduino!) If that describes the person on your wish list – you are in luck!
The first gift idea is a desktop mini vice. This is useful for soldering and working on small(ish) tabletop projects. These can not be used for holding a 2×4 while you cut it, but they are perfect for holding a circuit board while you solder in the components.
I saw this the other day while wandering around home depot. It looks like something I need. I’ve been lusting over this panavise for a bit, and there is a strong pull for the dremel one at half the price!
The dremel one looks like it would be easier to set up on a benchtop (i think you have to bolt the panavice down, the dremel has a clamp) and it looks like you could use either one for light machining, soldering, and dis/assembly.
The only contender to those two might be this cheapie panavice, but it doesn’t look like it could stand up to some dremelling, and I like my tools to be multi-taskers!
So I’ll put the question out there; has anyone used any of the three? I’d love to hear thoughts, or suggestions if you have something better!
I have used both panavise models at work, and they are both great. It just depends on how much use you would get out of one.
I have both the panavise at work, both are great. I actually sprung for the dremel vice, and it is a lot hardier than it looks, it has lasted me over a year and it should last for at few more. I only use it for moderate stuff. The other cool part is you can attach one of the wired dremels to it and have act like a small bench grinder/sander.
The dremel vise is a great addition to any workshop. It does a good job holding the workpiece at almost any angle.