Told my helper to take a job that pays almost as much as I do, but with health insurance. Sob!, he listened to me. Anyway, I have a network of friends that do remodeling and we frequently unite for bigger jobs. But then there are the little jobs when all I need is for someone/something to hold the other end. Been thinking about buying Fastcap’s “3rd hand”.
I know I can always make something, not sure I can make something as light and versatile. Thoughts?
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It's one of those tools that I don't use very often but when I need it, it's priceless. I've used it to hang sheetrock ceilings in a small bathroom when my panel lifter wouldn't fit, hold up wall cabinets, hold plastic room dividers in place...alot of uses when no one else is around.
I think I paid $80 for a pair of them about 3 years ago and they've held up well.
-Norm
If you just bought them for the "tenting" of a room with visqueen it'd be worth it.
Fastcap is a good company in case any problems arise.
The Little Hands make mounting upper cabs (if you mount the lowers first) a breeze.
A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
I don't use them that much for plastic sheeting, althought they do work pretty well for that (not having used the zipwalls). The problem with using em for that is that they actually do have a lot of pressure and when I jack one up it can cause the ceiling to deflect enough that the other one just falls right on down.
But they are incredibly handy for a lot of other things. I use them a lot for holding backsplashes in place while the adhesive's setting up. Just shoot em over to the other wall. I just inset an aluminum tile into a beautiful madrone countertop and used the 3rd hand between the ceiling and the counter to clamp it in while it cured.
Like was said before, I don't use em everyday, but when I do need them, they're pretty invaluable.
I have always used a springy piece of scrap trim or a 2x to function as a third hand.
The fascap tool certainly seems nice but after you Buy it you then need to keep track of it, find a spot in the truck for it, protect it from damage or theft.
Scrap wood has none of these problems.
I got the contractor's set from Amaxon a while back. Bag and four poles and bases. Was doing a deck job and overtaxed one (design limit 70#). Broke handle, e-mailed them (told them it was my fault and wanted to buy the part), got very apologetic answer a little later for taking a couple of days to answer (she was out at a show). Offered to send me a complete pole assy. Assured her I could just replace the handle. She sent me handle and a "little Hand".
Will not beat the customer service.
I find them pretty handy. I was putting some doors in a medical supply facility and put up plastic to keep clean. They seemed much more cost effective than the other brand. I cobbled up a laser mount until I bought a real one.