Stickvise, a Nice PCB Holder (Review)

The Stickvise is a PCB holder designed to secure circuit boards while you work on them. The manufacturer emphasizes its mechanically simple design, which ensures durability and reliability, its low-profile build that keeps the board close to the work surface, and its customizability to suit specific needs.

 

Unlike traditional PCB holders, such as Weller's rotating model (as well as its hugely popular blue and black imitation), which were designed for through-hole soldering, the Stickvise is particularly suited for working on boards horizontally, very close to the desk surface.

 

This makes it good for assembling or reworking surface-mount components. Its low-profile design also makes it compatible with microscope setups. Two optional accessories, sold separately, enhance its functionality: Teflon jaws for heat resistance and a small tool to hold through-hole components in place during soldering. This review explores the Stickvise and its accessories in detail.

Specifications

The Stickvise is built with simplicity and durability in mind, featuring high-quality materials throughout. Its jaws are machined, bead-blasted, and anodized aluminum, paired with PA66 polyamide jaw plates. The main rod and the screws are in metric sizes, in case you wish to make modifications. The main body measures 200mm x 76mm x 19mm and weighs 168g, with a thickness of up to 25mm when including the wing nut. 

The vise opens to a maximum of 155mm, a range that can be extended by supplying a longer 6mm steel rod yourself if needed. Using the stock jaws, the maximum overall thickness of the circuit you’re working on is as follows: 7.4mm of clearance above the shaft and 15.9mm above the table. Both can be increased by using taller jaws or spacers (see the “Customizing the Stickvise” section below). Teflon jaws (optional) are the same size as the original PA66 jaws, but are machined from a 6.35mm (1/4") thick PTFE plate, with milling and drilling. Machining quality is excellent, with no burrs.

 

The PartLift accessory, designed for holding through-hole components, measures 70mm x 32mm x 23mm and weighs only 4g. Constructed from ABS plastic, it features a high-temperature silicone tip and a non-slip base. Its spring provides a gentle holding force equivalent to 10–40g, depending on compression.

Using the Stickvise

Using a PCB holder like the Stickvise solves many common frustrations when working on circuit boards. Without a holder, a PCB placed on the worktable can slide around under the weight of connected wires or sit unevenly due to solder joints and protruding components. The Stickvise provides a stable, hassle-free solution.

 

Setting up the Stickvise is straightforward. With the tool laid horizontally on a table, loosen the wing nut, open the jaws, position the PCB, and bring the mobile jaw and its support bar against the edge of the board. Apply light pressure to slightly compress the spring; that mechanism provides enough force to hold the PCB in place. Finally, tighten the wing nut to secure the setup. The result is a firmly held PCB, ready for work.

In use, the Stickvise proves very handy. Using a soldering iron becomes much easier when the PCB isn’t wobbling. Unlike elevated, rotating holders, the low-profile design lets you work close to the table surface, allowing you to rest your hands for better control and reduced arm fatigue. This design does require a more hunched neck position, so a lower chair or higher table may help maintain comfort during extended use.

 

The Stickvise excels at holding small PCBs for tasks like desoldering and reworking surface-mount components. It strikes a good balance between being lightweight for easy repositioning, such as under a microscope, and heavy enough to stabilize the lightest boards. If the PCB and the vise still slide too much on hard surfaces, you might consider using it on an ESD mat instead, or add some small rubber feet.

The standard Nylon jaws perform well, but for heavy use with a hot air station or to avoid accidental burns from the tip of the soldering iron, the Teflon jaws are a better choice. Regardless of material, all jaws are reversible, offering a V-groove side for secure PCB gripping and a flat side for boards with uneven edges, like those with connectors.

 

A standout feature is the mobile jaw’s spring-loaded mechanism, which makes flipping the PCB very easy without unscrewing anything. This is particularly useful for in-circuit measurements during development or troubleshooting and for soldering through-hole components. 

Specifically for through-hole components, the PartLift accessory allows you to hold them in place from the underside while you solder them on the top. The idea is simple but brilliant: usually you have to contort your hands to hold the component with one or two fingers, while bringing the solder in with the other fingers and holding the iron in the other hand. This little accessory frees up one hand and saves a lot of hassle: the component is steady, you can take your time and solder as normal. It also avoids burning yourself by touching some particularly heat-conductive components (connectors or DIP sockets, anyone?)

 

While other solutions like painter’s tape or Blu-Tack can hold PCBs or components in place, they lack the flexibility and reliability of the Stickvise. Tape doesn’t allow for easy PCB repositioning, and Blu-Tack can overheat, leave residue, and lose its grip. The Stickvise, along with its accessories, offers a convenient solution.

Customizing the Stickvise

The tool's customizability is one of its strengths, as emphasized by its creator, Alex Rich. The design is flexible, allowing users to adapt it to various needs, from handling larger PCBs to using it in entirely new applications.

For repeated use with PCBs longer than the standard maximum opening of 155mm, such as in small-scale production, replacing the steel rod with a longer one is straightforward. The existing rod can be removed by unscrewing a hidden grub screw under the fixed jaw.

 

The Stickvise can also be used in less conventional ways. For example, mounting it vertically (with the tool secured to the table with a clamp) allows you to desolder components using a desoldering gun more effectively, as the gun works best in a horizontal position.

If your work involves PCBs with larger components — such as capacitors, inductors, or connectors — and you need to hold it upside down to access the solder side, the proximity of the rod might become an issue. In this case, you can elevate the jaws using one of several methods: 

• 3D-print your own custom jaws using STL files provided by Alex Rich.  
• Add height to the existing jaws with M3 spacers of the desired length.  
• Build your own jaws from materials like wood for a completely custom fit.  

 

For some users, securing the Stickvise to a surface may be necessary. This is easily achieved using the M3 threaded holes in the aluminum bars holding either jaw. Customer feedback reveals even more innovative uses. Some users have repurposed the Stickvise for entirely different applications, such as securing items for laser engraving or holding lenses in a DIY optical bench. This is definitely a versatile tool!

A Tool Worth Considering

The Stickvise is a well-thought-out tool that addresses a common challenge with simplicity and elegance. It was carefully designed about ten years ago by Alex Rich, in an interactive way with the Hackaday community. It's actually interesting to see the design iterations! With excellent machining quality and a larger opening than most commercial vices, it’s a practical choice for many electronics tasks. While it’s almost simple enough that someone could build it themselves, the convenience and quality of the ready-made product make it, in my opinion, a relevant investment.