It takes about 4 hands to properly solder: two hands to hold each of the wires, one for feeding the solder and the final for holding the iron. The solder helper allows a mere two-handed mortal to solder effortlessly.

The tool itself is simple. Two spring loaded clamps hold the wires near each other and a knob when spun dispenses solder right at the joint. Unlike flexible arms soldering stations, which need to be sat on flat surfaces, the solder helper is handheld and can be used on the go.

The solder dispensing mechanism relies on a drive gear that is commonly used in 3D printer extruders. An adjustable smooth idler pushes the solder against the drive gear. The tension of the smooth idler can be increased or decreased through tightening or loosening an M5 bolt, respectively. This ability to change the tension of the idler allows for solder as small as 0.5mm to as large as 3mm to be dispensed. Solder is stored in the handle or pulled right off a spool depending on how mobile you need to be.

Soldering large diameter wires requires a lot of heat, which can cause the clamps to soften if the insulation gets too hot. For this reason, the following heat resistant filaments are recommended: