Component Lead Bender Caliper

pinshape

This is modeled after a tool that I saw in an old 1960's electronic hobbyist magazine the other day, with a few slight improvements. Component lead bending tools are nothing new on here, but this adds a level of precision to your bends. Simply place the points of the caliper in the two holes in to which you are going to install your component, place the part in the middle of the gap on top and bend the leads around the edges. For extra precision you can install a screw in the hole on top of the slide. Then, you can tighten down the slide so it can't move while you bend your leads. No more guessing how far apart you need to bend the legs of your resistors or any other axial leaded discreet component. For best results, print on the same orientation as the .slts files - the slide standing on end with the pointer at the bottom and the main body flat, upside down so that the component's gap is open towards the build plate.