We all know as makers that trying to cut those little wires to the perfect length can be one of the most tedious and frustrating aspects of soldering together a project. Whether it is because the wire cutters slipped or the lengths of the conductors are all different, the lack of consistency is detrimental. This is why the maker and YouTuber known as Mr Innovative has created an automated multi-colored wire cutting machine that is able to achieve the precise wire length every single time.

His device was constructed almost entirely from 3D printed parts, including the gears, mounts, and blade mechanism. Up to four spools of wire sit at the back on a long axle that lets them rotate while a gear and pulley pull the wire out. Rather than using a motor for each spool, a single DC motor with a gear on the end slides along a threaded rod and meets up with the gear on the spool. From here, the motor rotates and pulls the correct length of wire to the cutter. The cutting mechanism consists of an unmoving bottom piece with a blade facing upwards. Just above it is a second downward-facing blade that gets pushed down by a servo motor. A PCB was designed that connects the Arduino Nano, stepper motor drivers, screen, and power together while maintaining a small footprint.

You can see how Mr. Innovative built this device below.