How do you keep the body straight and centered while spreading?

Hi,

Chris from EntomoBoxes here. I make spreading boards in Slovakia and I’d like to swap tips with you. I want to start a relaxed chat about the little things that can be tricky when spreading, and see how you handle them.

These are four things I wanted to solve:
- the pin leans a bit to the side or forward and backward
- the body is not in the center of the groove
- the head sags or twists and then the antennae are hard to spread
- the abdomen needs to be fixed in the center and ideally level

To help myself, I designed a small 3D printed insert for the groove in the spreading board and called it LepiLock. It keeps the pin straight, the body centered, and supports the head and the abdomen. A few photos are attached. This thread is not about selling (I have a separate thread for that: LepiLock - 3D printed body holder for the Standard S spreading board), I’m more interested in how you do it.

I’d like to hear:
- What do you think of the idea?
- How do you solve this? What do you use, and do you have any tricks that make the work easier?
- Would you be willing to switch to a different system after years? I know it’s not easy and everyone has their own routine.

All opinions welcome, including criticism

Cheers
Chris