Mentioned this in another thread but thought I would share it here as well if people don’t know they exist. Wire wrapping pliers are a great tool for modeling. I use mine for all sorts of things. But if your making any sort of bent wire for plumbing, hand rails, or what ever these are a must have.
This outfit has all sorts of pliers that would have multiple uses. Mine are the stepped kind but I might recommend the conical type so you can bend any desired curve.
Been looking at my workbench again? Howdidya find it under the clutter?(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-innocent.gif)
If you’re going to invest in these precision pliers get parallel jaw pliers if you can. They are less likely to distort.
For most of our uses I find the discount suppliers to have a better price from India while my karat gold work used the German pliers …
I have a variety of shapes on the jaws …
John
John Caughey said:
Been looking at my workbench again? Howdidya find it under the clutter?(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-innocent.gif)
If you’re going to invest in these precision pliers get parallel jaw pliers if you can. They are less likely to distort.
For most of our uses I find the discount suppliers to have a better price from India while my karat gold work used the German pliers …
I have a variety of shapes on the jaws …
John
OK John, I suspected you might know a thing or two about these.
for the naive (that’s me) what do you mean about “parallel jaw.” Whats your thought on the ones with removable jaws.
I get mine at Michaels, where wire bending for jewelry is de rigueur.
I have a pair that has both jaws made to the conical shape. I can see where having a pair with one jaw flat could really come in handy.
I bought mine at the craft store, in the jewelry making section. It was a set of 5 pliers, 2 straight needle nose (one with teeth, and one smooth) a set of curved needle nosed, the pliers in question, and a pair of diagonal cutters. It was an inexpensive set, but I use all of them quite often.
I need a good pair of flush cutting pliers. I’ve had two pair and they haven’t held up very well. I only cut brass wire with them. However one time I cut Florists wire, that thin green stuff, and it put a nick in the jaws.
That’s another must have, and I don’t have, so I must get. I ruined my last pair also. Harbor freight often has small pliers and cutters also, not much for quality but in this case they work for what we do.
Oh and while we are on the subject. . . it is almost worth getting stitches just so you can get the curved forceps they use they use on you and throw away but charge you a fortune for. Last two time I got stitches I asked and they gave them too me. Now if your a little adverse to getting stitches just to get forceps you can buy them at fly tying (fishing) suppliers.
I make my own flush cuts by grinding off the bevel and back face. They only need cut one side flush. Be carefull grind off too much and they won’t cut or close tight. Used on Non-ferrous metals only.
John
John Caughey said:
I make my own flush cuts by grinding off the bevel and back face. They only need cut one side flush. Be carefull grind off too much and they won’t cut or close tight. Used on Non-ferrous metals only.
John
What type of cutters are you doing this too. The flush cutters I am thinking of look like this
And I am having trouble picturing what your using for donors?
Simple wire cutters.
Just grind off this side until the cutting edge becomes the face. For less than $10 at Home Despot, it’s not bad.
John
3M makes a self stick round wet n dry sanding discs. I cut a hole out of the center and stuck it to the side of a grinding wheel. Nicking the side of a wheel can fracture it, so using the sanding disc protected the stone wheel and allowed me to use a finer grit.
Parallel jaws stay … wait for it … parallel!
They also come in other tips/jaws round and tapered
John
Ah gotcha
John Caughey said:
Parallel jaws stay … wait for it … parallel!
John
Smart Ass
When bending bar stock you can get truer bends with the parallels. Conventional pliers are hinged and can leave uneven bends that angle away from where you want it to go.
John
What about the track nippers “HO” guys use ?
Now I see where John was going with this whole thing. My idea of a flush cutter was not this. My idea of a flush cutter came from my model car days for cutting parts of sprues so that you don’t damage the part and can avoid much trimming. Very different applications.
Actually I used them mostly to make solder snippets.
If you turn them around they are good parts snippers, if the sprues allow.
I also thinned the back side because I was snipping low resistence items.
John
Good flush cutters rarely can be used cutting rail, their blades tend to be more delicate, and get ruined easily.
For small stuff, the Hakko brand works well, and is readily available, “google Hakko flush cutters” Home Depot, Amazon, etc.
Greg
Thanks Greg.
