Holey Pliers!!!

I have already made a post about these items before, but it was a long time in the past and may have been lost in the site swap over, and it really is worth a resurrection.

When I go to my local market, I keep an eye out for real cheap and nasties that are plenty good enough for turning into something else.

These are a pair of long nosed electricians ones, and if you want to make the thing I am going to show you, get the ones like this, beefy around the nose, the thin scrawny ones just won't hack it.




Find something to hold the jaws apart slightly, I used a 6mm washer.




Clamp them up tight in your drilling or milling vice, and get out your rough set of drills, metric or imperial, this can be made with either, in fact buy two pairs and make one set of each.




Running down the centre line of the jaws, I started of at the tip with a 2mm, then going up in 0.5mm sizes, I ended up at 6mm.
It doesn't need to be very accurate with the distance between each hole, as long as there is the shape of each hole afterwards.
I find that these cheap pliers drill like a little tough cast iron.




Drilled and deburred, but what the hell are they used for?

The next couple of pictures show it all.




For holding thin rods



To even thicker ones.




How many times have you tried to hold round bar for working on, say grinding the ends, or holding while tightening up a nut.

These cost me a squid from the market, and 15 minutes of my time. Where else would you get a very useful tool at those sorts of prices?


John

Nice tool Bogs.....I think I have a few pair of those pliers just dying to be modded!

Dave

Thanks for reposting this John...wouldn't doubt but that there might be a world wide run on cheap needle nose pliers in the next few days :big:

Bill

These are extremely handy things to have about. I made a set the first time around and am constantly searching for them in the piles of junk in my shop. I guess I'd better make another pair.. easier than tidying . Numbered-thread size holes is worth considering for the US folks too.

We've been knocking about together for some time now Roy, I was waiting for one of the old timers to chip in.

Just like yourself, I keep losing mine, that is four pairs hiding in my shop now.

Maybe the hole gremlins have got them stashed somewhere.

John

John
Your timing is impeccable. My current engine build has 16 pieces of 0.125 brass tubing that I'm milling (in a 5C collet) to 1.09" length. I have a stop in the collet and can't push the part out from the back. I had scuffed up the test piece pretty badly (to my eye) pulling it out of the collet with pliers. Did a quick 0.125 hole in the pliers. Fantastic. Not a mark on the tubing.
Brilliant, as usual.
Thank you
Stan

Thanks for putting it up again John, since I missed first time around. Really a handy gadget at a bargain price!

They are great for small pneumatic pipe work as well especially when undoing those push in fittingsThanks John
kind regards Frazer

Look like another winner to me John - I'm in town tomorrow, I'll look out for a couple of cheap pairs.

Thanks for the tip John, What a great idea for those old needlenose pliers. Gary

With your thread in mind I bought a pair yesterday - thanks for the tip.

shred said:

I guess I'd better make another pair.. easier than tidying

Click to expand...

I have three of some tools and still can't find the buggers on occasions - Stanley knives, edge finders etc. its seem you can't have enough.

The perversity of lost tools - I could not find my impact wrench so I bought a new one - took it home and placed it in the drawer my chart says it should be in - lo and behold there's the one I couldn't find.

My shop monster has a perverse sense of humour.

Ken

+1 for the tip John :bow: Another tool to modify and a use for the throwaway pliers
Pete

I like the idea. In fact my brother who is an electrian asked me to make somethign similar for him. He used a lot of all-thread in his work and wanted something to grip the thread without damaging it. And for quick use to clean up the threads after cutting or getting dropped. He gave me an old pair of pliers to play with. I had to fill in the wire cutter area with the MIG welder and then drill and tap to the common sizes. He uses it on the job now.