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My modified circlip openers
The other day I broke a pair of pliers, that I had modified for myself. No problem, I
bought a cheap set of circlip openers at the local hardware store.
Then I use my melting torch to bend the jaws into a round shape.
Check how the heat has not even started to burn the red plastic of
the handles.
Problem is though, that because the jaws are now rounded, they are also ‘bigger’ so the
handles are far to far apart for comfortable use.
So I do the same thing to the handles. I heat them cherry red and bend them inward.
AFTER I have removed the plastic. When that kind of plastic burns, it makes a million
little blackbirds of ash, like acetylene torch. Very annoying.
The steel that pliers are made of, bends very easy when it is cherry hot.
“Hot short” means that when a metal is bright red hot it will tear and crumble easily.
Silver is like that.
Steel, titanium and brass are not, for instance.
After the plier is finished being bent, I re heat the jaws and let them air-cool,
effectively annealing them.
I use these pliers to hold cups and domed shapes. Very handy.
These pliers are used for bird ringing or sometimes referred too as avian banding in
research projects. They are useful for jewelry purpose too. I use them all the time, particularly the one on the left.
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