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Date Uploaded: February 10, 2004, 4:35 pm Last Edited: December 11, 2012, 6:06 am |
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Modifying Pliers To Increase Speed
Article © MAIL User: Jimmith
I've been mailling for a while now and have been using the same pair of pliers since I started. Not until recently did I FULLY use my pliers. Here is a pic of them:
You see the 'hole' that is behind the jaws? That is what I am talking about. Now, these pliers were made with that hole already there, but any pair of pliers can be modified to look like this. Either by filing it or other means.
Now, onto making use of this hole. Below is a picture of me closing a link.
Next you turn the modified pliers away from you some.
And then turn them vertical, letting go with the other pliers at the same time. The link falls into the hole in the jaws.
After you've done this with four links you open one link, and weave it through these four.
Pull the rings off by pulling the open ring, and close it to make a fivelet. There! A quickly made unit!
Now, this takes some experimenting. The rings used in the pictures are 1/2" ID 14 gauge rings. I can do up to six rings on the pliers at a time. 14 gauge 3/8" ID however is too thick to weave the open ring on. You can grind or file down the OUTSIDE to make your pliers thinner, thus allowing smaller rings to be worked with. You may want to use smaller pliers to start with for working with rings like 1/4" in 18 gauge and 16 gauge.
One thing to watch out for: when you hold the pliers vertical, there's a chance the ring in back will slip into the groove all the way back. If it does just flick it back into the hole. If you don't see it you may squeeze down on the ring, cutting or marring it. Be careful there.
I hope you learned from this article. Good luck and happy mailling!
You see the 'hole' that is behind the jaws? That is what I am talking about. Now, these pliers were made with that hole already there, but any pair of pliers can be modified to look like this. Either by filing it or other means.
Now, onto making use of this hole. Below is a picture of me closing a link.
Next you turn the modified pliers away from you some.
And then turn them vertical, letting go with the other pliers at the same time. The link falls into the hole in the jaws.
After you've done this with four links you open one link, and weave it through these four.
Pull the rings off by pulling the open ring, and close it to make a fivelet. There! A quickly made unit!
Now, this takes some experimenting. The rings used in the pictures are 1/2" ID 14 gauge rings. I can do up to six rings on the pliers at a time. 14 gauge 3/8" ID however is too thick to weave the open ring on. You can grind or file down the OUTSIDE to make your pliers thinner, thus allowing smaller rings to be worked with. You may want to use smaller pliers to start with for working with rings like 1/4" in 18 gauge and 16 gauge.
One thing to watch out for: when you hold the pliers vertical, there's a chance the ring in back will slip into the groove all the way back. If it does just flick it back into the hole. If you don't see it you may squeeze down on the ring, cutting or marring it. Be careful there.
I hope you learned from this article. Good luck and happy mailling!
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