Damn-it, Peter. Now I have to go buy more tools. The parallel-jaw pliers
sound like they would come in handy. I already knew I needed a set of what
you've labeled "extended jaw" pliers.


"Peter Wieck" wrote in message
...
On Jan 15, 8:56 pm, "Unrevealed Source"
wrote:
"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message

...

"Meat Plow" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 13 Jan 2009 10:02:05 -0800, "William Sommerwerck"
wrote:

Needle-nose pliers.

Chain-nose pliers would be even better.

Don't have a pair.

You probably do. Most people call chain-nose pliers needle nose.

True, but you can't call all needle-nose pliers chain-nose. Correct me if
I'm wrong, but chain-nose pliers are usually small and usually used for
fine
work like jewelry making, or other delicate work. Don't they also usually
have smooth jaws or so as not to damage soft metals?

You can call those little ones "needle-nose" pliers, but you can't call a
big heavy duty 12" pair of needle-nose pliers "chain-nose".

You really need both. I used needle-nose to straighten pins.

Needle-nose pliers: Flat-inside, half-round outside (D-shaped),
extended nose jaws, typically with tip serrated and a side-cutter.

Smooth-jaw needle-nose: as above, but no serrated tip and no cutter.

Chain-nose: Round jaws (O-shaped), no serrated tip, no cutter.

All of the above come as "bent-nose" with either a 45 or 90 degree
bend.

All of the above irrespective of size.

Then, there are specialties within the group such as 'tip-
cutter' (cutter at the tip of the jaws) and extended-jaw (jaws longer
than handle, but still irrespective of size), even parallel-jaw
(double jointed at the knuckle so they jaws remain parallel when
opening and closing) and box-knuckle (joint).

I spent a few shifts in the tool-room in my time - and between
fetching buckets of air and carbon-stretchers all these fine
distinctions became second-nature.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA