Jewelry Tools Tips^2.0

If you are wondering about the grease on your pliers, you can dissolve it with kerosene or paint thinner. Relubrication is recommended, especially if you live in a humid climate. Have fun cutting, bending and snipping.

Chosing the Right Pliers:

• Round Nose Pliers: They make loops, jump rings and round bends in wire and sheet.

• Needle Nose Pliers: They make rounded bends in sheet and wire; good for assembly or to handle small components.
• Chain Nose Pliers: They work best to create bends in wire & sheet.
• Flat Nose Pliers: They are for gripping components and create angular bends.
• Short Jaws: Are designed for small work. The jaws are shorter and stronger. They work well on round & square wire.
• Long Jaws: They have less taper. They’re better for bending flat sheet. They are called long jaws, therefore they can reach and make longer bend. They have a longer handle to balance the leverage.
• Flush Cutters: They require less pressure to make a cut than bevel cutters, however blades wear faster.
• Bevel Cutters: They are more durable than flush cutters, producing more cuts. They require more pressure but they last longer

Never attempt to cut sheet or rectangular bar stock with a normal cutter. This places too much load on the box joint. Use a shear or saw instead. Have respect for the size of the cutter and design of the jaws; flush cutters can be damaged by too hard or heavy materials. The tips of cutters are obviously weaker than further inside the jaws, cut heavy or hard wires as far into the jaws as possible. Our four most popular

Don’t use a rapid squeezing motion to cut wire. This produces excessive strain on the box joint. The loud snap produced by this technique is the sound of the jaws crushing together, this could cause the jaws to chip and certainly dull them over time.