[TR] more torqueeness, security, etc.

[Karl Vacek]

Well, I guess I'm just more allergic to Chinese tools.  I've had 2 
replacements of each size in recent years, and I only used each one to twist 
perhaps 3-4 pieces of .032 wire.  Both of my HF pliers are in good shape 
now, as far as I can recall, because I haven't used them once since I bought 
the actual American tool.

And maybe they once were better made than they have been in the past 3 years 
or so since I bought them.  For 25+ years before I twisted every wire by 
hand, and had never once used a wire twister.  Years ago you could buy nice 
WWII surplus twisters for $20 or less, and I never bought any.  I finally 
broke down and bought some, but nowadays there aren't too many decent 
surplus ones available, so I tried one each (6" & 9") of the HF ones.

Glad you guys got good pairs from HF - I didn't.

Another thing that has nothing to do with the springiness of the handles is 
the propensity of the cheap ones to nick and flatten the wire.  If the wire 
is nicked or overstressed, that might be a future crack.

You don't necessarily get what you pay for, but you sure don't get more.....

When you're reaching into a dark and crowded engine compartment with oily 
hands and want to grab wires that are between components, latch the pliers 
with one hand, and twist wires upon which your life may rely, it's great to 
have a good tool in your hand.  The twisters I have are a pleasure to use, 
they work easily, they twist both ways, and when I snip off wires they hold 
the cut ends rather than shooting them out and into God-knows-where.  It 
cost me about an hour's fuel for the Stearman.  Having used them for a while 
now, I'd even pay more.

Karl





> I'm  still puzzling over this statement.  I bought my safety wire pliers 
> at
> HF quite a few years ago; and while I don't do a lot of safety wire  work,
> they've lasted far beyond "a few fasteners".  The handles are  springy 
> enough
> that I have no trouble closing them even on .050" wire while  they still 
> grip
> .025" firmly; and the latch has never bent or needed to be  fiddled with.
>
> The latch spring is stiffer than some others I've  used, so I've never
> learned to hold the pliers and close the latch with the  same hand (as 
> I've
> seen other mechanics do).  But for something I  might use 8 or 10 times 
> and
> then put away for a year or two, it does the  job.  And my left hand is
> usually readily available to close the latch  <G>
>
> Mine have worked just fine also-through the restoration of two E Types 
> which
> are extensively safety wired.
> I wonder what you are doing that's different.