Tool Challenge o' the day: What is this? (1 Viewer)

[e9999]

Just found those pliers. I have seen a lot of pliers, given I'm an antique myself, but had no idea what these were for. Look at the weird jaws. Had to look that up. It wasn't too hard to figure out, admittedly, thanks to Google, but I would not have guessed. Looks like I still need to get more tools...
So I will throw that out there for you to make guesses if you don't know already. If you do know already, *don't say anything* and just sit back and enjoy any wild guesses coming. Always fun to see who can come close without actually knowing.
So here they are:
Guesses before scrolling down?

 

[ntsqd]

Hob-nail puller?

LOL.....

 

[e9999]

Good thought, but not the nominal purpose of these pliers, although they might work in a pinch for that too, surely.

but, sheesh, 186 Views so far and only one person had the internal fortitude to hazard a guess....? Or is it that maybe everybody else knew the answer?

So, I think a (vague) hint is in order first: they have something to do with a profession / hobby that would be considered pretty exotic for most offroaders / mechanics, and involving structural modification of sorts, and they can (reportedly, I would not know firsthand) do two different things depending on which way you hold them...

 

[Shyrock]

Disconnecting flux capacitors. Rounded side up for positive connector. Flat side up for negative connector.

 

[e9999]

That too!
I was originally thinking that they'd have something to do with unscrewing stuff backwards down under and v-v (or was it the other way around?) but no, I was wrong.

 

[e9999]

OK, OK, stop hounding me already... :





Grozier pliers!

 

[cahill]

Pulling teeth. You use the curved side for leverage on the uppers and the angle side on the lowers. if you do it the other way around you risk breaking the tooth you are leveraging off of.

 

[PAToyota]

OK, OK, stop hounding me already... :

Grozier pliers!

Ummm... Ok... Had to look that up.

Breaker-grozier pliers, or groziers, are pliers used by glaziers to break and finish glass in a controlled manner, a technique known as grozing. They are dual purpose pliers, with a flat jaw that is used for breaking out scores and a curved jaw that is used for grozing flares from the edge of broken glass.

 

[ntsqd]

Ditto, I had to look it up as well.

 

[e9999]

since seeing those, I have been thinking about replacing some of the windows on my truck with stained glass. It is a holy place of sorts after all, intense self-questioning and all that...!

 

[e9999]

on a more serious sidenote, I since found out that there is another kind of pliers that is used by glaziers: running pliers. Some of these have ridges on the jaws that are running along the direction of the main length of the pliers. 2 spaced ones on one jaw and one in the middle on the other. You then center the pliers on the score line, with the main pliers length in the direction of the score line and squeeze. That basically bends the glass along the score and Crack! They are used in the opposite direction compared to the grozing pliers above, from what I understand. And I suspect are better with long straight lines.

I am now wondering if these tools may also be used for acrylic. This may be more useful for us DIY wannabe fabricators TBH. I will try. Need to figure out a good way to score acrylic first.

 

[fjc-man]

My wife works with glass. Your talking about a pair like this for cracking glass on the scored line.

 

[e9999]

yes, although these appear to have curved jaws instead of ridged ones. But same idea I take it.

Your wife surely knows about these things for real then, whereas I'm just speculating. Does she know if we can crack acrylic with these tools?

 

[ntsqd]

Can find these in most hardware stores:

Tungsten Carbide Point Scriber/Etching Pen

The #88 Tungsten Carbide Point Scriber/Etching Pen can mark and scribe steel, ceramic and glass.

generaltools.com

Tungsten Carbide Point Scriber/Etching Pen with Magnet

The #88CM Tungsten Carbide Point Scriber/Etching Pen with Magnet can mark and scribe steel, ceramic and glass. The magnet can retrieve small ferrous and steel parts and chips from hard-to-reach places.

generaltools.com

I have used mine to scribe acrylic, but I wasn't intending to break it along that scribed line, so I've no idea how well that will work.

 

[e9999]

Yes, I have both carbide and diamond pointed scribes. Will try. I suspect that may be better than the wheels, but will try those too.

I'm thinking that acrylic is much less brittle than glass, so not too hopeful, at least for the thicker (1/4"?) panes I have.
Probably a moot point anyway since I can cut acrylic reasonably well with a circular saw.

On a related note - PSA of the day: I made extra shelves for our fridge with some 1/4" acrylic panes. Very convenient!

 

[ntsqd]

It is pretty brittle, but I think you're correct in that it isn't as brittle as glass. Am interested if the glass wheel works or not.

Glass is such trippy stuff when you dive into it. A super-cooled liquid that is brittle and fractures. Wait, what?!?!?

 

[e9999]

It is interesting stuff indeed! Been curious for a while now about that notion that glass will sag with time (gothic cathedral viscous stained glass and all that) but have not yet figured it out. I have seen some reports recently that claim that it is just an urban myth, and an artifact from old manufacturing processes.

On a more practical note, it may also be useful to know that your average modern cheap glass pane is -reportedly- very very flat. (From floating processes?) Like a precision granite plate from what I read. So they are good as a cheap sanding reference base.

 

[ntsqd]

I grew up in a house built in 1927 that still had the majority of it's original windows. Easy to tell which were replaced and which were original due to the horizontal waves in the original glass. To say that those waves were produced by the mfg process would mean that no two of those panes were made by the same tooling because while similar the waves were not even close to identical.

I have used some 12" X 12" X 3/4" thick glass from McMaster for that very thing, using extremely fine grit abrasive paper to lap things flat. A little oil on the glass first really helps hold the sheet down.

 

[vipergrhd]

My turn, if you know what it is don't post it yet.

 

[ntsqd]

Do they come in Right-handed as well?