Posted 8 years ago
cuttercapt
(1 item)
A friend found this pliers type tool at a yard sale. Can find no one that has any idea what it is used for. It has stamped on it "SAFTEYTWIST-I and Made in USA. The jaws appear to be normal pincers plus a wire cutting edge. The twisted shaft shown partially withdrawn from it's housing will push fully into the housing or pull farther out. It has a knob used for twisting at the end of the twisted shaft used to rotate it. The shaft housing has a small hole in the tapered end. Pliers handle is spring loaded and is held closed by the bale shown when closed. I suspect that it may have some purpose when either repairing or stringing barbed wire fencing. Would love to know what this tool actually is.
Safety wire pliers. We use them for twisting wire when safety wiring bolts etc. on aircraft.
How's that work?
When the correct length of wire is cut to reach more than the distance between the bolt(etc.) safety wire holes, the wire is inserted thru 1 hole & pulled where the ends are even. Experience & guess work tells you where to clamp the 2 ends with the pliers. When the pliers are tightened enough, they have a lock to hold the handles closed. Pulling the knob on the end will twist the wire. Experience tells you how much. The wire is released, inserted thru the hole in the next bolt & repeat the process of twisting. There is more to it than that, but those are the basics. I had to go thru all that because of your 3 words, UncleRon !
Thanks! :-) So when you have clamped the wire ends in the plier jaws and locked the pliers shut you let go of the pliers and pull on the knob and the whole tool rotates, twisting the wire, right?
Google image 'safety wire'.
Yep, Ron.