The house would be turned upside down until
all items were located and safely stowed in the designated pocket. Only then
would he start his day. Sadly, he passed away in 1999, and because they were so
much a part of him, his toothpicks, pocket knife, measuring tape and pliers
were buried with him. You never know what one might need on the other side!
Pliers come in a variety of styles designed
for different purposes, so you might consider a few types for your toolbox. I
keep a small pair of needle nose pliers in a drawer in my kitchen. They come in
handy when I'm unable to open a can of pop the conventional way or if I find it
hard to pull the tab on a juice carton. They are also great for fixing jewelry.
I have a small pair in the toolbox in the garage that I usually carry in my
pocket when I'm trimming the grass. They are really handy when the line on my
grass trimmer breaks off at the hole where it feeds out.
Slip joint pliers are also handy for a
variety of tasks. They can be used for twisting wire, tightening bolts,
loosening bolts, squeezing metal parts, pulling almost anything, cutting wire,
holding hot parts, turning screws, and a variety of other jobs. Their pivot
point can be moved to increase the size range of their jaws.
Linesman's pliers, also known as
combination pliers, are often used by electricians and other tradesmen
primarily for gripping, twisting, bending and cutting cable or wire.
Groove-joint pliers have serrated jaws
usually set 45 to 65 degrees from the handles. Often, these pliers have long
handles for increased leverage. The design of these pliers allows them to be
adjusted to a number of different sizes without the distance in the handle
growing wider. These pliers are usually used for turning and holding nuts and
bolts, gripping irregularly shaped objects and clamping materials.
Crimping pliers, used extensively in
metalworking, are used to join two pieces of metal or other malleable material
by deforming one or both of them to hold the other. The bend or deformity is
called the crimp. Electricians use these pliers also, for securing electrical
connectors.
Locking pliers, commonly known as
Vise-Grips, are pliers that can be locked into position. One side of the handle
includes a bolt that is used to adjust the spacing of the jaws, the other side
of the handle includes a lever to push the two sides of the handles apart to
unlock the pliers. Locking pliers come in a variety of sizes and
configurations, such as needle-nose locking pliers, locking wrenches and
c-clamp locking pliers. If you've ever stripped a screw and the screwdriver is
no longer effective in removing or tightening it, small locking pliers can come
in handy.
I've only mentioned a few of the types of
pliers that are available, but my point is that every household should have at
least one pair of pliers in their toolbox or kitchen drawer. I carry a small
Vice-Grip in the glove box of my vehicle (along with a few other tools) and
have a variety of sizes in my toolbox in the garage.
Pliers and Vice-Grips can make a great
birthday or Christmas gift for new homeowners or the young folks just starting
out on their own. I suggest that at least a 3-piece locking pliers set or a
5-piece mechanic pliers set belongs in every toolbox.