Homemade Z-bend pliers

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

In another thread @Achto posted a video where a guy modified a set of duckbill pliers into a hand bender for Z-bends on control wires:

 

 

So even though I have a Z-bender tool 'somewhere', I decided to make a pair like that.

 

Thumbing through my tool box for a suitable set of junk donor pliers I came across these which I've had for ages.  No idea where they came from, I know I didn't buy them, they just sort of appeared out of the air.

 

 

 

Searched the interwebs for this model of plier and came up with NADA.  I never knew what these were for.  I thought maybe for twisting wires or something like that.

 

Anyway, I decided to cut a notch in these to make the Z-bend tool and I gotta say, they work perfectly!

 

 

By offsetting the notch to one side one can make two different depths of z-bend.  

 

The pliers would likely still work for their intended purpose, whatever that is / was. 

Does anyone know what these would have been used for?

 

 

Edited December 9, 2021 by Jeff-C175

[Gregor 4,846]

 

[Achto 27,571]

8 hours ago, Jeff-C175 said:

Does anyone know what these would have been used for?

 

Look like Z bend pliers to me. 

 

No Idea what the original intended purpose was. With no knurling/teeth on the jaws, maybe some type of blacksmithing pliers? Nice job on modifying them for your purpose.  

Edited December 9, 2021 by Achto

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

6 hours ago, Gregor said:

 

 

Was one of my thoughts too, but they don't open wide enough.

 

 

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

5 hours ago, Achto said:

blacksmithing

 

Sheet metal work?  Flange crimper?  Edge flattener?

[Gregor 4,846]

I had (may still have somewhere) one of these for years and years. Took me a lotta years to find out what they were for.

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

3 minutes ago, Gregor said:

I had (may still have somewhere) one of these for years and years. Took me a lotta years to find out what they were for.

 

Looks like a crimping tool for ducting work.  The one I have does several crimps at a time.  That one could be used for gutter and downspout work, and for roof flashing.

[Jrain 276]

On 12/8/2021 at 9:10 PM, Jeff-C175 said:

In another thread @Achto posted a video where a guy modified a set of duckbill pliers into a hand bender for Z-bends on control wires:

 

 

So even though I have a Z-bender tool 'somewhere', I decided to make a pair like that.

 

Thumbing through my tool box for a suitable set of junk donor pliers I came across these which I've had for ages.  No idea where they came from, I know I didn't buy them, they just sort of appeared out of the air.

 

 

 

Searched the interwebs for this model of plier and came up with NADA.  I never knew what these were for.  I thought maybe for twisting wires or something like that.

 

Anyway, I decided to cut a notch in these to make the Z-bend tool and I gotta say, they work perfectly!

 

 

By offsetting the notch to one side one can make two different depths of z-bend.  

 

The pliers would likely still work for their intended purpose, whatever that is / was. 

Does anyone know what these would have been used for?

 

 

Yes I know what they are  ,you made me cringe when I saw what you did to those LOL , They are used in my trade , I collect them and have many sizes and styles of them, I have  a collection of them my earliest ones were made in 1897 ,  Those are about the smallest version that were offered . I would say those are from the mid 1970s  , The correct term for them are Hand Seamers , AKA Tongs or duckbill , from the pictures yours would have a up to 14 gauge seaming capability , those would be used in tight corner hand seaming situations , those would have worked magic on your wheel horse tins , like correcting the the edges of fenders or hoods that have been beaten up over the years. But hey you made good use of them

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

3 minutes ago, Jrain said:

you made me cringe when I saw what you did to those

 

I'm sorry!  

 

4 minutes ago, Jrain said:

But hey you made good use of them

 

And they would surely still work for their intended use I think.  So all is not lost!

 

I still don't understand why Mrs. Google can't find the part number, and I can't find it in any of the Crescent tool catalogs I've found.

 

5 minutes ago, Jrain said:

my trade

 

Tin knocker?

 

[Jrain 276]

On 12/9/2021 at 11:59 AM, Jeff-C175 said:

 

Looks like a crimping tool for ducting work.  The one I have does several crimps at a time.  That one could be used for gutter and downspout work, and for roof flashing.

Correct hand crimpers those are light gauge single crimp , yes they make them in triple and quad crimp , they are rated by gauge of metal  light duty up to 24 gauge and heavy duty version up to 14 gauge sheet metal

[Jrain 276]

Just now, Jeff-C175 said:

 

I'm sorry!  

 

 

And they would surely still work for their intended use I think.  So all is not lost!

 

I still don't understand why Mrs. Google can't find the part number, and I can't find it in any of the Crescent tool catalogs I've found.

 

 

Tin knocker?

 

Yes I am retired specialty tradesmen Tin knocker 

[Jrain 276]

Just now, Jrain said:

Yes I am retired specialty tradesmen Tin knocker 

Because Crescent made Tin smith tools under there specialty tool line , they are rare to see not many Crescent specialty tools out there .

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

4 minutes ago, Jrain said:

they are rare to see

 

In that case, I'm sorry I messed them up too!

 

[Jrain 276]

Theses are the same size hand seamers , they were made in 1910 by Kraeuter & co  Newark NJ

[Jrain 276]

7 minutes ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

In that case, I'm sorry I messed them up too!

 

Listen you gave them a new Life that called re purpose nothing wrong with that

[Jrain 276]

I will tell you this though , about 10 years ago I bought a 1939 CAT D-2  for $600  bought it to restore , well it had the  tool box option on the D-2 that were full of tools . Billings tool  made the service wrenches for cat . I got 800 for the service tool kit , so if you ever get a billings made wrench and it has a series of numbers on it ,it was made for Cat dozers  and they are highly sought after by the CAT guys, they pay good money because they are trying to make a complete  service tool set .

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

1 minute ago, Jrain said:

highly sought after by the CAT guys

 

I'll keep my eye out.  There's still quite a few boxes of tools in the outbuilding that I have not gone through yet.

 

I do have some FORD tools that I plan to find a new owner for.

 

[Jrain 276]

1 minute ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

I'll keep my eye out.  There's still quite a few boxes of tools in the outbuilding that I have not gone through yet.

 

I do have some FORD tools that I plan to find a new owner for.

 

Yea them too , there is a guy in my town that is a big Model T restorer  he buys all that early ford stuff

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

2 hours ago, Jrain said:

Yea them too , there is a guy in my town that is a big Model T restorer  he buys all that early ford stuff

 

Any chance you could get me his contact info?  If so, feel free to private message me!  Thanks.

[Jrain 276]

12 hours ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

Any chance you could get me his contact info?  If so, feel free to private message me!  Thanks.

Yea no problem  Helms Antique Auto / Service station /body shop . he is located on  West Harford street In Milford Pa 18337 , do not know his phone number but I am sure you can google it . dont know where in Jersey you are but he is about 1 mile from NJ  Sussex County boarder  Rt206 NJ ,Milford bridge straight to his place.

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

On 1/9/2022 at 11:10 AM, Jrain said:

do not know his phone number but I am sure you can google it

 

Yep!  Found it.  I'm surprised he doesn't have a website though.  I'll be getting in touch with him soon to see if he has any interest in the Ford tools.  Thank you!

 

[Lee1977 6,659]

On 1/11/2022 at 11:11 PM, Jeff-C175 said:

 

Yep!  Found it.  I'm surprised he doesn't have a website though.  I'll be getting in touch with him soon to see if he has any interest in the Ford tools.  Thank you!

 

You need to keep the Monkey wrench.