A true Tragedy has struct

[ennder]

After 34 years of service, my favorite pair of hemostats broke.

I ordered new ones.... and I made sure that the description said "smooth Jaw" what I got in was anything but "smooth jaw"


So I have a new order in at a different supplier.

 

[Rhaven Blaack]

I am sorry that you lost your favorite pair of hemostats.
Can you use a rasp to file off the teeth of the pair that you just got?

 

[ennder]

He he he... I tried that in the past.... didn't work. By the time I got the teeth filed off of both sides... I had a gap between the jaws that would barely hold to a 1mm thick piece of cardboard. I've been using it to clamp the cardboard to cardboard when I need double thickness.

 

[ennder]

one thing I know that would work,.... take it to someone that can weld stainless steel, and have them run a bead on each jaw, then file it down. But that would not be cost effective. As my dad would say..... "that is like putting a $100 dollar patch on a $2 dollar tire"

 

[zathros]

I've had a pair for 20 years that are still working well. I have used and abused these things so much. It is sad when a favorite trusted tool breaks like that. Welding wouldn't work, unless you heat treated the whole thing again, and even then, it would probably still crack in the same spot. Recycle it and give it a new life!

 

[micahrogers]

I had a 24" Rigid pipe wrench, one of the first batch of US made aluminum ones. After 20 odd years, the aluminum lower jaw holder cracked. Rigid replaced it, for free, but the new one still doesn't feel the same.

 

[ennder]

I had a 24" Rigid pipe wrench, one of the first batch of US made aluminum ones. After 20 odd years, the aluminum lower jaw holder cracked. Rigid replaced it, for free, but the new one still doesn't feel the same.

My dad had a 12" one that somehow keep getting the handle broken (it was not me... it was Nick my little brother just younger then me). Little pipsqueak kept putting a pipe on the handle to get extra leverage. They kept replacing the handle... no problem. MAN!!!! I miss those times. You just don't get that kind of quality anymore.

 

[Revell-Fan]

However, I must say that 34 years of faithful service is remarkable. This tool has lasted longer than modern electronics!

 

[Cybergrinder]

@Revell-Fan you're forgetting "built in redundancy", i.e.: these days things are designed to break after a certain time period...

 

[Revell-Fan]

Indeed! thumbsup

 

[micahrogers]

My dad had a 12" one that somehow keep getting the handle broken (it was not me... it was Nick my little brother just younger then me). Little pipsqueak kept putting a pipe on the handle to get extra leverage. They kept replacing the handle... no problem. MAN!!!! I miss those times. You just don't get that kind of quality anymore.

You don't put a cheater on a pipe wrench, you get a bigger pipewrench. Even though I'm not working anymore, I still have 8, 10, 12, 14 24, and 36" pipe wrenches

 

[ennder]

New ones came in today. nice smooth jaws. I will have to slim the outside down a little bit because the jaws are to beefy compared to what I like.
I ordered 4 so I have a good supply.