do fine point needle nose vise grips exist?

[jd_1138]

I was having trouble getting the nut off a toilet bolt, and I grabbed a small pair of vise grips to grip the bolt, so I could remove the nut. But the jaws were too fat to fit in between the nut and the toilet base.

So I had to use a regular pair of needle nose pliers, so it became a 2 handed operation in a very tight area.

I was looking around and can't seem to find any needle nose vise grips. If they don't exist; they should. Sometimes you have to clamp stuff in tight areas.

 

[Mr_B]

pick a a used peterson long nose vise grip and put it on the bench grinder to make a custom thin nose pair .

 

[p_mori7]

I have several pairs. They are pretty old. But you can still buy new from Irwin.

 

[larry_g]

pick a a used peterson long nose vise grip and put it on the bench grinder to make a custom thin nose pair .

I second this. Modify the tool to do the job that YOU need to get done. It's just a hunk of steel if it doesn't work for you.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[KnurledNut]

Were you removing the floor bolts?

 

[IowaDon]

The only marking I can see is either "ALN" or maybe "4LN"

It's 4LN, which stands for 4" Long Nose.

But you can still buy new from Irwin.

Keep in mind that they stopped making real Vise-Grips in 2008. Irwin sells a very poor copy that's made in China and labeled Vise-Grip, but it's not the same.

 

[Indexmill]

yes, modify a new Made in China Vise-Grip, not a DeWitt Peterson!

 

[BMack37]

Those Irwin's jaws probably wouldn't hold up to it and they're already sloppy. They're cheap enough to try though.

Grip-ons are thin jaws but about 10mm wide, if that matters.

 

[JBH]

Grip-on makes some in regular and angled jaw "ergo-grip."

https://www.grip-on.com/127-long-nose-2/
https://www.grip-on.com/727-ergogrip/

Knipex also offers some:
http://knipex-tools.com/index.php?id=1023&page=group_detail&parentID=1364&groupID=1450

 

[AA/FC]

I was lucky enough to score two of these WILDE rebranded Peterson Vise Grips from Ebay a few years back. They were brand new NOS stock from many years ago. I think I paid like $7 or $8 bucks each. I should have bought every one the guy had...

.

 

[rpcraft]

usually what I do with the toilet bolts is just cut them off with a hacksaw blade in a single hand holder and replace them. The bolt itself is usually brass and easy to cut and is usually pretty easy to slide the hacksaw blade under the plastic nut cover retainers. I imagine now days you can get one of the Milwauke m12 mini saws and it'll cut through like butter.

 

[theoldwizard1]

If you want extremely fine point locking needle nose, what you want is called a hemostat (medical term). They sell them at HF along with long reach tweezers, etc.

 

[Fender1325]

Milwaukee makes needle nose vice grips, I own them. Not too bad, not too great. I'm confused as to why you'd opt for pliers/vice grips to take out a nut though instead of a socket

Edit :. Ahhhhhh I get it. ******* design isn't it? The bolt should be slotted for a little flathead to hold it in place. Maybe hammer in a wedge to keep the bolt in place.

I'd roll in my compressor, take the die grinder with a cut off wheel, slice a slot in the bolt to hold it with a flathead, which I wouldn't have easy access to so I'd take a cheap flathead, heat it with a torch and bend it on an angle, go back upstairs and test it, and when it doesn't work I'd take a sledgehammer to the toilet and go buy a new one.

 

[GrayFlattop]

There is a tool specifically for this application - called a Jam-Bar.
https://www.amazon.com/Jam-Bar-toilet-bolt-lock-wrench/dp/B00ZWMVKPA/ref=sr_1_1

Or you could jest get in there with a cut-off wheel on a die grinder or dremel.