Right angle needle nose pliers?

[Vegaman_Dan]

Back in the day- okay, the 1980's, my father picked up a Craftsman right angle plier that had jaws of a medium size set and bent half way down the length, perhaps only 2" on each side of the bend.

This has been in my tool box and largely my go-to set for many jobs for decades. A roommate had access to my tools at one time and it vanished when they moved out. They don't know anything about it, but they also used a crescent wrench as a hammer, so they don't exactly know much about tools.

So, I'd like to find another set, but I can't find anything out there on the market. Any leads on a simple set of right angle needle nose pliers? They were great for terminals and other small work.

 

[zakmartin]

I ended up buying some yellow-handled Klein needle nose right-angle pliers not too long ago just to keep the pliers all USA. I paid out the **** for them though (about 4 or 5 times more expensive than the Chinese versions).

 

[zkling]

In for info. I've been looking for a set or few myself, tired of borrowing. Channellock makes a pair but they are only ~70° and pretty bulky, same with craftsman. Of course snap on makes a few flavors but $$$. Same with knipex and proto.

 

[ihateminimumwage]

I still have a very old set of Williams USA, use them all the time.
Search for "Bent Nose Pliers" and plenty of options will come up. If I needed to replace them, I'd go with Channellocks (like all my other USA pliers)

Channellock 386
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004SBD3/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Even just glancing on Amazon, there are also offerings from Knipex, Wiha, Klien, Williams (Taiwan), Sunex, etc.

 

[IanB]

I know these aren't bent on the same axis you are referring to, but I really like the "NWS Multi-Ergo 45 Pistol Grip Needle Nose" pliers.

 

[Zeke]

HF has them if you are so inclined. For something of this nature I find them just fine.

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

I still have a very old set of Williams USA, use them all the time.
Search for "Bent Nose Pliers" and plenty of options will come up. If I needed to replace them, I'd go with Channellocks (like all my other USA pliers)

Channellock 386
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004SBD3/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Even just glancing on Amazon, there are also offerings from Knipex, Wiha, Klien, Williams (Taiwan), Sunex, etc.

I've done the Amazon and Ebay search and get usually a lot of small or long ones, or the ones that seem to be right are of poor quality. So far it's been a challenging hunt indeed!

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

HF has them if you are so inclined. For something of this nature I find them just fine.

They may have had such at one time, but no longer. They don't offer any 90 degree needle nose pliers at this time. There's some tiny hobbiest versions though.

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

Channellock 386
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004SBD3/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I may just get those. At $20 it bugs me for a single pair of pliers, but the time I've wanted them and not had them makes it worth going for something like this.

 

[Flat-rate]

Made my own by heating and bending.

 

[rustiepyles]

I got mine from Snap$On.

 

[softailgarage]

If your talking about the ones with the black insulated grips, I've seen them on Ebay.

 

[zkling]

Made my own by heating and bending.

Please do tell on that, any tips? I thought about that but figured there were too many things that could go wrong keeping the jaws aligned, mostly the person performing the bend, me.

 

[bonneyman]

We had a local guy who took Klien pliers and heated them and bent them into all kinds of helpful shapes. He would add wire strippers and crimp holes into them. Made an electrical linesman plier with threaded holes in the head for cutting screws to the length you needed, then the threads would be straightened out as you removed the screw. Then he oil quenched them to restore the hardness.

He has since retired, thought I still have a pair of pistol grip needlenose pliers he made. Those 90 deg versions are very useful. (I think S-O may make something similar now). You can see them in this group shot here.

 

[Zeke]

They may have had such at one time, but no longer. They don't offer any 90 degree needle nose pliers at this time. There's some tiny hobbiest versions though.

Type in #39539. There are others too like 40698 and some pairs of 45º and 90º together.

 

[theoldwizard1]

HF has them if you are so inclined. For something of this nature I find them just fine.

Concur !

 

[c-hawk19]

Mine are SK. They have been a go to for quite some time.

 

[zkling]

I would like to thank this thread for a. providing me with a new tool and b. solving my curiosity. I decided to try it and went pretty well. A perfect size and style pair of old needle nose I picked up for a buck. A little heat a little bending, and a little quenching, <10min and a new tool. Tomorrow I'll try to polish them up, didn't want to run the buffer this late.

2 before, 2 after. Please excuse the poor pics, this was a quick project.

 

[Ruger_556]

Mine are Snap On... Work great for GM 14 bolt hub snap rings

Bottom right of the photo (The jaws are open)

 

[Flat-rate]

Glad it worked out for you. Here's mine they are the long handle version.

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

We had a local guy who took Klien pliers and heated them and bent them into all kinds of helpful shapes. He would add wire strippers and crimp holes into them. Made an electrical linesman plier with threaded holes in the head for cutting screws to the length you needed, then the threads would be straightened out as you removed the screw. Then he oil quenched them to restore the hardness.

He has since retired, thought I still have a pair of pistol grip needlenose pliers he made. Those 90 deg versions are very useful. (I think S-O may make something similar now). You can see them in this group shot here.

Okay, those red handled bent pliers are done in the wrong plane and look just... melty wrong. And yet, I bet they work really well. I'm tempted go get out the torch and try this sometime.

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

Type in #39539. There are others too like 40698 and some pairs of 45º and 90º together.

Those are much too big for my use, and the turned tips too short. I'd rather use a simple smaller set like I've seen listed here.

But I'm also now curious about bending a set. Thinking about how to keep the jaws aligned. A tack weld one each side that can be ground off later after bending, perhaps?

 

[catalytic]

I just bought a pair of these:



Proto / Blackhawk 11" bent nose plier, made in USA. They list for $90 or so, but amazon has them for under $40 and I picked them up new in box with a matching pair of straight jaw needle nose and a proto utility knife for $30. That's pretty hard to beat for a new quality USA tool, IMHO.

The longer (11" or more) versions are preferable to the shorter ones (I have both) if you have to pick one. I'm using mine to reach way down through/around a narrow portion of a motor housing and hold a spacer bushing -- something that's just about impossible to do with any other plier.

 

[zkling]

Those are much too big for my use, and the turned tips too short. I'd rather use a simple smaller set like I've seen listed here.

But I'm also now curious about bending a set. Thinking about how to keep the jaws aligned. A tack weld one each side that can be ground off later after bending, perhaps?

I used a hole in a block of steel (bench block) to keep everything together. Adjust the hole size to how far down you want the bend to start on the jaws. I just heated the bend area, inserted in proper size hole and bent ~90°. Quick visual inspection, reheat and then quenched in HT oil. It went alot better than I had expected. Otherwise did you see cripe's offerings they have some nice looking proto's for ~$25 IIRC.

 

[bonneyman]

Okay, those red handled bent pliers are done in the wrong plane and look just... melty wrong. And yet, I bet they work really well. I'm tempted go get out the torch and try this sometime.

They are really good for reaching into an electrical panel..and being able to see where the tips are so you don't short something out. They work

I see Snap-On makes something like them...for $66.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...roup_ID=675118&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

 

[Coach James]

I have a pair from HF and a pair of Westward from Grainger.

Coach

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

I typed "bent needle nose" into ebay and found tons of them for around $20 shipped. I happened to use mine (made by Blackhawk) tonight.

 

[FiendFX]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Bent-En...l-/230763583467?pt=Pliers&hash=item35ba94d7eb