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Tweezers?????


Mark Aldrich

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Can anyone recommend a good set of general purpose tweezers? I have ones from three different Make up manufacturers, several from miniature tool places and some from the medical profession. Most if not all seem to still not hold the part properly. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Mark

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I'm still using a set that I got from Dr. Microtools at the '93 Atlanta Nats...straight, 90 degree, and 45 degree...but I use the latter for almost everything. You might want to check http://www.micromark.com for some pretty good ones...they have a stainless steel 5 pc. tweezer set (#60365) that looks good.

 

Somebody sent me this site, but I've never ordered from them... http://www.widgetsupply.com/

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The one I use the most is a fine point straight tweezer. I have several others, but this is the one I usually fall back on. I don't care for the the ones that you squeeze to release the pressure. Can't seem to get the hang of them.

 

Oh, be careful when you use them for your eye makeup. You might poke your eye out.

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I'm also looking forward to what you guys come up with. I must have about 10 pair here, but never can find one that holds "properly"...

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I'm still using a set that I got from Dr. Microtools at the '93 Atlanta Nats...straight, 90 degree, and 45 degree...but I use the latter for almost everything. You might want to check http://www.micromark.com for some pretty good ones...they have a stainless steel 5 pc. tweezer set (#60365) that looks good.

 

Somebody sent me this site, but I've never ordered from them... http://www.widgetsupply.com/

 

That's an awesome link! Hard-To-Find Hobby Supplies, like this one!

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Mark, I guess it depends on how you use them also.

 

FWIW, my favorite pair come from Squadron, I think, they have a 3/32" square tip.

My next favorite, I think from Micro Mark, has about a 1/32" square tip.

Then I have 2 pair of pointed tips, again from Micro Mark -- one long, one short.

 

In my usage, the narrower the point, the greater the chance the part achieves sub-orbital velocity .... but the narrow point ones come in handy as sharp pointy things once in a while.

 

I'm with Les, the squexze to release & I just don't work -- but I have a half-dozen or so, staright & curved, because they make great mini-vises.

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I had a really good angled on from Revlon. It was the best. During my last move, it came up missing and can not find it anywhere. I also can't stand the positive pressure ones. I break too many pieces. I had the same problem with forceps. too mush pressure and the held part deformed or broke.

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Guest Bun E. Carlos

I've still got the three XURON set that Abby Robey gave me at the RCHTA Show in the early 90's!!! Two that are really good for small parts..pointed...and one a little larger for rigging.

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I've had the problem of lack of "grab" as well. I've been able to fix it a couple times. Close the tweezer and hold it up to a strong light so the light shines through the tips. You may find that they touch before the very end and then the very tips splay out. I used a set of pliers with no knurling on the face and re-set the tips so they joined correctly. Unless you have surgical grade stainless steel, any tweezer may eventually splay out like this and even they go eventually.

 

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I've got a pair of very thin needle nose pliers from Sears (bought many years back) - the jaws are about 1/16 wide and 2 inches long and smooth-faced. They do most of the jobs a tweezers will do and seem to give a little more control over the part you're holding.

 

Don

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Ive bought several different pair from "The Tool Man" at several National Conventions. His website is here, although it no longer operates his business...just shows his trade show schedule. He has a lot of Dental-grade stuff that I like.

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Ive bought several different pair from "The Tool Man" at several National Conventions. His website is here, although it no longer operates his business...just shows his trade show schedule. He has a lot of Dental-grade stuff that I like.

 

Mark,

That's the ticket! Tell the wife you are going to Columbus to buy tweezers from "The Tool Man" :smiley16: ! FWIW, I use 4 tweezers the most and bought all of them from the "Tool Man" over the years. If you can give me an idea of what you want I'll check him out in about 5 weeks. I could get them to you at the McMinnville show in September.

Mark

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Mark,

I think that is the problem. There is no such thing as a all "powerful" tweezers. I lost four of the Bronco wing nuts when I was installing them. I have vacuumed the area twice and not found them which means they went airborne outside the work area. I guess I just have to keep trying. Thanks for the offer though.

 

Mark

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Mark A.

 

You might try blunting the end of a round tooth pick and putting something like UHU glue on the end to hold the piece while you place it. It'd be worth a shot.

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Mark,

I think that is the problem. There is no such thing as a all "powerful" tweezers. I lost four of the Bronco wing nuts when I was installing them. I have vacuumed the area twice and not found them which means they went airborne outside the work area. I guess I just have to keep trying. Thanks for the offer though.

 

Mark

 

I can't count the number of Bronco and MK wing nuts I have launched into outer space! What I do now is to impale the wing nut with a new #11 Xacto blade. I lose fewer small parts this way.

Mark

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I buy three to five from the Tool Man at least once a year. I get the ones with the slide bar that gradually tensions the grabby end of the tweezers. For rigging I use a medical tool, not really tweezers but opens, closes like a bird beak. Have no idea what they're called but they grip .003 tippet line with ease. I do not apply paint to anything with that device but keep it nice and clean.

 

 

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I get the surgical ones, maybe because my wife is in the medical business. But here is a link to buys some.

http://www.scissorsales.com/moretweezers.html

I found they last longer than the hobby brand, in fact I have never had to replace them. The one I use most is the Fine micro tapered tweezers 3" long stock #16-30

I use a rubber band to clamp down and hold them closed, that way I can adjust the tension without breaking a part.

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Thanks for the tip about the scissorsales.com site. Free shipping? Am making my order now....

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  • 2 weeks later...
Can anyone recommend a good set of general purpose tweezers? I have ones from three different Make up manufacturers, several from miniature tool places and some from the medical profession. Most if not all seem to still not hold the part properly. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Mark

 

Check out the cosmetic department at your local drug store/dept store and look for La Cross tweezers. I have 5 or 6 different types that I use on a regular basis. I have one that has a flat, angled head, to which I stuck a piece of Dymo labeling tape on the inside of both tips, and then trimmed off any overhanging tape with a knife. It is great for handling photo-etch, especially the pre-painted Eduard stuff, without marring the surface.

 

Cheers,

Eric

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I just use two pair. One angled and one straight. Both are surgical tweezers I got from the nurse who removed my stitches. I also got a set of surgical scissors that way too that I use for cutting decal sheets. They are especially helpful when it comes to some of those small sheets with the decals so close together.

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Just like nearly everyone in the hobby, I also have an assortment of tweezers with various shapes and tip designs. Another tool I will use from time to time is my "Crocodile Pliers". These are the ones with the long extention and the jaws out at the end. I believe they were originally designed for a doctor to reach into ear canals and the like.

 

They take a little gettng used to, but are really handy for inserting small parts into unreachable places.

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The most versatile pair of tweezer i've ever found I latched onto at the local Big Lots. Apparently one of the tweezer manufacturers tried to market a rubber tipped set of tweezers without much luck. I guess they never considered the hobby market.

 

Tweezer launch is pretty nigh eliminated. nad the don't break anything, but the rubber is substantial enough to hold parts for placement. Best yet that only cost me 99 cents. I bought all they had and gace them to all my geek posse.

 

Kip

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  • 2 months later...
Can anyone recommend a good set of general purpose tweezers? I have ones from three different Make up manufacturers, several from miniature tool places and some from the medical profession. Most if not all seem to still not hold the part properly. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Mark

 

 

To keep my small parts from "sproinging" out of the tweezers jaws never-to-be-seen-again, I coat the tips with one or two coats of liquid electrical tape. Expensive? Yes, because you buy a small can for about $5.00 which will last for 100 years, and you only need one or two coats per tweezer. Just offer to share with your club.

 

Dennis in Long Beach, CA

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