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Daily Wire Tip Sept. 19: Can You Salvage Nicked Pliers?

By on September 18, 2010
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Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip for
September 19, 2010

Question:

I have some tiny nicks on my wire cutters. What can I use to remove the nicks and not ruin the cutters?

-Gayle in Maycomb, Illinois

Answer:

The nicks in your cutters are more than likely from cutting material harder than the cutters were designed to be used on.

If the blades on your cutters were to be filed down to remove the nicks, the blades would be smaller and not meet properly thus not working as you want. My advice here is to put them in to the kitchen junk drawer, and never again use your good cutters for anything other than precious metal wire!

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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9 Comments

  1. avatar

    Jane Elizabeth

    September 19, 2010 at 10:00 am

    Gayle, I think every jewelry person has made a mistake with their tools as we are learning the trade. I know I messed up my favorite pair of flat nose pliers when using them to hold the square wire with them as I twisted the wire length with my other hand… I now have a set of tools I use for “new” techniques I haven’t tried before “just in case”. I guess it’s just part of the process of learning the art!

    • avatar

      dalecgr

      September 19, 2010 at 1:06 pm

      Great Advice Jane! I have all of my ‘original’ tools and use them in the same way.

  2. avatar

    Lori Shumey

    September 19, 2010 at 12:53 pm

    This is a similar problem I encountered with my cutters. I was cutting 14g. copper wire to make heavy jumprings. I wanted that nice square cut end so that the rings would be tight when joined back together. Unfortunately, the blades on the don’t align properly anymore and cutting heavy stuff is all they are good for now. Sooooo… my question is… is there a cutter out there for heavy wires?
    Thanx … Lori Ann

  3. avatar

    DeLane

    September 19, 2010 at 1:42 pm

    Nicks, if small, can be removed by a professional blade sharpener. Note-professional. He will be able to sharpen and keep blades in alignment.

  4. avatar

    Karen

    September 19, 2010 at 6:16 pm

    I too am a beginner and I never use my jewelry making tools for other than intended, but…I now am using my third pair of cutters. The first cutters I purchased were very inexpensive ones and not made in the USA. Finally after the second pair went south on me I purchased the orange handled ones from WS that are made in the USA. They were considerably more expensive than the others but they are GREAT. The difference is extremely noticeable to me. I am not sorry I went the extra to get them.

  5. avatar

    Dave

    September 20, 2010 at 5:22 am

    The hardened parrot bill cutters that I use for Memory wire are great for most thick wires and leave a nice flat end, but even those have limits.
    For really big stuff, cut the wire long, then file it back flat.

  6. avatar

    Sherrie

    September 20, 2010 at 9:02 pm

    Hey everyone,
    I’ve learned the hard way too, to always try to take care of my good tools. But sometimes things happen you don’t expect; like the time I walked in and my husband had used a pair of my good pliers to rip open a box! Fortunately they weren’t damaged but we had a quick talk about my tools versus his!!!

  7. avatar

    Cindy

    September 21, 2010 at 8:50 pm

    Lori, outside of aviation snips, nothing that will leave your jumprings that flush. Get a jeweler’s saw and blades or a flexshaft setup.

    Been there!!