I wanted a tool to hold a wire coil while I sawed it into jump rings. These coil-cutting pliers do the job easily. Before I bought them, I held the coil in my left hand while I sawed with the right -- cumbersome and clumsy. My left hand ached, and the cuts weren't always clean. With the coil-cutting pliers, I cut rings that close smoothly. The directions on the tool's package are brief but clear: Rest the bottom of the coil atop the inside-the-jaws end of the pin. (The pin doesn't obstruct. It's supposed to run up the inside of the tool.) Saw rings one at a time. Keep the saw angled up to avoid cutting the back of a ring.
I don't use the side slots in the holder; that seems like a good way to waste saw blades. Instead of side to side, I saw front to back, with the closed jaws facing me (and my left hand on the handles). As many have noted, yes, the coil is short. I get maybe 10 rings from a 16-gauge coil, but they are 10 good rings. I've also cut 18-gauge and 20-gauge coils. The coils I've cut ranged from five millimeters to one centimeter wide. All good. I'm very happy with this tool.
I was initially a little cautious about this tool when I ordered it because of the single bad review, and in fact, it was at first a little difficult to use. However, I persevered and, after a few hours of trial and error, discovered a few tricks to getting the most out of it. I'll share what I learned for those who are also considering this coil cutting tool: a) when holding the tool, extend your index finger out towards the grasping part of the pliers, otherwise you will experience some pain in your wrist; b) try to make sure the coils fit as closely as possible to the size of the grasping part of the tool - I found that if the coils are too much taller, cutting the coils above the tool may result in bending the coil depending on the gauge of the wire; c) do not cut all of the coil at once (my rule of thumb is 3-4 jump rings at a time), but cut a few at a time, then use the pause to re-lubricate your saw blade, and nudge the remaining portion of the coil upwards in the cutter - this will not only extend the lifespan of your saw blades considerably, but nudging the coil upwards will ensure that the cut is always aligned, that the cutting angle never gets to the point where you're touching the pliers or the jump rings, and that the new jump rings don't get bound, or locked-in, to the tool; d) when sawing, use long gentle strokes - do not push down on the saw and use the length of the blade - this will extend the lifespan of your saw blades considerably; e) be patient, don't hurry - you're already saving time.
Learning to use the tool will make the cutting of jump rings much easier and the task much less time-consuming. I found that the tool works as advertised and has sped up my chainmailing work considerably. My only complaint is that I wish the handles were a little more comfortable/ergonomic. The 2 most important things I learned were to keep my saw blades well lubricated (use liquid soap, like dish soap, for example, and apply to the sides of the blade with a q-tip), and to keep adjusting the position of the coil so that it sits high in the grasping chamber - as it works out, doing the first provides an opportunity to do the second. Don't rush and let the saw do its cutting without applying pressure.
Also, just as an aside, you can use this tool to cut jump rings larger than the advertised 9mm. I've been able to cut rings up to 15mm in size without any problem.
I hope this information is helpful to other customers looking to purchase this tool.
It is exactly ass described, The only reason 4 stars is because it is not a parallel set of pliers it is very hard to cut jump rings and them not slip sideways as you cut, and i cant get through without flattening the last 4 or 5 rings using them. i can't find a tutorial on their use so i am not really sure if i am using them correctly, but came with no instructions as to their use.
These pliers do exactly what they should do; they allow me to make quick, accurate, consistent jump rings for the first time, including with 16 gauge wire. Downside? I can't do very large rings (approaching 1/2" diameter or more).
Pliers arrived on time and are as described. The only drawback is the guard. Without it, it could be used for longer coils for projects such as chain mail.
Feature Product
- Sturdy stainless steel and Box joint construction means this tool will last
- Measures 7Long
- Turn wire coils into perfect Jump rings
Description
Turn wire coils into perfect jump rings with these coil cutting pliers! holds wire coils from 4.5 to 9mm outer diameter. Sturdy stainless steel and box joint construction means this tool will last.
It takes practice to do this, but I am glad I bought it
It's good tool. I just had to adjust it by taking the guard pin off, by melting the solder point, to cut a longer spiral of rings and it worked great.
good quality if you only need a few rings
Very good tool, makes greatness n rings. The number of jump rings per cutting I rather small.
Great product. Just what I needed. Makes cutting coils so much easier. I can work so much faster. Thank you.
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