Hi,

I find that when I use chain nose pliers for folding cord ends, or for jump rings, the pliers leave nasty scratch marks on the metal.

I recently bought a pair of nylon jaw pliers, but the jaws there are so big/wide, that I cannot even use them for cord ends, forget about opening/closing jump rings. Waste of money.

Can anyone tell me what sort of pliers I need to buy? Is there a particular sort or a specific brand? I will be buying some items from fusionbeads.com and jewelrysupply.com, so if anyone knows of pliers that I could buy from one of these websites, that would be great.

Thanks.

Hi,

I have the same problem when working with jumprings. I also have been looking for pliers to use when working with jumprings. There is info on the web about pliers called "wubbers" that are supposed to solve this problem. They are a little pricey. Also, I have been told to use "nylon sleeves" on the pliers barrels. I haven't had any luck finding them. My husband mentioned to go to a hobby store to see if they carry plastic tubing of the right size for the barrels which I will do shortly. Maybe someone else has a way to solve this problem.

There is some sort of dip you can dip the pliers in that turns into a rubber coating.  You can see it here at Rings & Things:

http://shop.rings-things.com/cart/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=2059

Alice

Yes, I've ordered the rubber coating. Until it arrives I'm using scotch tape over the pliers and that helps too.

If you have a local bead store, I'd recommend going there. Last night I stopped into one because I needed memory wire cutters. I looked online and saw a wide range of price and style. Well, the woman helping me went in back and got the pliers and a cutting of memory wire that they use for classes so I could try them out, and they worked great. Sometimes the mark up is higher, but I felt the price was fair and bought what she showed me. Plus, they have a sort of savings program, so the more I spend there, the more often I get $10 off.

Of course, if there is not a local store, these other tips will help!

I've started doing more chain maille and I use the dip.  It's good because you can just dip existing tools that you already like working with.  The downside is that if you work with metal a lot you have to re-dip frequently.  It's delicate stuff and will come off the more you use the tool.  It helps to dip according to the instructions and do several THIN coats.  Good luck.

Hi all,

Thanks for all your thoughts.

I have ordered the "dipping solution" thing and am waiting for it to arrive. If it works, I will be so-o-o happy.

- crazyaboutgems.