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TOOL TIME - Tweezers (Types, Care, and restoring the tips)
- Thread starter Heavens Eagle
- Start date
Heavens Eagle
Well-known member
I just removed the Pooterbucket photos and links and uploaded the photos to the thread. As to the video, while I still have it in archives, it would be a big pain to upload it again. Also it is rather rough and should be edited. Maybe I will work on that at some point but not now.
Heavens Eagle
Well-known member
I will do some looking around for some decent tweezers if you would like Barney.
Something else, if you have some old but pointed tweezers that don't require a lot of effort to squeeze, you can redo the tips on them to get some nice ones with just a little effort. It just depends on how decent the steel is in them.
Barney
Well-known member
Thank You!
SWMBO has indicated that she will get me some tweezers, so any links would be helpful.
She get to spend ALL MY MONEY decorating the new Bathroom ($3300) and carpet and flooring in the new bath and bedroom (3500) and I get a set of tweezers (which she will pilfer). Seems like a fair trade!
SWMBO has indicated that she will get me some tweezers, so any links would be helpful.
She get to spend ALL MY MONEY decorating the new Bathroom ($3300) and carpet and flooring in the new bath and bedroom (3500) and I get a set of tweezers (which she will pilfer). Seems like a fair trade!
I feel your pain brother...
Heavens Eagle
Well-known member
August 22, 2021
Yeah I dated this post as it has links for watchmaker tweezers and as I have seen elsewhere, the links tend to go away in time. Also prices are now starting to go through the roof as the big inflation starts to kick in. At the grocery store, don't just watch the prices but the package sizes/weights. In many cases the prices are staying the same but the amounts of what you are buying are getting smaller. That is just the beginning folks.
OK, here is the first link. This link is to Esslinger which is a watch parts and tools supply house. I would suggest looking around the site as there are all kinds of tools and goodies. Several items that caught my eye in looking around were two different 4 inch digital calipers. One was $19 and one was $32. The tweezer pages which are here. There are cheap tweezers and there are more expensive pairs. If you can (or want to) swing the Dumont tweezers, they are about the best. I have a number of them and have had them for over 30 years. Yes the tips get a little buggered up once in a while, but that is normal and the big difference between the expensive and cheaper pairs is that the more expensive ones are tougher. When that happens, follow the instructions (now in the first post) and redo the tips. It isn't hard and even when I do a major oops on mine, it only takes about 5 minutes or so to get them back up to snuff.
Here are some things to know about before buying tweezers.
Here are some more links:
Of the links I have here Esslinger seems to have the best prices. I have also ordered from them and they are reasonable and fairly quick on shipping.
You can also do searches on ebay and amazon. Be aware that there is a lot of junk out there. There are also a lot of so-so quality stuff on the bay. I can honestly say that investing in a good pair of tweezers (Dumont or Vigor) will not be a waste of time or money. That pair (or pairs if more than one) will end up being your go to for handling small parts.
The important thing to remember is that no matter how expensive or cheap the tweezers are, you will have to spend a little time keeping the tips in shape. That is the most important part! If you have a $40 pair that has not been maintained, they won't work any better than a $3 pair that is new. In fact they might be unusable if the tips are in bad enough shape.
If you have any questions or found some items that you are not quite sure of, be sure to ask! I am glad to help and point out and advise on this.
Yeah I dated this post as it has links for watchmaker tweezers and as I have seen elsewhere, the links tend to go away in time. Also prices are now starting to go through the roof as the big inflation starts to kick in. At the grocery store, don't just watch the prices but the package sizes/weights. In many cases the prices are staying the same but the amounts of what you are buying are getting smaller. That is just the beginning folks.
OK, here is the first link. This link is to Esslinger which is a watch parts and tools supply house. I would suggest looking around the site as there are all kinds of tools and goodies. Several items that caught my eye in looking around were two different 4 inch digital calipers. One was $19 and one was $32. The tweezer pages which are here. There are cheap tweezers and there are more expensive pairs. If you can (or want to) swing the Dumont tweezers, they are about the best. I have a number of them and have had them for over 30 years. Yes the tips get a little buggered up once in a while, but that is normal and the big difference between the expensive and cheaper pairs is that the more expensive ones are tougher. When that happens, follow the instructions (now in the first post) and redo the tips. It isn't hard and even when I do a major oops on mine, it only takes about 5 minutes or so to get them back up to snuff.
Here are some things to know about before buying tweezers.
- Stainless steel tweezers are the most common material. They resist rust and tend to be less susceptible to magnetism. They are also usually a little softer and the tips can bend and bugger up easier. The better made ones though can tend to be tougher than the cheap ones.
- Carbon steel tweezers are harder and tougher. They can rust and if a person has that "rusty touch" they will get dark and rusty. They can also be easily magnetized. In normal use though the will turn a medium grey and keep on going. I have several pair that I bought used and they are still as good as the day I bought them.
- Titanium tweezers are fairly new. Of course titanium is rather light, but it is supposed to be a little tougher than the carbon steel variety. They are also non-magnetic and more resistant to solvents and other corrosive agents.
- Squeeze pressure is one of the most important things when using tweezers. Once you learn how to hold tweezers properly, the lighter the pressure it takes to close the tweezer the less apt you are to shoot it across the room or even your bench. Crisp and straight tips make it easy to pick up the smallest part easily.
- The biggest difference between the cheap and professional tweezers is not just the price. The price reflects the quality of the tips, how sharp, strong, square, and how well they align. The cheap ones might be easy on the pocket book, but they can give a lot of trouble right off the bat. While the cheaper tweezers can work well enough, in many cases I have found the tips need some major renovation to get them to really work the way they are supposed to.
- The best size for most hobby work is the #2. That is followed by either a #3 or a #3C which has a finer sharper tip. There are some that are sharper than that but those tips are very delicate and unless you have a good hand with a light touch those will be too easily damaged.
- There are also the wider tip tweezers. I use mine a lot for holding PE and in some cases bending PE.
- Dumont
- Vigor
- Bergeon
- Horotec
Here are some more links:
Of the links I have here Esslinger seems to have the best prices. I have also ordered from them and they are reasonable and fairly quick on shipping.
You can also do searches on ebay and amazon. Be aware that there is a lot of junk out there. There are also a lot of so-so quality stuff on the bay. I can honestly say that investing in a good pair of tweezers (Dumont or Vigor) will not be a waste of time or money. That pair (or pairs if more than one) will end up being your go to for handling small parts.
The important thing to remember is that no matter how expensive or cheap the tweezers are, you will have to spend a little time keeping the tips in shape. That is the most important part! If you have a $40 pair that has not been maintained, they won't work any better than a $3 pair that is new. In fact they might be unusable if the tips are in bad enough shape.
If you have any questions or found some items that you are not quite sure of, be sure to ask! I am glad to help and point out and advise on this.
Brokeneagle
Master at Arms
Fantastic tutorial, thanks Paul, I must have missed this back in the day! 
