I Love A Good Tool, and It's HOT Outside

I hate it when I awaken early - a bit too late to grab any more substantial sleep, but too early for my alarm to go off. Especially when it's on a day when I usually get a little more sleep than my Monday through Friday. Oh well, I'm just going to be ahead of the game today, I guess. Since I woke up at 3:15 am, and decided that additional sleep would be illusive, I guess I might get ahead a little bit ... or not. What I do know for a fact is I'll be ready to swim outdoors at 6:00 am, and if I'm really lucky, they won't have to close the pool because of rain and lightning until after I've had my swim. If I'm lucky. 

It's going to be a scorcher today. At least I have A/C at the
shop (although I'm always turning it on and off because
it's either too cold or too warm). 

It was hot yesterday but today will be worse. We're under a heat advisory for the day with temps expected to feel like they are in the low 100's. The thermometer might not say that, but the heat coupled with the humidity will make everyone feel it. Ick! 

This set that I purchased features jaw diameters
of 3mm on both jaws. It's sturdy, and the
parallel jaws construction will make it more
versatile. I'm totally in love with a tool! 

While at the Bead & Button Show last week I did treat myself to one thing - a set of tools that I drooled over. Like many other people I know, I'm a "tool whore". I love a good tool - one that is designed and made beautifully and performs its' assigned task exceptionally well. My Fretz hammers are tools like that - beautifully made and balanced, they are the perfect tools for their task. But this time I bought pliers. 

Standard hinging for pliers (here on a set of oval
bail making pliers) gives uneven pressure along
the jaws. The jaws pivot along the hinge instead
of being pulled apart and together along an axis. 

Pliers are deceptively simple - handles hinged together in a formation that allows pressure from the handle to be magnified at the jaw's end, increasing pounds-per-square-inch proportionately. The majority of pliers work on an offset X design, where the longer handles provide power to the shorter jaws. The jaws pivot along the junction of the X, and the application of force isn't uniform across the length of the jaws. 

This set that I also purchased has two sizes of
rounds - 4mm and 6mm diameters. I suspect this
one will be getting a lot of use. 

I treated myself to a set of three parallel jaw bail making pliers and I'm totally in love with them. Their parallel jaw design allows for equal pressure along all points of the jaw, allowing me to wrap wire all the way up consistently, or grab an item anywhere in the jaw with equal pressure. Parallel jaw pliers allows me to grip my item anywhere in the jaws and it will be held securely - no slippage. I've been doing more and more wireworking over the past few years, and having the ability to grab a wire anywhere on the pliers to pull a loop or circle from the metal is a real asset. I'm in love with my pliers. 

The final set of parallel jaw bail making pliers
that I purchased has 8mm and 11mm sized jaws.
(There actually is one more size available with
12mm and 14mm jaw sizes, but I'm holding back
on buying those until I know I'd use them.) 

Considering I walked the sales floor several times over three days, and three pliers and a single shaped stone cabochon were all I purchased, I guess I was under-impressed with the vendors' offerings. When the Bead & Button Show first started, almost 25 years ago, the marketplace was a showcase for individual artisans who made their own beads, and a few larger vendors who sold materials with which to use those beads (seed beads, stringing materials, clasps, etc.). These days, though, the vendors have shifted to a lot of importers from the Orient and India. Instead of the unique and hand-made, it's the mass produced. It's not a good change, but it is a mirror for what's wrong with our industry. Oh well, at least I got three beautiful pairs of pliers from all of it. 

Bill Fretz designs and makes some beautiful
hammers for jewelry making. They
are forged really well and their balance is
exceptional. I have a set of two that I always
travel to workshops with, but I also own
several more for my own workbench. 

Here's hoping you have a wonderful weekend. I'll be listening to and watching the US Open Golf Tournament, but I know a lot of my readers will have their eyes glued to the World Cup Soccer. Sorry, all. Soccer just doesn't do it for me. So have a wonderful and safe weekend, and if you're in the USA - Happy Father's Day. I'll be back on Monday.